As soon as she hears my footfalls, she hits Alt-Tab and flips the screen, but not quite quickly enough. My assistant, Alisa, prefers to do her personal business on company time and thinks she’s just slick enough to get away with it. Trouble is, she doesn’t realize that her behavior always gives her away – the screen toggle, the sigh, the muttering about what to do next, the shuffle of papers. The only thing that stops me from firing her sorry self is the thought of the extra work I’d have to do until I found a replacement.

It’s not the outright attempt at duplicity that irks me; it’s the insult to my intelligence that someone thinks they’re getting over on me when, for my own selfish reasons, I am allowing it.

Take this morning. Husband’s cell phone rings, he presses the button to ignore the call. We both know who it was and I don’t think I have to tell you I don’t care. He, however, keeps trying to convince both of us that I do.

He prevaricates, gesticulates, and vacillates, as I hurry out the door.