Hey Duke!

Welp, you got an audible groan from me for that ending. So like, I'll give you that, haha. And you did such a great job with a good story too. The plot didn't feel forced or anything in order to get to the joke. So really well done there.

Like, the only thing I could say is perhaps build it up more? Tease it maybe? But then again, I also liked how you did it. Write this great story and end it with a hilarious pun. I'm going to call it a pun at least.

Very well done!

I do just have a few bits and bobs for you though,

> Deadline was fast approaching,

This read oddly to me. "The deadline was fast approaching," or something may work better. But not sure.

> "And we're working double-speed to get the paper out. I don't want to fire them -- they have a way with words separately, but when on the story together, everything falls apart!"

So if Alice is Cullen's assistant, does she have the power to fire people? Is that something she can do or is she simply wielding Culen's power here? And with that, who is Cullen in the company? I might have missed it, but is he the CEO? The big boss? Not too sure but this bit did give me pause.

> Cullen offered an entire box of tissues to Alice, as though that would clean up the black mess on her face thoroughly.

I don't think you need "entire" here. It's a detail that we can already assume. Also, later on, you make it a point to say that she uses most, if not all, of the tissues anyway. So you could just dodge some repetition that way.

I hope this helps.

Good Words!