Warm

13

Someone misplaced the documents.

And I'm sure it was the intern. His hand shakes as he rummages through papers at his desk, trying his best to look calm. All I can hope for is that he didn't lose the shareholder report, the paper that proportionally divides everyone's money. Arguably, one of the most important reports of the year. Why they gave that to the intern is beyond me. I'm sure Griffith gave that project to him to make sure I don't get anything.

He drags his hand through his brown hair which means he still hasn't found the paper. His distress is becoming more obvious and others are noticing it as well.

I walk over to his desk, carrying a load of papers. "Take this and look relieved or else you're going to be in some big trouble." He looks at me helplessly. "I'm going to help you."
His anxiousness dies down a bit and he pulls off the acting. I pull a chair next to him and force a smile as I say, "Laugh after I finish talking. Did you lose the shareholders report?"

He does as I say, laughing robotically. This loses everyone's attention, they were all probably coming to the same conclusion I was. The intern begins to ramble, "I-I totally messed up, it's just- I didn't-" he inhales deeply. "I have no idea where I left it."

My stomach rolls as I remember Griffith almost firing me for doing my actual job, what will he do to the intern for not doing his job? "Okay, okay. Calm down." I scratch my head and think of ways to get it back. But couldn't he just redo it? "When's the shareholder meeting?"

"Tonight," he whispers. He looks at me like a lost puppy. "What do I do?"

Okay, I am officially nervous. "Well there's no way we can redo it in a day." I shrug, "We just have to find it. And we are going to need help."

Laura and Keanu meet us at the coffee shop. Keanu's face lights up when he sees me and falls fast when he sees the intern.

"What is he doing here?" Keanu says. He wears his dark blue suit with a tie complimenting it. After what he told me yesterday, I wonder if there's more behind the lavish clothing he always has on. Is it a tribute to his dad or the learning from his step-dad?

The intern scoffs at him. "Calm down would you? We are here on," his voice lowers, "business matters."

"He lost the shareholder report," I blurt out. "And the shareholders meeting is today."

Both Keanu and Laura's eyes bulge from their sockets. Laura almost drops her tea.

"This is a joke right?" The intern shakes his head, unable to meet her eyes. Laura rubs her head as if she could rub this problem away. Because not only will the intern and I get burned for this but Laura, our superior, will too.

"We will find it," I say, trying to ease the anxiety. "We just have to retrace his tracks. I mean how lost could a huge thick folder be?"

After searching throughout the entire city, it is clear that my words were spoken too soon. We checked his house, his car, the restaurant he went to eat, the bar he went out with his friends, the drugstore where he went to use the bathroom. We even checked the places he walked by the last time he saw it.

"Nice one, intern," Keanu complains as we take a break on the bench. He scoots over to let me sit. "Do you want anything?" Keanu starts toward the convenience store next to us.

"I just want to find this paper," I say, resting my aching feet.

The intern sighs heavily. "I'm really sorry about this guys, I-I don't know how I could've been such an idiot and lose the most important report."

Unexpectedly, Laura pats his back. "What's done is done. You're young, you were bound to make a mistake soon." I figured if anyone would be angry, it would be her. But Laura had this way of screwing her head on right when others had it up their ass.