Coming back to work after everything that happened can be pretty terrifying. I feel unprepared, anxious, and most of all scared. When I decided to take time off work to try and fix myself I had left on bad terms, my work was getting sloppy, I had become unreliable. I took pride in my work I was always on top of it. I work for a small law office, filing paperwork, filing the court cases, answering phone calls and taking messages, running errands here and there. Basically my coworker and I are the reason that office is up and running as well as it is, in our minds we run that office. Our bosses look to us for opinions and help half the time.
Like I said I take pride in my work, so me having to take some personal time and leaving my work the way I did really affected my work ethic. It felt like I lost the trust between my coworkers and I, I feel like I let everyone there down.
Marie, my coworker and other half, is very much aware of everything that happened. She's one of the few people I trust with my life as well as my secrets.
"It's good to have you back I missed you bitch, I feel like I was going crazy just talking to myself!" Marie said as soon as I stepped into our shared office. Her loud voice bouncing off the walls.
"I'll tell you its feels good to be back" I said trying to convince myself and Marie, but looking at her I could tell she wasn't buying it.
"Don't worry, you'll be okay. I know it" She said and as she hugged me. As soon as she pulled apart our bosses walked in.
"It's good to see you back in the office Ms. De santiago" Mr. Lawrence said, he was the main boss. He owns this small law practice. He looks like a sweet old man but when he gets mad he really gets mad. When Mr. Lawrence is in a bad mood the whole office feels it.
"Glad to be back Mr. Lawrence" I said to him as I smiled directly at him, I looked behind him and saw his law partner. Mr. Higgs.
"Ms. De santiago! Welcome back!" Mr. Higgs exclaimed, Mr. Higgs was also an older gentleman though not as old as Mr. Lawrence. He was recently made partner in Mr. Lawrence's practice so everyone in the office is still trying to get a feel on him.
"Mr. Higgs! I hope everything is going well for you here!" I said as I greeted him with the same enthusiasm he showed me.
"Oh of course, I love it here. Everyone has been so welcoming" He said with a crooked smile that I am just now noticing. Weird.
The four of us chatted for a bit before the bosses decided to go back to their respective offices leaving Marie and I alone. She turned to look at me before she sat down at her desk right in front of mine.
I looked down at my desk and observed every detail on it. From the pens to the files next to the wall and notebooks neatly lined up right next to my computer. It was exactly the way I left it, minus the huge stack of files that needed to be digitized into our system. I gasped looking at the pile, my eyes widened looking up and down at the pile somehow feeling offended by its size.
"Oh relax dude, I gave you all the short and easy ones" Marie said now standing next to me. She grabbed a file from the pile and skimmed through the pages to prove her point.
"Okay okay I can do it, I'm just being a bit dramatic is all" I said as I finally sat down on my chair, I grabbed my porcelain porcupine checking to see if he's okay. I've been worried about him while I was away, I'm emotionally attached to this porcupine.
"Well then! Let's get to work!" Marie suddenly exclaimed drawing my attention back to reality and away from the porcupine.
"Right! Work" I said as I got comfy in my desk and made myself familiar with everything around me.
Getting back into work came naturally to me, I felt motivated, energized, and overall pretty damn excited to be back to doing what I do best. Everything just started falling into place here, I started familiarizing myself with my old routine.
Suddenly all the fear and anxiety I was feeling when I first walked in started to slowly fade away and I started feeling a sense of excitement and hope.
Marie and I's office was right in the middle of the building so everyone has an easy access to us should they need our assistance. Which might I add is very often, and I will say it again, were basically the reason this office runs the way it does.
I was emerged in my work when I hear someone walk in, I didn't think much of it so I paid no mind to it.
"Good morning Marie, how fast do you think I can get these files pulled?" The voice said
"Hmm you know what, El has those files on her desk right now. El?" I looked up from my screen as soon as I heard Marie call my name.
"Yes? Sorry I didn't catch that" I said apologizing to Marie.
"Here can you check if you have these files on your desk for Alvaro" She asked as she handed me a sticky note with file names.
I grabbed the sticky note from her and quickly started looking through my pile to find the names listed on the note, I quickly found them and pulled them out.
"Yes I do, here you go Mr. Alvaro" I said as I handed him the files he was looking for.
"Great! Thank you and welcome back" he said as he took his files and walked out the office without giving me a chance to reply.
"Hes kinda weird, no?" I asked as both Marie and I watched him walk away.
"He's actually been talking more while you were out, he's pretty cool" Marie shrugged as she walked back to her desk.
"Huh? You don't say?" I replied as I walked back to my desk as well. Ready to continue my long awaited work.
~
YOU ARE READING
The other woman
Romance"This was something I never thought I would get involved with. I always thought I was above these kinds of things, I frowned upon this! Yet I can't quite him. It started off as an innocent friendship now it's a complicated affair." - Elena
