THE ULTIMATE SHORT STORY COLLECTION

Part 6 of 26: Revenge

Gavin stared at the scrap of paper as if it were a slice of gold. He looked around furtively to ascertain if anybody else in the Funds Office happened to be looking at him, but nobody was paying him any attention.

Gavin failed to see Justin staring at him with a deep frown marring his handsome features.

"That's right, yes," Gavin whispered to himself, a habit he was simply incapable of breaking. "Ignore grey, insignificant, inconsequential Gavin as you always do," he continued to talk softly to himself. "Why wouldn't you? After all, I'm just a lowly funds administrator, aren't I?" he said rhetorically before once again focusing on the tiny card he held between his fingers.

The numbers written underneath a label on it seemed to dance jauntily in and out of focus. Gavin removed his spectacles to wipe them clean on his tie before replacing them on his scrunched up nose. He was still incredulous, slightly shocked to see that he held the password to the Funds Payment Portfolio.

"Gavin!" somebody suddenly called out, causing Gavin to startle so badly in surprise that he nearly tumbled out of his swivel chair, letting fall the paper in his panic.

"Dammit, Justin! Must you always shout at me like that?" Gavin asked in fury. He hated being embarrassed; Justin always seemed to enjoy doing exactly that. Gavin could hear the titters, snickers and soft laughter of his other colleagues.

"Sorry, man," Justin apologised as insincerely as a loan shark telling a client he was sorry that he had to break his legs for being late on a payment. "I just wanted to know if you've submitted the applications for the second intake session or not."

"Yes, I submitted it first thing this morning when I clocked in. You should have received them long ago," Gavin replied curtly, still extremely irate at having been so rudely interrupted.

While replying to Justin, Gavin cast desperate glances about his cubicle in an attempt to relocate the invaluable card.

"Okay, cool. I'll check my mail now," Justin replied flippantly before returning to his cubicle. Just as Gavin was about to go down on his hands and knees to search under his desk, Justin popped back up at his door.

"Oh, one other thing. You don't perhaps know, do you, if Khanisca has come in to work today?"

"Khanisca?" Gavin asked, perplexed. He wondered why Justin would ask him about the whereabouts of his girlfriend, who also happened to be in charge of the Funds Payment Portfolio.

"Why would I know if your girlfriend is at work today or not?" Gavin replied in an affronted tone. He was getting acutely annoyed with Justin and wanted the moron to leave him alone.

"Hey, man. No need to get all hot under the collar. I was just asking because I remember her telling me that she had a meeting with you this morning, but it's already nine and I haven't seen her at all," Justin explained before he returned to his own cubicle.

"Finally," Gavin breathed quietly and hurriedly searched under his desk. The priceless piece of paper was lying right next to the trash container. "No, you don't," Gavin grinned and quickly snatched it up.

Khanisca woke up with a jolt. For a few seconds she had not a clue where she was, then her lethargic brain exploded with knowledge.

"Damn it all! How the hell did I oversleep? I'm in such deep crap right now," she berated herself as she hurriedly rushed to the bathroom to shower and get ready for work.

"Why did I have to go and do those extra sets last night?" she asked as she applied some make-up as quickly as possible. "Have I truly become such a gym junkie?" she questioned herself, grabbing her laptop and zooming out of her apartment.