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EVELYN DIDN'T HATE MANY THINGS. She hated traffic, lumpy mashed potatoes, Michael's jokes (not all of them), and Mondays. She'd do anything to cancel Mondays, but she knew that doing that wouldn't help. The hatred would only slide over to Tuesday and so forth. So she hated Mondays silently.
Evelyn slipped behind Pam's desk as soon as she got to work. She grabbed her pillow and parked it right there. Jim had barely seen her come in. Amused, Pam spun around to face the hiding brunette. "Good morning," she greeted her friend.
"I went on a date," Evelyn blurted out. Pam's eyes immediately widened. Every slither of amusement she had manifested disappeared. "When?" she asked. She leaned forward, her hands covering her mouth. Evelyn tucked some of her hair behind her ear to prepare herself. "It's a long story," she warned her.
Pam spun around and took out a small plate she had made. On the front was the words "be back later". Once it was placed, she slipped out of her seat and sat on the floor right next to Evelyn. "Spill," she whispered. Something about the secrecy of it all made Evelyn's body tingle. She grabbed one of Pam's hands, excitement twinkling in her eyes.
"So, Friday night, he texted me and asked me to meet him for coffee at ten. There was no question. He told me," she began. Pam's stomach fluttered. "So, obviously, I did. But there were so many people and smells, and it got so hot so fast that I ended up having a panic attack right then and there. So, I ditched him to get outside."
"No," Pam gasped. Evelyn's cheeks were turning pink now. "It was humiliating, Pam. I just ran out of there like a crazy person. But he followed me out, and I started crying. Not full on crying, but it really seemed to freak him out."
Jim turned toward the reception desk curiously. He was surprised to find the girls gone. "What happened next?" Pam asked. He stood from his seat and approached the desk. "He offered to take me somewhere else, so we went to Norman's. Apparently his brother runs the place," Evelyn continued, her soft voice falling on Jim's ears. His movements stopped abruptly.
"He paid for breakfast and he walked me back to my building. It wasn't... great, but the date wasn't awful, either. He was nice enough."
"Would you go out with him again?" Pam asked. Evelyn had been thinking about that, as well. Calum was nice. He was open and honest, and he made up for the first mishap with grace. But there wasn't anything there. No spark, or butterflies. It was nerve wracking, sure, but who wouldn't get nervous going on a first date with a stranger?
