Lisa
"Hi Lisa." Nancy, my least favourite co-worker, said as she approached my desk with the authority that she did not possess.
I had my hands wrapped around my warm coffee mug as I glanced through the exorbitant amount of emails that piled up over the three-day holiday last week. When Nancy leaned against my desk, I glanced up from my computer, pushed my glasses back up my nose, and blinked. It was the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday and I'd only been seated at my desk for thirty minutes when Nancy walked over to taunt me.
It was much too early for this.
"Hello..." I mumbled.
"We missed you at the company party last week." Nancy explained with a bit of a sneer.
"Oh yeah, I'm sorry I couldn't make it. My girlfriend got called into work last minute and we couldn't make it."
"What a shame." Nancy said, though she said it in such a way that I didn't really believe she thought it was truly 'a shame'.
"Yeah, it was." I returned to the email which I was reading that described the exact shade of Christmas green and reindeer-shaped design the client wanted on their website. Did people really think if they added reindeer, mistletoe, and ornaments to their logos and they would magically bring in more customers? I suppose it wasn't my job to ask questions; I just create the designs.
"Why didn't you come without her?" Nancy asked.
"What?" I looked back up at Nancy, already forgetting that she was still standing there.
"Why don't you ever come to the company parties without your girlfriend?"
"We have a very unhealthy relationship, so I can't do anything without her. Very co-dependent."
Nancy stared at me, totally unimpressed. She clearly wasn't a fan of sarcasm. Or maybe she just wasn't a fan of me being sarcastic.
"Nice talking to you." I said dismissively and went back to my emails, hoping Nancy would take the hint that I wasn't interested in talking to her. After a few moments, I felt her still standing in front of me. "Can I help you?"
"Do you even have a girlfriend?"
I faked indignation. "Of course I have a girlfriend. What kind of question is that?"
"I've never seen her." Nancy looked at my desk, which was cleared of any personal photos except a single framed picture of me and my family. I suppose if I was going to continue to lie about having a girlfriend that, according to when the lie began, I would be celebrating a three-year anniversary with my girlfriend, and I should definitely have a picture of us in my personal effects. I made a mental note to take a picture with my next Bumble date for this exact purpose.
"Why would I lie about having a girlfriend?" I scoffed.
Nancy shrugged. "You tell me. You always just have the most convenient excuses to not attend any company parties or go to Happy Hour with us."
I pulled out my phone and navigated to my sister's contact, knowing that she wouldn't answer during work hours. "Do you want me to call her and ask? You can talk to her."
Nancy crossed her arms and eyed me. "What did you say her name was again?"
The phone at my desk rang at the exact moment when Nancy finished her question.
"Sorry, got to take this." I flashed her an apologetic grin and picked up the phone and answered with a cheery 'Hello?'
Nancy scowled and walked away. I stuck my tongue out at her when her back was turned and we continued to glare at each other across the office all day.
