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EVERYONE WAS GATHERED TOGETHER IN THE BREAK ROOM. As Jim hummed the olympic opening ceremony song, Evelyn was standing on a chair to tie off one end of their homemade banner. Already, the scent of cookies wafted into the air. There was scattered laughter, heads turning between Jim lighting Evelyn's brand new candle and the woman finishing off her bow.
The moment her foot hit the floor, Jim began his speech. "This scented candle–andle–andle–andle that I borrowed from Evie–Evie–Evie... Represents the eternal burning of competition or something." Kevin chortled. "It smells like cookies," he said. Jim nodded, not at all surprised by Kevin's excellent discernment.
"Yes, it does," Jim agreed, "yes, it does, my friend." His attention turned back to the brunette standing across from him. She was smiling. A part of him thought that perhaps she was just as excited as he was. She definitely needed more excitement in her life. He'd be glad to be the one to encourage her. "Okay, we will be competing for gold, silver, and bronze yogurt lids."
Evelyn nudged Pam. The redhead had worked pretty hard on those medals. "The bronze are really blue," Pam explained. "And they're also the backside of the gold, so no flipping. Okay? Honor system." Evelyn almost applauded her two best friends. The trio had put so much work into this, hoping that their fellow co-workers would join in.
Angela sighed. She slipped between Pam and Evelyn to reach into the refrigerator for her lunch. A pout fell upon Evelyn's lips. "Ange," she whispered, hand moving to grasp the blonde's arm. She didn't spare her a glance, instead exiting the room with a scowl. Evelyn's eyes met Jim's.
He wasn't going to let one sour puss ruin his good time. With a shrug, he raised the burning candle with a smile. "Let the games begin!" he announced, followed by scattered applause in the small room. He spun around, slow, head of a line moving toward their first game. Evelyn waited, eventually bringing up the rear.
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EVELYN You know, I was a little skeptical at first. But the turn out seems great so far. Even Stanley looks excited, and I haven't seen him emote anything other than boredom in... a long time.
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"You have what is the national sport of Icelandic paper companies." Jim glanced toward the brunette at his side only to find her peering up at him, her eyes bright. She nodded for him to continue. "I'm... I'm blanking on the name," he exhaled. "Do you– Do you remember... Evie?"
