Things Frenemies Do / A Tom X Leslie Story

Presentation

  " Sharing my heart, it's tearing me apart,

But I know I'd miss you, baby, if I left right now"

  5 days later

    Leslie checked her binders nervously, anticipation building up in her chest, and her usual anxiety crawling from her back. This presentation related to one of her biggest park ideas was planned for after her and Tom came back from the trip, but the man who wanted to fund it wanted it to be sooner rather than later, so they rescheduled for today. Tom wasn't in the office yet, and there were only 30 minutes left till the presentation. Her heartbeat raced in panic and she didn't know what to do except check everything she's planned to say and show for the meeting. But without her assistant, she can't do it, not everything, she needed him to open each slide while she read her bullet points and tried to convince the investor to fund her idea. 

   Seconds pass, minutes pass,

   And after around 10 minutes, her anxiety turned to anger. Raging fire that stung her very being.

   How could he not be here? It was on short notice, yeah, she's only found out about the reschedule 2 days ago, but that didn't matter. Being her assistant was his job.  He should be here by now. He should've been here an hour ago actually.

   She always hated how unpredictable her colleague was. 

   This is also what she's always admired about Ben. He was incredibly reliable. He loved his job, and actually put in the effort, just like her.

   All Tom ever cared about was being "dope" or starting his own business. She thought his ideas in that regard were pretty good, but damn it, he already had a job, and he should care more about it, even though he knew Ron would never fire him, since he's just as, if not even more lazy.

  The meeting started, and Tom still wasn't here. Leslie tried showing off the things in her computer while also talking, but she stumbled upon her words because of the amount of stress she was put under. At some point she didn't even know what she was saying anymore, sweat falling off her forehead and her heart beating louder then ever, as she saw the project she's been working on for months crumble right in front of her, because of her incompetent co-worker. If he really couldn't come, he should've told her.  She never despised him as much as she did at that moment in time. 

-

The next day

  

     Leslie watched the office door closer then she ever has, waiting for her mortal enemy to enter. She waited quite a while, Tom being 2 hours late for work. Again.

   But suddenly, the dark skinned man enters the office, his usually straight hair ruffled messily, his face looking like he hasn't slept in days. Granted how much he wanted to sleep with Joan, he probably hasn't.

   Leslie rushes over to him, and grabs him by his shirt collar, that on this rare occasion, didn't have a tie. It was a bit opened, his collarbones showing trough, and the beggining of his chest. She tugged his shirt with great force and finally spilled out her anger.

  "How could you do this to me?! I get you don't usually work that hard around here, but you know how much I've waited for this park to be made, goddamit!" 

   Her bright, flaming blue eyes looked exasperately into his black ones, but they didn't give her anything. She maybe felt a little guilt coming from him, but she wasn't sure, since his eyes seemed almost emotionless, tired. He then looked away, as if embarrased.

  " Say something damn it! What excuse do you have for not being there?!"

  But he said nothing. He swallowed, then looked at her one more time.

  " What I did is none of your damn business. You know I hate this job."

  " Yeah, but I thought... It doesn't matter." Her anger turned to resentment as she remembered how good they felt a few days ago, dancing all night at the club. I thought you cared about me. " Go to your desk and finish the report I sent you two days ago. "