Relationships in the Workplace

Breakroom

It was finally time for lunch as Marno clocked out for his hour. "Finally..." he exhales picking his things up for lunch. Mano is not one for confrontation, but that interaction with the harasser took it out of him other than the fact it's 3 p.m. and his stomach is roaring in hunger. He walks into the breakroom with a face of exhaustion that makes it look like he is about to pass out. "You good love?" a voice speaks up from where the pool table is. He snaps out of his mood and addresses the origin of the voice seeing Ari leaning on a pool cue. She was in the middle of a solo pool game and a look of concern was on her face.

Mano gives her a soft yet forced smile "Just tired. Hopefully, I'll feel better once I chow down." He opens his ben-to style box lunch and pops it into the microwave to heat it. He bends over resting his head on the counter where the microwave is at inhaling and exhaling extensively to relax his body. Suddenly he felt someone else's warmth as a hand planted itself on the middle of his back, "You're really that hungry huh?" Ari speaks up. He chuckles, "I'm just hangry..." She pouts hearing that, "Awww poor baby" she teases. He glares at her as the microwave beeps that it was done, "Bite me." He takes his box lunch out and walks over to a table to eat. With a playful look on her face and her arms crossed she follows him saying, "Don't tease me with a good time."

Mano didn't even get a bite of food in his mouth yet he choked, "W-what?!" She hugs her stomach laughing loudly "Oh my gosh i'm kidding!" He gives her a death glare saying "Or are you..." She quickly stops laughing giving him a devious smile "You know me too well mister..." He turns red right away not expecting that response and starts eating. She sits down on the other side of the small square table watching him eat. He watches her curiously not understanding why she's just watching, he swallows and asks "Are you into food asmr or something?" She shakes her head replying with, "It's you I'm into." He now can't hide the fact that he's glowing red, "Shut up!" She's having too much fun as she laughs like an evil anime villain, "Oh you're so cute." He growls, "You're having way too much fun with me..." he takes a drink out of his ginger ale soda. She ends her fun by saying, "Don't worry you'll have your fun with me soon enough..." and the tone she uses leaves a lot for the imagination. Mano shot the soda through his nose after hearing that. "SON OF A-!" he exclaimed and she grabbed a couple of napkins and helped him clean up proud of herself.

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Ari leaves the building for the day glad she made it through another day. As she approaches her jeep she is suddenly grabbed by the wrist and shoved against her car. "Ah!" she couldn't yell out for too long as she had a hand placed over her mouth. When she realizes who it is her eyes widen in fear. It was the old man that they had closed their account. "You think your boyfriend can just interrupt our business, have my account closed, and everything was going to be water under the bridge?!" he looked near maniacal as he spouted his nonsense. Her expression switched from fear to determination. The old man grew confused, "What are you- AAAAHH!!" He started yelling as he tried to pull his hand away. She bit hard into him and it drew blood. "You witch!" he went to smack her but taking advantage of the space she gave him he kneed him in the stomach. He bent over holding his stomach from any more abuse but she kicked right in between his legs scoring him in the beans. He let out a squeal and fell over into a fetal position.

That's when Mano shows up scared, but he immediately feels relief seeing she is okay. She spat to the side thinking she could still taste the old man. "Bastard... I couldn't do anything in there because I don't want to be fired, but you just assaulted me" She popped her flip smart phone out and dialed 9-1-1. Mano seeing the condition the old man is in could only imagine how she handled herself, "Damn... I missed it." Ari spooked, looked at Mano but smiled seeing who it was, "Oh whatever Mano." The operator answered and Ari explained the situation. Mano stayed with Ari until the cops arrived and took the old man into custody. Once they drove off they were all alone in the office parking lot. "Well" he faced Ari with his hands in his pockets, "How do ya feel?" She huffed fixing her hair after she realized it was a mess, "Like I need a drink." He tilts his head "Like?" She fixes her hair into a ponytail not having the patience to put it how she had it originally, "Wine Mano duh."

He shrugged with a smirk, "I knew that was going to be your answer" as he stepped closer. She raises an eyebrow curious about where this is going, "Then why ask?" as she studies him. 'Mano what the hell are you doing?!' his mind steps in to reel him back from what he was planning on doing. He opens his mouth about to say it but the cat has his tongue. "You know what never-" he couldn't finish his sentence as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down locking her lips to his. At first, he was surprised but once he felt her lips all the care in the world left his body as he just focused on her. After she felt like she had enough she pulled back with a confident grin, "Did I read your mind?" Mano was dumbfounded as all he could say was "Uh-huh..." She fixes his shirt before hopping into her jeep, "Until tomorrow, love"

Like a lovesick puppy, he just lifted his hand for a weak goodbye as his mind was still stuck on the kiss. 'You're an idiot man... SNAP OUT OF IT!' he smacked himself out of his la la land realizing she was already on the street. "Man, am I a lucky guy..." he leaves for his vehicle with a smile that almost hurts because of how big he made it.