Stop and Stare

11

It was hell on earth for Mahony at the office. Lisa made herself nearly impossible to avoid. At every turn if it's not her than it was her ever increasing group of cronies. He couldn't understand her motivations behind her aggressive hostility towards him, not to mention inciting the office against him. He always thought that so long as he did the job he was paid to do all would be well. But lately, it's proving him more wrong than right. The only person that seemed unaffected by Lisa's aggressive bullying campaign was the oblivious Leland. Then again, Leland was given the moniker for a reason.

As much as Mahony tried to rise above unpleasantness at the office, it was wearing him thin. The added stress was needless and pointless, it prompted him to seriously contemplate quitting his job. One night, he looked through his finances and realized that he could actually weather a little time off without income. For the first time in his life, pulling a Milo was looking more and more like a reality than a fanciful amusement.

One morning, Mahony arrived at the office like usual only to find a note tucked under his keyboard.

... basement level 3 parking, 7 PM

—Lisa

The immediate thought that came to Mahony was if he was back in first grade. She was passing notes now? This was getting more ridiculous by the day. Was this some sort of process a parent goes through with their children when they entered school age? And, how did she managed to hide the note when she came in after him and left before him every day? Mahony was this close to tossing the note back on Lisa's desk and march into Leland's office to give notice. But he reminded himself that he was a rational adult capable of restraint and decided he'd be willing to hear Lisa out, that maybe, they could put whatever's eating her to rest.

To Mahony's twisted relief, his schedule for the day was back-to-back meetings, meaning that he barely had to spend a minute sitting at his desk. He quickly grabbed every essential he'd think of that he'd need to avoid coming back to his desk and risk running into Lisa and booked it to the first meeting room of the day. By the time the last meeting on Mahony's schedule closed on-time on the dot of five. He took his time packing up his belongings and went back to his desk. Tiredly, he slumped into his office chair, eyes closed and wondered what he's been doing with his life. Meeting after meeting, report after report, he's going nowhere with his career. Was any of this worth burning his life out on? The world would continue to turn without that next meeting and certainly didn't need that next report.

For the first time in Mahony's professional life, he had difficulty killing two hours and wondered why Lisa would want to meet so late in the day; and in the basement parking of all places. Wouldn't it have been easier to grab one of the empty meeting rooms. Since he had avoided Lisa all day, it's too late to do anything about it but to wait.

When seven rolled around, Mahony packed his bag and headed for the elevator. It wasn't a productive two hours but it did help him made up his mind, he'd hand in his notice tomorrow first thing. He supposed the last two hours spent thinking over and finally crafting his resignation was well worth the time spent. He fished out a company envelop and stuck the letter in it before placed it under his keyboard. Tonight, he'd work things out with Lisa, as any rational adult should and hope that she'd do the same and be done with it and move on.

But as Mahony got into the elevator, the slightest hesitation hit him, he contemplated for a brief second pressing the button for the lobby and walked straight out of the building to catch the train home and never return. But he refused to let things go like this, he hadn't done anything that warranted this kind of treatment from Lisa and Lisa shouldn't be allowed to get away with pulling nonsense like this just because she felt entitled. Stiffening his spine, Mahony pressed 'B3' firmly as he prepared to have it out with Lisa.

As expected, the basement parking had cleared out saved for a lone car parked by the column. Mahony headed directly for the car, guessing that it'd to be no one other than Lisa. When he neared, the person sitting inside came out of the car and it was indeed Lisa. He quickened his steps, hoping to get this over with as soon as possible; the new phase of his life awaited him.

"Mahony," Lisa said when Mahony neared. She stood just behind her car and waited for Mahony to draw closer. "I see you have no trouble identifying my car."

"Well, it's the only—"

"Look, let's not waste each other's time here," Lisa cut in.

"Alright, what do you want to see me about?"

"Shouldn't it have been obvious by now?" Lisa said, her tone snippy.

"Obvious? How?" Mahony couldn't keep his confusion and incredulity out of his voice.

"I watched you walked out of that elevator and straight for my car, I'm surer than ever that you were the one," Lisa said.

"The one what?"

"Stop pretending," Lisa snapped. "You've been sending me these creepy notes, saying things like 'retribution is mine'. Don't deny it." Lisa pointed her finger at Mahony when she saw denial all over Mahony's face.

"The note again? Didn't I tell you and Brad that night at Malone's that it wasn't me," Mahony clarified calmly.

"Notes, plural," Lisa bit back. "There were several notes after. And the fact that I didn't have to tell you what car I drove and you were able to find me right away told me everything I needed to know," Lisa said looking smug.

"Are you hearing yourself right now? Look around you. Your car is the only one here," Mahony shouted, waving his arm around the basement parking, the sound of his voice echoing off the walls.

"Right. Awfully convenient," Lisa folded her arms around her chest and dug her heels in, looking unconvinced.

Mahony took in a calming breath and told himself it's a waste of time arguing with a person that's made up her mind with blinders on. "What do you want, Lisa?"

"That's my line," Lisa said.

"For the last time, I didn't send you the notes and I don't want anything from you."

"Bullshit, people don't send these notes for fun, or what?" Lisa looked questioningly at Mahony, "You're going to tell my husband of my affair with Brad? You know my husband is loaded ... you must want something. But I'll not allow you to jeopardize my marriage, I've worked too long and hard to secure it in my favor."

"What are you talking about?" Mahony said with no small amount of frustration. "Look, you can continue to believe what you want to believe in your deluded mind. There's no convincing you otherwise. I'm leaving, I don't have to stand here and play into your delusions."

"Youknow," Lisa said, nodding her head slowly, "you're absolutely right. There's noneed for us to continue with this cat and mouse game. There's a better way toend this." Lisa reached in her jacket pocket and pressed the button to pop hertrunk on her key fob. The lid opened soundlessly as Lisa bent in to retrievesomething from the trunk. Before Mahony could react, he saw a glint of silverflash in the fluorescent lighting of the basement. The next moment his abdomenexploded in white hot pain. He doubled over, uncertain what had just occurred.Lisa stood over him and shoved him hard as he toppled sideways into her opentrunk. As he fell in, another glint of silver accompanied by another white-hotpain. He put up his hands to fend off the next plunge of the knife but it wasuseless. The manic look in Lisa's eyes told him that there was no walking awayfrom this. With the next blow, the world faded to black.