Office Mates

She Doesn't have a Boyfriend

Friday morning at Blahco. Robin is already working at his desk. It's two minutes before 8, everyone's scheduled work time. Marians desk is still empty. Robin has his headphones when he turns and watches Aurora come down the hallway and go to her office next door. She is stunning today, with a white crop top and black coat and shorts. This time, Aurora sees Robin and she smiles and waves at him as she walks by. Robin keeps working but he waves back and starts to blush a little.

The quiet is interrupted as Marian crashes through the door. Theo is striding in behind her. Marian drops her backpack quickly and she drops into her desk. Next she looks at the clock which now says 8:05. She thinks to herself, "why am I always late?" Theo gives her a kiss on her cheek and says, "see you later, Marian." She looks at Theo and smiles as she says "goodbye." Theo walks out of the room with a big goofy grin as Marian is frantically logging into her computer and the software they use.

The two are working like this until just before lunchtime. As the day goes on Marian catches Robin looking out the window hoping to see Aurora. Her office mate obviously has a crush. This new information excites Marian. She has never been able to figure out what type of person Robin likes. There was even a minute that she thought he was maybe asexual. But it turns out, he is like all other guys out there and into super pretty girls. Marian was much more interested in Robin now.

It's almost lunchtime. Marian uses this as an opportunity to talk to Robin about their plans tonight. She knows that Robin is serious about his work time and his break time. He actually has an alarm on his phone set for when he should start his lunch and when his lunch is over. He usually only went to the office cafeteria for his lunch. Sometimes he brought food from home and ate in their office. Marian waits for his lunch alarm to go off. And after the alarm, Robin takes off his headphones. Marian asks him, "Robin, are you still up for celebratory drinks tonight?"

Robin looks confused for a minute, "you mean, dinner? Yes."

Marian laughs at her mistake, "Sorry, I guess your dinner is my drinks" Robin looks even more confused. "No, I am pretty sure my idea of dinner is everyone's idea of dinner." Robin looks like he might have made a mistake in agreeing to go out with his office mate. He wasn't wanting anything more than dinner with a few people.

Marian presses forward, ignoring the worried look going over Robin's face.  "I am about the call up Fatty Catty right now to make a reservation, since it is a Friday night. How many people are coming?" Robin responded with, "Just me and Graham."  Marian is counting on her fingers and adds in the people she invited to join, "plus me, Darrin and Kris." And Robin finishes with the obviously forgotten "and Theo, right? That makes six?" Marian gets six fingers up and says, "oh yeah, Theo.. You know the number six weirds me out."

Robin looks at Marian incredulously. He cannot believe that she is a grown adult. No educated person should believe in luck. Without scientific evidence to back up the belief. Robin gives Marian a look that makes all of his disdain very clear and Marian feels like she needs to defend herself against whatever just passed through his mind. Marian, "Don't make fun of me it's bad juju in lots of cultures. We should ask someone else to join us."

Robin replies with, "I only talk with you and Graham."  Marian starts looking around and then gets a VERY good idea. She starts to look over in the direction of Aurora's office. "What about Aurora?" Marian smiles after she suggests this because she realizes she should have invited Aurora from the start. But Robin is not feeling it. "I don't think she wants to come have dinner to celebrate someone she doesn't even know," replies Robin. But Marian is now convinced this is a good idea so she won't be dissuaded. "I know her a little bit." And Robin tries again to squash the plan by saying, "she probably has plans tonight."

Marian is now on a mission to bring Robin and Aurora together. And it's all going to start after they get to know each other at this dinner. So Marian starts walking over to Aurora's office and says, "I am going to ask her join us." With this Marian goes next door and knocks on the door. Robin is watching this conversation happen through the window in his own office.

 Marian: Hey Aurora! Do you have plans tonight?

Aurora: Tonight? No, plans.

Marian: A couple of us are going out to dinner , do you want to come?

Aurora: That sounds like fun!

Marian: Yeah, my office-mate, Robin is hitting his one year mark with the company. We are going to celebrate!

Aurora: Oh, I don't want to crash someone else's party.

Marian: It's not really a party, more like a few coworkers complaining about work.

Aurora: Well I don't know.

Marian: You don't have anything to complain about?

Aurora: Not really. 

Marian: Well then you can just join us while we eat and you can leave before we really start bitching about work.

Aurora: That sounds fine. Then count me in, I guess. I have been wanting to get to know my coworkers better. 

Marian: Excellent. We are all leaving for Fatty Catty after work. You can walk over with us.

Aurora: sounds great.

Marian: see you later.

At this point Marian walks back next door and reports to Robin that Aurora is in fact, coming tonight. Robins face gest red as he looks back down at his computer. "Is seven people enough for you gypsy heart?" Marian smiles and says yes. As Marian is sitting down she adds in a "your welcome." Robin looks confused and says, "for what? We haven't had dinner yet." And Marian cheekily replied, "no, I meant for Aurora." At the mention of her name Robin gets even more embarrassed. But he does not like giving Marian anything to hold over him so he decides that denial is the safest route. He quips back at Marian, "I don't know what you are talking about." He then tries to make it seem like not even that special with the added fact, "she probably has a boyfriend anyway." 

Marian is not about to take defeat. She is going to show Robin, exactly how easy it is to find out information if the person isn't afraid of asking anything. She looks at Robin and realizes that he has launched a counter strike against her very powerful win of getting Aurora to come to the party. So Marian buckles down and goes in to defuse the second bomb that Robin just flung. She walks right back to Aurora as acts all sweet and simply asks, "hey, should we make a reservation for your boyfriend too?" Aurora responds nervously, "boyfriend? No, I don't have one."

At this Marian walks triumphantly back into her office and she looks right back at Robin and says, while pointing at him, 'You are welcome, again!" Robin's face is bright red at this point and he instinctively puts his headphones back on. Just as he does, Marian gives him a little wink. She knows he will be asking for her help with Aurora in the future after this demonstration.