Rolex Romance

Bent Up

The next morning as I entered my office I could see flowers on my desk. I ran down the long hall in my flats towards my desk. It was mine, I checked like five times. On a card it said the yellow and pink flowers were carnations. The were absolutely stunning. Also inside was a note.

I'm an asshole. Are these good as sorry ? Leo.

Below it had his number to call and I figured I'd make him wait. I inhaled the flowery scent gratefully. They were a good apology and I was weak.

I checked in on Marius and he gave me the day to research the two mini articles I was given. He said, happily, that today would be Javier's last day by the office. We both breathed a sigh of relief. Obviously the two had a bit of a falling out.

"I'm stepping out of the office for a bit. If he comes by just give him this file and get him to sign the red lines in this file. Then he can be on his way." I took the folders and said goodbye to him as he stepped out. Great, now I have to deal with him.

A few hours later I called Leo. My heart was beating in two time as I listened to every ring. The line picked up and I smiled to myself.

"Hello ?" His voice asked over the quiet line.

"Hey, it's Karenina." I liked to think he smiled at my name, but I'll never know if he ever did smile on the phone with me.

"Did you get my flowers ? Well obviously if you're calling." He laughed nervously.

"Yes they were beautiful. They're sitting on my desk." I pulled on the petals lightly and smiled. Never had a person other then family had bought me flowers. This was new to me.

"I was thinking I could bring you lunch tomorrow instead of Friday."

"Yeah sure."

"Okay I'll be by tomorrow."

"See you then."

"Bye Karenina." I waited for him to hang up first and when I hear the click I went sad. The call was too brief for me.

Afterwards I called the city police again to check in on information. While I was on the phone someone came clicking down the hall. I looked up against my judgement to see Javier. A sigh left me as he approached my desk. When he stood in front of me patiently waiting I stretched the phone calls as long as I could. The officer hung up and I played off the call for another two minutes.

Javier pulled a chair to the front of my desk and I hung up. He gingerly sat down like there was nothing wrong.

"Hello" I said with a hint of annoyance.

"Hello" He smiled accomplished. I handed him the file that was his and opened the one needed for signing. He pulled a pen out from the cup on my desk ahead of me and clicked it to sign. His entire expression changed as his skim read the papers.

"Hell no. Is he serious ?" I ignored him because none of it was my business. "I'm not fucking signing this shit."

"Would you like me to call or page him ?"

"Screw him. This is bull." He filed through the papers and every turn he released a new, more pissed off comment.

"He's trying to take everything." He mumbled in amazement. Javier raked his hands over his face and breathed in sharp breaths. "Did he say anything about this file ?"

"No sir." As my eyes were focus on my desk, not the loud sweep of my papers, pencils, and office supplies. Javier took his left arm across and left nothing behind. I screamed in shock and he walked to the elevator. His feet were stomping like a child's as I sat staring at the contents on the floor. It took me a minute to comprehend his burst of anger.

I fell to the floor in horror trying to sort through the heap on the floor. The pencils and supplies were easy to pick up, but two pictures lie shattered on the ground. It didn't register that I was crying until I felt something gliding down my face. A picture of my family's reunion was coated in glass. The other picture was of my grandfather was had since passed. How could he be so heartless as to destroy what was not his ? Did it even occur to him that this was my things being ruined ? Why was it so easy to him ?

I was on the floor picking up my scattered things slowly for an hour. Everything I picked up was meant to be healed, but I couldn't do that and it was heart breaking. This is what I have left after someone who has everything just came in and destroyed it. It's infuriating too.

After I picked up the main things, I sat still. There were no tissues on my desk to blow my nose or to try and get myself together. The bits of glass cut my hand as I picked at it. Everything is easily destroyed.

As if on cue the elevator doors slid open. I struggled to wipe under my eyes cowardly. There was no use, Marius found me on the floor picking up my things. It was all to his surprise, but he was quick to understand.

"I'm sorry, he wouldn't sign the document."

"No, don't be sorry. He's an asshole."

Marius helped me with the contents on the floor as we talked about the book that had been swept across the desk. It was bent now.