The Intern (wattys2014)

chapter 6: Squirrel Savior

The next morning, I was ready to face the day with some extra oomph in my step. I'd enjoyed the dinner party, and the few moments I'd had with Andrew were still fresh in my mind. I had two goals today: nail all of my work meetings and somehow manage to act cool and collected with Andrew. I liked him, more than I had expected to like someone I'd known for four days. But I didn't want to get too intense too quickly and scare him off. I mean, I think Andrew liked me, but I never knew how to act around guys. I wasn't the type to giggle and bat my eyelashes, and I could never read those hidden signals guys supposedly send. As I was contemplating how to balance "playing it cool" while also sending out "I like you" signals when I saw Andrew, I got into my car. Usually I took the bus or a taxi to work, but today, I was wearing my cutest red dress with a black blazer. I didn't want to risk getting my outfit messed up by some coffee wielding bus rider or some stick cab. My car may have been held together with duct tape and a prayer, but it got you there. I turned on the radio, blasting the song.

About ten minutes into my drive, it started to sprinkle outside. It was extremely peculiar, I mean, I lived in California. California that was known for its sunshine and pristine weather. But today was the second day in a row when rain had befallen this city, making my life wet and muddy. But I could handle a little rain. I trudged along, belting out a new soprano note with slight pitchiness, when it happened. Out of nowhere the cutest little squirrel with a big bushy tail decided that this world was too cruel for it to live in. I saw suicidal squirrel dart out in front of my tire and screamed as I simultaneously swerved my steering wheel and slammed on my brakes. The roads were just slick enough that my evasive maneuver helped me hit a mailbox and wreck my tire on a curb. My front hood was steaming, and I Took a deep breath.

"Crap," I said, glancing at the mangled mailbox and my car. I tried to back up, but I my car was making a weird noise that sound like a bird dying. I hopped out of my car, seeing the bushy tailed squirrel walked away, unscathed by the incident. I called triple A, and wrote a somewhat frenzied lipstick letter for the mailbox owners whose property I destroyed.

I waited for the tow truck to get there, and I knew I was going to be late. So I did what I had to do, I called Robert. His phone rang twice before Robert answered, skipping the pleasantries.

"Where are you Ann? We're having a staff meeting in ten minutes."

"Robert, I need you to cover for me," I said. "I hit a mailbox, my car is a wreck, and I need to get it towed."

"Wow, ok, I'll tell my mom you're doing something for me. But I might actually need a favor from you...can you pick up wedding invitations when you get a cab?"

It was dangerously close to helping plan a wedding for my ex, but I needed his help. Besides, picking up a box of invitations was not the same as watching him walk down the aisle to another woman.

"Fine," I said. "Text me the address and I'll talk to you about the meeting later."

"Ok, how was the meeting last night?"

"It was...good. I think I'll be a good wedding planner. I actually like Lacy, even if her fiancé was a little creepy."

"Usually people love Jerry and hate Lacy," Robert said. "But I'm glad it's going well. How did you hit a mailbox, by the way?"

"I was swerving away from a squirrel with a death wish."

"I see," Robert said. "Just try to remember this is an important time at work. I'm sure the squirrel was cute, but it's not worth another intern getting your position."

"Well, it just sort of happened. But thanks for the advice, I'll focus from here on out."

"Talk to you soon Ann," Robert said. My phone immediately started buzzing, and I saw Andrew's face on the screen. I clicked answer and tried to sound calm, even though I was mentally freaking out over the Lucinda drama that'd come later that day.