Amourshipping - The Match-Maker

Chapter 8 - Messed up

Ahhh! Nothing better than a nice sub stuffed with pretty much everything all washed down with a cold drink, Ash thought excitedly as he unwrapped his lunch at his desk. The Vanville branch of Oak Technological Operations had given him his own office to use for the durations of his stay. He decided to have lunch inside its well furnished, finely painted walls instead of in the cafeteria. He had to get away from the doddering old tycoons who treated him like he hadn't graduated with top grades in his business and engineering classes and like he hadn't known Professor Oak and Gary Oak all his life.

He took a smell of the sandwich in delight and lifted the first half to take a bite but before he could, he heard his cell phone start vibrating against the desktop. With a abandoned look at the sub, he set it back down and reached for the phone.

"Hello?"

"Alvin Ketter?"

Ash's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Serena ?"

The voice on the other end giggled, a hint of nervousness around the edges. "Um no. Sorry. This is Melody. Melody Singer?"

Mel – oh! Wow, Ash thought. Serena sure works fast!

A feeling of disappoint swelled within but he ignored it and said in a polite and respectful way, "Oh hello Miss Melody! How are you?"

"I'm doing well. I um, got your number from Serena since she deemed it okay to have a phone conversation."

"Yes," Ash said, leaning back into the soft leather of the large office chair. "She gave me your number too. Sorry you ended up calling me first. I was planning to call you after work."

"Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't even think that I might be inconveniencing you!"

Ash smiled. "No sweat. It's my lunch break."

"You work with Oak Tech, correct?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"What do you do there?"

Ash looked around the luxurious and plush office. His eyes went from the tall bookshelf stuffed with the entire Encyclopedia Britannica to the vast streak-free window that overlooked the city to the cherry-finished desk where the latest flat, touch-screen computer sat. Shoot. What had he told Serena he did? Lab rat? Messenger? Gopher?

"Mr. Ketter?"

His eyes fell upon the desk once again.

"Oh um. I...oh that's right. I do desk work," he finally replied. "Yes. They even gave me a very nice desk." Veeerrry nice indeed, he thought running a finger over a decoratively carved edge.

"That's really wonderful that you work for one of the largest companies around," Melody said. "I've heard that the people on top are pretty strict when it comes to accepting employees. Applicants have to have excellent resumes and clean records."

Both of which he had, despite rumors. "You heard right. The people on top are pretty intense."

"So Mr. Ketter," Melody said.

"Alvin. Call me Alvin," Ash said, wishing he had chosen a different name. He couldn't help but think of Alvin and the Chipmunks every time he heard the name 'Alvin.' What had he been thinking when he came up with such a name? Was Ketter even a real last name?

"Alvin then." Melody giggled slightly. "What kind of music do you like?"

Ash mentally sighed with another longing look towards the lonesome, uneaten sub and wondered how long this conversation would last. What on earth had he gotten himself into?