Play It By Ear

Kind of Liked the Spunk

I nibbled on my sandwich as I worked. There was no way I was going to let Casimir have the satisfaction of making me miss my date. I would be damned before I let such a thing happen. My eyes flickered to the clock in the corner of my screen. Well hell, it was already noon and I still had at least four boxes left. If I did not kick it into hyper mode, Mr. Leighton would never let me go. Well, I would show him. Would this date affect my work ethic? Hell yeah, I was going to become eight times the better worker just to prove his cocky ass wrong.

I worked for another two and a half hours before I realized that Macy and Joan still had yet to return. I had somehow managed to get through an entire box already and decided that a small little break would not kill me. I took a swig of my water and leaned back in my chair, fingers gently massaging my closed eyes. Staring at a computer screen so intently for the past few days had really taken its toll on me.

The office was pleasantly quite with everyone either off at mid-day meetings or getting lunch. It seemed that Mr. Leighton and I were the only ones in at that moment. I sighed in content and willed the tension out of my body. I allowed my thoughts to wonder to my impending date.

Dean seemed nice enough and while he was not drop dead hot he was….cute. More brotherly cute than anything but maybe that would change as I got to know him. Screw Casimir. It wasn’t like anything would happen between us ever. Just hopeful thinking.   

Deep in thought, I jumped a foot in the air when someone jabbed me in the shoulder with their finger. My head snapped around to Joan who stood there, her arms weighed down with shopping bags.

“You went shopping? That’s where you were? Is that even allowed?” I asked as I attempted to sneak a peek at her goods. Joan had the best fashion sense I had ever seen and I was insanely jealous of her closet. As I poked my finger into the first one to pry it open, she snapped her arm back and wagged her finger at me like I was one of her eight year old sons going into the cookie jar.

“No, no, no! It’s a surprise.”

“Why can’t I see it? Joan, you’re being meeeean!”I whined and in return earned a hard glare. I really hated surprises. Ok, well that was a lie. I liked surprises when they were complete surprises. I did not like learning of surprises and having to wait to find out what they were. I guess I was just really impatient. That seemed to fit me more.

Joan just laughed and made her way back to her desk. She tucked the bags under her desk. I glared at the back of her seat, hoping she could feel the ‘anger’ I was directing her way.

“Stop glaring and start working. You only have a few hours before Macy and I pretty up your grumpy ass for your date. I called in the boys’ babysitter to watch them tonight just so I could stay, ya know.”

“Joan, you guys don’t have to do that! I was just planning on going like this,” I said, looking down at my outfit for the day.  It was not bad, a little plain but not bad at all. My light teal loose tank top was under a black cardigan and paired off with baggy dress pants and flats. Boring and plain, but hey! At least there was some color.  

“Just get to work.”

I grumbled but went back to attacking my pile of work. No matter how hard I tried, I barely seemed to make a dent in it. I mentally cursed Casimir every few files but other than that I was completely focused.

A little after five, Macy made her way back into the office. She went on and on about all of the useless errands she had had to run for her boss, Mrs. Thomas. It was rather comedic watching her talk so animatedly about her excursions. Joan and I laughed at her for a while before they both let me get back to work.

After another two hours and only one box left, I stood up from my chair and stretched. Mr. Leighton had not come out of his office all afternoon and it was around the time he would normally leave. Curious, I popped into the room and shut the door firmly behind me.