Those Office Hours ➸ L. B.

You're something out of a dream...

City Hall—Saturday, 12:10pm

Ben had the office to himself this weekend. For the most part at least, if you don't count a person by the name of Ron Swanson. Ben still felt tentative concerning where he stood with the guy, who was intensely indifferent about everything, and people like Ron tended to make him uneasy and awkward—more than usual. Though he supposed he could get along with him for Leslie's sake, not a matter he cared for, apparently. Speaking of, Leslie and Ann had gone to some important convention; the two were seen discussing it all week during lunch, something about 'rare squirrels'.

Whatever.

The rest of the team took the weekend off naturally, and Ben being one of those people who had to finish what he started, he didn't understand Ron's motive for staying, never could. Especially when he found a voicemail on his answering machine that morning, he hadn't been expecting to hear Ron's urgent message super early on a Saturday. That also included April, who thankfully hasn't been seen anywhere outside the vicinity all weekend. Generally, April Ludgate creeped him out and he would rather share his daily work environment with Ron. Or a Bear. Technically the choice isn't fair, but a choice against a girl who could turn manipulative at the drop of a hat. Better, if said hat contained money.

Even under involuntary purposes, he'd stroll past her desk one morning, on his despondent journey to the copy machine for instance, and there would lay that flat, utterly condescending, and innocently plotting world domination, gaze—and she was only what, twenty-one? Jesus. Ben was never so glad in his life that looks couldn't kill. He swore he could still sense her eyes on him during his trip to the cafeteria later. He had a premonition something simmered beneath the surface between her and Andy. But he didn't feel strongly enough to actually make sense of that three-fries-short-of-a-happy-meal relationship. It is what it is and he could be capable of being selfish when the mood strikes. There were other things, important things, to worry about.

He heard an indistinct noise and leaned a bit past his computer screen to take a quick scan outside his office. Seeing the coast clear, he shrugged and brought up the webpage again, tapping his foot anxiously on the carpet. Knowing full well he could've waited until he got back to his suite, 'Apartment' as it was properly called at work, to do it, but he couldn't stand waiting another minute to read what happened at the end.

Halfway through, and hell-bent on concentrating, the door to his office opened a few inches. Unbeknown to Ben, Leslie Knope crept in and walked over towards his desk, noticing how intent he seemed with the screen in front of him. She popped her head in the space, a directly seven-inch space, beside his computer.

"Knock knock. What are you looking at?"

Ben swiveled around so fast he nearly sent his chair toppling to the floor, while in the process knocking various items on his desk askew. After managing to keep that first disastrous scene from happening, and fortunately remembering to press the right button to return to his desktop, gaped disbelievingly at his co-workers idyllic face. "Leslie! Hi! What are you doing here?"

He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly; the words 'classic fish motion' floating at the back of his mind, and upon realizing absolutely anything would refuse to come out at this present moment, closed it and tried again. He arranged the items occupying his desk back to their ideal order and went for less squeaky this time. "I mean, I thought you were at a... convention?"

"The Rare Squirrels in Odd Places convention in Iowa? Yeah, but that turned out to be a real dud. Once you surpass the first hour of 'The Origin of Squirrels and The Patterns of Nuts' I pretty much wanted Ann to shoot me in the face. Or was it Ann? Hey, you ever notice how Ann has that way of cocking her head to the side and wrinkling up her nose, you know, when she thinks an idea is stupid but not actually saying it?