Stuck with a Punk ✔

No. 33.: Invited

She stayed for another night. When I closed the door of my office and refused to have any contact with the outside world, she guessed Devon would be in big trouble if she left.

We barely exchanged any words. She asked me if it's okay for her to stay another night and then if I'll eat. Both of times my answers were made of one word, either a yes or a no.

What did I do in my office? I used 'looking for a cool name' only as an excuse when in reality I just wanted to be left alone. If she guessed that, good for her. If not, well, who cares.

Most of that time, I spent gazing up at the ceiling or at the blank monitor of the computer. I don't know what was I thinking about, the closest description of what I was doing would be I simply existed. I hung in the space and time, thoughtless and feelingless.

My last contact with any person that day was when Annabelle and I met in the hallway, both on our way to our beds. She filled me in on Devon, that he fell asleep with ease, then we wished each other a good night and that was that.

Maybe she fell asleep without any additional thoughts on her mind but I can't say the same thing about myself. Once in my bed, I couldn't stop thinking about those shorts she wore to the bedroom and how they revealed her thighs. I'm not picky with women. What turns me away is if they're overweight but Annabelle's thighs were the epitome of great thighs.

That was the only thing in my mind while I was trying to fall asleep and now that I'm trying to work. I've been sitting in my office for one hour straight just like I did yesterday at home, trying to figure out how to continue my life and why am I suddenly so speechless about anything.

You have an opinion about everything, don't you? How many times have I been told that? Danny has said it, May as well, the neighbour Veronica and don't let me start on Patty and other women I've pursued. I've heard similar sentence with the same accusations enough time to know that's what I probably do have - an opinion about everything. Why don't I have one, now?

Justine gets up from her desk and looks like she's about to leave. I'm about to throw confetti, preferably at her, when she knocks on my door with a notepad in her hands and leaves me disappointed.

I show her in. Wait, that sounds too nice. I roll my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, then she enters.

"What now?" I groan in advance, since she's probably gonna say nothing smart and is most likely that she'll irritate me like she always does.

She's nothing like what I expect her to be. She looks professional, holds herself back and I want to ask her if she finally got laid. "The CEOs called and said they'd like to see you at 12 o'clock. They explicitly said they want you to come to the conference room next to their office. They didn't say why."

"Okay? Weird? At 12 o'clock?" I ask her just for confirmation and I am shocked.

What would be normal Justine's response to that?

Yes, you dumb fuck.

Are you deaf or just an idiot?

I know I'm the only one working here but at least pretend like you're doing something.

Yeah, those all sound like her. She says none of them. Obediently she nods and does a check mark on her notepad "Yeah, 12 o'clock. I'll call them for confirmation just so they'll know you won't bail."

I squint my eyes at her and she sees it very well. Instead of an irritated 'What are you looking at?', she leaves the office and closes the door gently. And let me be clear, the word 'gentle' is not a part of Justine's vocabulary and even less her life.