The Scranton Branch

Part Three - Chapter 1

Part 3

Chapter One

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 As expected, the office was relatively quiet today. It was my birthday, but the only other person who would know is Jim. Maybe Michael, since he has a calendar with everyone's birthdays, but since I have access to that I usually manage to erase the date before he notices. What a relief not to be celebrated. I mean that literally. I found no pleasure in hearing "Happy Birthday" a hundred times a day or having everyone singing over me, taking pictures as I blow out candles, wrapping gifts, and waiting for me to be surprised or happy or both. Plus, given that today happened to also be a Warehouse Audit day, Michael and I had no time for a party...

I slide into my chair next to Jim, not acknowledging his presence. I've gotten quite good at that. After my weekend getaway a few weeks ago, I'd been more pleasant and more accepting of Jim and Karen, and my new relationship status with him: friendly roommate. Yes, that's right, I've managed--somewhat successfully--to distance myself from him so any romantic feelings were tucked away. For now.

I even cooked for Karen and Jim last Friday.

That doesn't mean I didn't think about giving her food poisoning...

"Happy..."

"Please," I hushed him quickly, glancing across at Dwight who didn't seem to hear us. Jim groans and puts down the folder full of papers he was holding. We look at each other and his face softens. My heart skips a beat and I'm forced to turn away. What was I doing?! I couldn't stare at somebody's boyfriend like that! Maybe he didn't notice the longing look; boys are stupid like that.

"That crap again? What, you can't let somebody celebrate you for 24 hours?"

"Celebrate you? What? Did you get an award or something?" Dwight is listening. He stops typing and looks at me with a straight, honest face. I shake my head and log into my computer, hoping my lack of energy will deter him.

"Well, what is it, then?"

"Dwight, I'll tell you after work, okay?"

"Why can't I know now?"

"I don't..."

"Ally! Are you ready?" I jumped out of my seat at Michael's outburst. He'd nearly hopped out of his office to my desk. He grins at me, either unaware he just gave me a heart attack or happy his action had the intended reaction. I shuffled with a few papers on my desk, not really reading any of them, before shoving them in a folder. He claps his hands excitedly and announces to the entire office that me and him will be out of the office until 3pm.

I give Jim a pointed look and he gives me a goofy face, then shoots the same one at Karen. I frown and instead focus on what Michael is saying.

"I think you all know where the Warehouse is, so if you need us... Don't come for us. We'll be busy," he pauses here and laughs and proceeds to infer something more sexual. I roll my eyes and push past him towards the door.

"Hey, hey, hey, why so fast?" Michael says, catching up with me at the elevator. I press the button a couple of times.

"We have a busy day, Michael. It's better to stay on track."

"It's only 9am," he complains. I sigh and look over at him. What a guy. Manages to still believe in love even if many of the women he's been with reject him. With consistency, should I add. Yet, he's still able to attract those women. And be happy with them. Why couldn't I even think about being with anyone other than Jim? The opportunity to meet anybody or to be happy with anybody else, wasn't even an option. I look away and enter the elevator.

He makes a few other comments and we engage in small talk. Though inappropriate and helpless, Michael and I were able to get along almost always.

The warehouse was never a pretty place. Huge grey walls blocked with paper ream boxes to nearly the ceiling. Machines and lifts whir over the music playing. Workers mindlessly performing their tasks. Yet, these people all probably work a physically more demanding job than anybody in the office.

"Ally, good to see you!" Chase Vinha greets us and slings an arm around my shoulder in a weird side-hug. He was one of the newer hires, I think he came over with the other branch. We'd talked a few times, which I never minded. His handsome face and cleverness were a nice break away from the tall geeky man at my apartment. But this time, my stomach rolled when I saw him.

He had always been tall, but he looked noticeably taller. Perhaps because his already lean physique had grown into a muscular one; his haircut and growing beard showed the beautifully cut jawline; and his eyes were brighter. He looked happier.

I suddenly felt self-conscious, knowing that I threw on the same skirt as yesterday and a shirt that was perhaps a little too tight around my waist. I clear my throat. Had I put on deodorant? Were my legs shaved? Did I have a piece of bagel stuck in my teeth? How did my hair look? Have I smudged my makeup? What kind of underwear am I wearing?

"H--Hey, Chase. Good to see you too. How've you been?"

Michael is now harassing the other men in the warehouse, saying how he can beat them at a pick-up game in basketball. It doesn't seem like Chase was paying attention to the commotion, and neither was I.

"I've been good. Just moved into that place down the street from Sam's Club," he grins and I remember him mentioning something about a move a month or two ago. I nod and touch over his arm briefly.

"Congratulations!" Was I flirting?! And here I was, moments ago, saying how I couldn't see myself with anyone but...

"How have you been?" He still had that dashing grin on. My stomach flips over again and I start to pick at one of the corners of the folder.

"I've been good. Things are pretty boring right now." I laugh small. Do I seem boring? Am I boring?!

"Well, sorry to hear it." His voice changes, a little deeper now and he straightens to puff his chest out a bit. Now, because of the Discovery Channel, I knew that this may be a type of silent 'mating call' from some male species, something that's meant to attract females. And I hate to say it, but I think it might be working.

I turned towards him more, gently. It was subtle enough that nobody else could notice, and if he wasn't feeling what I was feeling--an electric current running up and down my spine, causing the butterflies in my stomach to supercharge my heart and cloud my thoughts--he would only assume I can't stand still, or I had bad balance. But if he was feeling what I was feeling--rushing blood in my ears and fluttering eyes that made any noise or sight beyond him incomprehensible--then he'll take this small movement as an invitation. An invitation for what, neither of us knew yet.

"When was the last time you were out on the town?" Still deep, but slightly friendlier. I started to sweat and overthink if I'd misread the entire vibe.

"Uh, I was out, um, a couple weekends ago. With my sister," I add, nodding as if to wrap up my stumbled upon sentence. He raises an eyebrow and glances over his shoulder to see if Michael was still annoying his coworkers. When he realizes nothings changed in the past 3 minutes, he looks back at me, a small smile at his lips. No...a smirk.

This makes me dizzy and nauseous at the same time. A good type of dizzy and nauseous... Maybe I didn't misread anything. Maybe both of us were mentally feeling each other up, physically, and mentally. Maybe God was sending me a birthday gift.

"Are you free Friday night? For a night out on the town?"

I smile and blush. What an effect he had on me!

"I'm free at 7," I state, then step away from him, cutting off the tension between us.

I was never good at playing hard to get, but I knew how to keep the "talking stage" fun and flirty.

Plus, Michael and I had a schedule to get back to.