It's a regular, humdrum, late Thursday afternoon at the office. I'm going over accounts John asked me to finish and eyeing the clock at the same time. Only one more hour to go. John is my boss, the guy whose office is approximately five feet from my cubicle. Tall, handsome, and built like a greek god. And yet, he comes out so rarely I see him once or twice a day at most. Although I actually wish he would notice me, maybe something more than a "Good morning, Lana." That would be nice.
Shit. I notice Tiffany glaring at me in her usual 'you're not doing any work' glare. I need to get back to my work. There's only about forty more minutes and I can get out of here, go home, cozy up on my couch and watch Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Hah. For a twenty-five year old, my hobbies are incredibly lame, and my sex life consists of whatever random drunk I can persuade home on Saturday nights. Pathetic.
I'm just about finished with the write-up I was working on when John opens his door. Sticking his head out, he says, "Lana, can you come in here for a minute?"
At first I pay no attention, because of course, he can't be talking to me. I've never been called in, it's always Tiffany or Mark going in and out of his office.
Then he repeats. "Lana?"
Oh crap. That's me.
"Yes?"
"Can you come in here, for a minute?"
"Oh, uh, yes, of course."
He nods, and closes his door. I finish the sentence I was typing, save the document, and get up. I straighten my skirt, brushing all the crumbs off of it. I wonder if my lipstick is smeared. Oh why, of all days, did I decide to eat lunch at my desk today? I don't think I have time to run to the bathroom and check myself.
I get up, and despite being already invited in, knock on the door.
"Come in," he says, from the inside.
I go inside. It's a really nice office. There's the basic stuff, like his desk, and his two computers, the pictures of his wife and kids. What makes it really nice though is the wall behind him is all glass, with an incredible view of the city. It's almost breathtaking. I'd love working here too if I had a view like that.
"It's kinda something, isn't it?" John smiles, as he catches me admiring the view. I nod. "Come here," he says.
He gets up from his desk and walks up to the glass. I go to join him. He smells really nice, like cucumber cool aftershave. John's easily the most handsome guy who works here, tousled curly blonde hair and perfect, straight white teeth. He reminds me of that actor...what's his name...Simon Baker.
"You see that over there?" John points in the distance. It's some suburban area, beyond the business district.
"Yeah?" I say.
"That's my house."
"Oh, wow."
"Yeah. When I bring the kids here I show them and I say, 'I can see you from here, so don't you misbehave!'"
He laughs, a rich laugh, like a Hollywood star. Oh god, I think I'm swooning. Get a hold of yourself, Lana!
Then it's as if he realizes where we are, and pulls back to his professional self. He waves his hand over to a chair across the desk.
"Take a seat?"
I do as he says. He sits back down too. He folds his hands together and clears his throat. My heart begins racing and I'm nervous all of a sudden. What is this about? Am I in trouble? Oh god, is this for browsing erotic stories on the internet that one time? Can he actually see everything we're looking at on the computer?
I'm kind of scared now, but I try to play it cool. I cross my legs and place my hands on top. I wish I had a mirror. I move my wavy golden-brown hair, letting it fall behind my back.
"Would you like something to drink?" he says, and I shake my head. "Alright, then. I'll begin."
Oh, this sounds serious. Am I really in trouble?
"Lana. You've been here...how long now? 8 months?"
"9 months," I correct him. I hope it's okay that I'm correcting him?
"9 months. Forgive me. You've been a great asset to this company."
Oh god. Is he going to fire me?!
"And I feel you perform your tasks swiftly and efficiently..."
Oh crap, this is it. I'll have to beg him not to fire me now. Excuses, excuses, I need to come up with excuses. My dog's dying? My grandmother's sick?
"A-are you firing me?" I blurt out. I couldn't contain myself. I look down at my hands and they're almost shaking.
John looks confused, then he smiles. "Dear god, no! No! Of course not!" He laughs, shaking his head. "Quite the opposite, actually."
"The opposite?"
"Yes, I believe some kind of...promotion is in order here. Don't you think?"