The room filled with the sound of fake acrylic fingernails hammering away at computer keyboards as the smell of stale coffee lay thick in the air. The chain gang of female data entry specialists ferociously shuffled through their last bit of Friday assignments with hopes of avoiding working not even one minute past 5:00PM. As for me, I was in no rush to start my uneventfully weekend. Let's see.... first I'll get home, clean up after the kids and dread another night of "I Wish I Could Disappear Sex" with my husband..." How exactly did I end up here? I'm fairly good looking, I have a golden personality and I'm smart. I'm in a dead end job that I hate, not much of a social life outside of meaningless random conversations with co-workers and a dead end marriage that is sexually unfulfilling. This couldn't be all life has to offer?
Lost in deep depressive thought, I hadn't even noticed 5 o'clock had swiftly come. Laura to my left and Amy to my right hastily gathered there purses and half eaten lunches and bolted to the elevator with hopes of being the first out of the building. As I watched the room of women get up from their cubicles on by one and collectively pour out of the room and convene at the elevator, I inhaled deeply with an attempt to exhale the now overwhelming sense of aggravation mounting in my chest. I glanced down at my desk at the remaining three assignments and reluctantly continued to work. I suddenly realized my clambering keyboard was not alone in its song of clatter. I raised my head and looked over my gray cubicle wall scanning the room for any fellow Friday stragglers. My eyes rested on cubicle 17, Jessica Madden. Jessica was a mother a three, married for 7 years and working at Us Data Firm for the past 3 years. Her life was just as dull as mine so I wasn't surprised we were the only two working past 5 o'clock this Friday, two weeks before Christmas.
Wrapping up my last assignment as the clock rolled over to 6:30PM, I looked up just to catch a glimpse of Jessica exiting the room. In no rush at all I turned off my computer and gather my purse and coat. I stood at the elevator wrecking my brain for a reason not to go immediately home. Maybe I'll do so Christmas shopping before heading in.
***
Once outside the building I strolled down the snow covered sidewalks clinching the neck of my wool overcoat as the frigid winds whipped through my torn pantyhose and wrapped its claws around my golden brown thighs. To escape the wrath of the cold winter night I ducked into the first retail store I saw that still boar an open sign. Once inside I took a minute to bask in the beauty of the stores heat. The racks were stocked with an array of women's intimate wear. Of all places to randomly fall into, I came into the one store that I have no use for. My husband doesn't even look at me getting out the shower anymore in a longing manner let alone wanting to see me in any of this stuff. The store was absent of costumers and it appeared that the cashier was the only other person in the store. Hoping to not bring attention to myself I began to shuffle through the racks pretending to be interested in their contents.
"Can I help you with something?" A smooth masculine voice projected over my right shoulder. I swirled around brushing my chin on the scratchy collar of my wool overcoat. Before me stood a male with smooth velvet mocha skin, deep coco brown eyes and well-manicured facial hair. Realizing several seconds had gone by without a response I abruptly cleared my throat in an effort to disguise my amazement at the beauty that stood before me. It was only then I was able to reactivate my ability to speak.
"Um, I'm just browsing, thanks."
"Maybe if I knew what look you were going for I could make your shopping experience a little less stressful." A smile crept across his perfected face as I focused my attention on the items on the rack to my right to divert his attention away from the blushing sensation sweeping over my face.
"I'm looking for something that will improve my relationship." Did I just say that? To a complete stranger that is.
"How long has your relationship been in the state of needing to be improved?"
"About two years." Has it really gotten this bad where I'm confiding in a complete stranger, obviously so.
"I have just the thing for you, but I need you to trust me."
I looked up from the assortment of silk and lace in wonderment. I was almost afraid of what he would say next.
"Do you trust me?"
"I don't know you."
"Do you trust me?" He repeated.