I yawned and looked at the clock on my screen. It was 18:30.
"Fucking Hell" I muttered to no one in particular. But it wasn't as if anyone was around to hear. I was all alone in the office and it was Dec 22
nd
-- Black Friday. Incidentally, it was also the day of the annual Christmas Party.
To my non-UK readers, Black Friday was dubbed so by the emergency services as traditionally it had nothing to do with shopping and more to do with the amount of drunken people found on any UK high street as all the office parties seemed to happen then. For them, it was the blackest day of the year. Hence the term Black Friday.
However, looking at the time, it didn't look like I would be joining in on the Christmas activities this year. Literally ten minutes before everyone was due to leave, the Software Team leader, a poison dwarf named Ian had approached me with some new software that reportedly had to be released to the customer tonight. With that, they (and most of the office) had sauntered off into town on the Christmas do, leaving me with the unenviable task of verifying the software and preparing it for release. Usually, this wouldn't be too hard a task as there was a team of 4. But due to the proximity of Christmas, there were a lot of people off and I had ended up doing a lot of the work myself.
But finally, the paperwork was completed, and I was ready to send the software off via a secure server.
But then the server had decided to go down. I had tried everything to get it back up and running, from cycling the power to installing updates. I was now in the process of configuring the server, but error message after error message had kept popping up. According to the computer, the updates were missing key files which meant even more updates.
I looked at the clock again. It read 18:31.
"Fucking hell," I muttered again. It was going to be a long night. I decided to go and make myself another coffee -- that would be the strongest thing that I was going to have that evening and I was thoroughly annoyed at that.
As I made myself a coffee, I mulled over the events of this evening. I had quite enjoyed a night out every now and again and I had needed to go out this evening. It had been a long tough year, especially having to look after the configuration needs of a cowboy Software team! It had all boiled over a few months ago, when the team leader, Ian had been particularly rude to me while I was in a totally different conversation. Unfortunately, I had clapped back (I wasn't the type of character to back down from a challenge) and it had escalated from there. Since then, Ian had made my life a living hell - dropping work on our team at the last minute and claiming "issues" had prevented them from telling me sooner. Blocking attempts to introduce improvements to the system, even pushing the blame onto our team (and me in particular) when things went wrong. Unfortunately, he had the ear of the department head, so there was nothing I could do -- There was a viewed upon with disdain by most of the department.
I had really needed a night out. I was looking forward to it too. Until Ian and his bloody software release had fucked that one up!
I walked back to my desk and took a sip of my coffee -- the dark sweet liquid soothing my despair, and I felt a little bit better. As I sat down, I logged back into my machine to notice that a picture had popped up on my screen. I recognised the picture. A dark-haired woman with light tan skin and a shock of pink hair. She was slightly chubby, but still she had a sultry vixen look about her, as if she were inviting you to think naughty thoughts about her (although she would tell you that it was her sarcastic look). It was Vikki. She had worked with us up until 3 years ago, when she had been transferred into another department. She was part of sales and marketing now. But I would often chat to her (and sometimes flirt with her too, albeit playfully) on messenger when things were quiet.
I opened the IM window. Surely enough it was her.
VIKKI: YOU'RE STILL HERE???
I smiled as I sat down, reading it in her voice, which would have been full of wonder and delight. I started typing a reply.
ME: Yeah, still here... βΉ
I hit enter. Then a thought hit me.
ME: What are you still doing here???
I waited a moment as somewhere on site, she typed her reply. A few moments later, it appeared on my screen.
VIKKI: I'm in hiding π
I stared blankly at the screen for a few moments trying to figure it out. Then it hit me. I started to type.
ME: Didn't want to go to the office party then?
VIKKI: Correct!
VIKKI: All those lecherous men and stalkers rumbling around drunk? No thanks! :-D
I nodded to myself. It was a fair point. In an engineering company where most workers were middle aged men from the 70s era, it would be a hazard for a thirty something woman at the best of times. Vikki was also not fond of office parties. She had told me about one office party a few years ago where she had been followed by a particularly lecherous man (who was 50 odd and had a wife) and she had gone to a club just to get rid of the guy.
I typed my reply.
ME: X-D
ME: So, how did you get out of going?
After a few moments of her typing, I got my reply.
VIKKI: I just made up an excuse about finishing some work and stayed until everyone had gone...
I started typing, knowing what had happened next. Almost everyone across site would've left early -- apart from me, being silly.
ME: And ended up doing actual work?
There was a pause while she read my question. Then she was typing again.
VIKKI: Yep, that's the one! I know, I don't really do much! X-D
I had to laugh at this, I was happy that nobody was in the office as I openly laughed and typed my reply.
ME: :-D
VIKKI: What are you doing here still?
That question brought me back to earth somewhat, as I remembered everything that had happened since 4 o clock. A sharp pang of anger filled me. Luckily, I could write it all down, so I did:
ME: Bludi Software Team dropped a load on me just before 4 and dashed off.
ME: Of course, there's nobody in to sort out the paper work and do the checks, so I've had to do it all
ME: Took me up till 5
ME: Then the bludi server breaks down
ME: And I've been here ever since
ME: Wouldn't have minded, but I was really looking forward to the Xmas party this year
ME: Now I'm stuck here, installing updates βΉ
ME: Ian, fcukin up my life
ME: He's been like that for months
ME: Ever since the bust up
ME: F***wit!
Rant over. I read what I had written. It was a rant alright -- a proper out of control one. Would have scared anyone if I had done it face to face.
However, all I got back from Vikki was:
VIKKI: Soooo, sorry βΉ
VIKKI: I knew you were looking forward to having a <party emoticon>
VIKKI: Ian is such a d**k isn't he? X-D
I had to laugh. She had taken my rant in her stride, which was a bit of a relief. Also, she had a frank way of talking which made me laugh, especially as I was reading the IM in her voice.
I was about to message back when I got another message from her.
VIKKI: You know, I was going to pack up now, but I think I'll pop round and keep you entertained while you're installing updates?
VIKKI: We can have our own Xmas Party! :-D
VIKKI: I'll bring some Prosecco π"
This stopped me for a moment and got me thinking. It was 18:40 now -- even if I finished here in the next 10 minutes, but the time I got home it would be 19:20. Then to get changed and go back into town. It would be too late. On one hand, it would be good to have a quiet one here -- I don't think I could put up with the bustle of town on Black Friday stone cold sober and playing catch up. But on the other hand, what Vikki was suggesting was a bit risky. It was drinking at work, and I did have a job to finish.
But almost as soon as I thought this, it was countered by another thought. I had been dumped on for the umpteenth time that year. And there was nobody else around to catch me. I deserved a bit of fun -- it had been a hard year after all.
My next IM would be the most significant one and would trigger more risquΓ© activities than just drinking.
ME: Yeah, sounds like fun π