Please be warned this is a slow burn story. I had a lot of fun with these characters and have plans for more. Feel free to let me know in the comments if its something you'd like to read! Enjoy!
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Sitting at my desk I had the perfect view of the office. I could see everyone who entered and exited the room but more importantly, I had privacy. Quite often I could sit there streaming the latest shows or wasting hours on the feed of social media.The desk had its advantages but it did mean I was often left out of group discussions and only told about meetings and conferences at the very last minute.
"What are you doing here?" barked my boss. "You're meant to be at the LCA convention!" My boss, Michelle, is an angry little woman. She didn't speak to people but snapped at them. After working for her for several years I was convinced she simply did not have the capacity for compassion.
"What LCA convention?" I replied. As soon as the words left my mouth I knew I made a mistake and began to tense.
"Are you kidding me? The LCA convention! The one hosted by ISO! The only thing that we have been talking about for the past 5 weeks? It starts tomorrow and lasts all weekend" Michelle growled. She began to clench her knuckles and I could visibly see them turning white.
"Oh yeah that one" I started, desperately trying to remember what she was going on about. "I have a client call later this afternoon and it needs to be done from the office. I'll make my way to the hotel after that, working on the train of course". This was partly true, I did have a meeting with a client but I hadn't packed and wasn't remotely prepared. Did she say the whole weekend?
"Well you'll have to travel down after the call then. I'll be making sure that your signed in while travelling. Just because you're on the train doesn't mean you can slack off. Any more slip ups from you and you'll lose your bonus" snarled Michelle before turning and walking away.
"Great, not only do I have to sacrifice my Friday but a whole weekend as well because of a stupid conference. And all by myself", I thought. The previous event occurred almost two years ago. I dared to tell a joke to a potential client which had not been approved by Michelle anand since then she had been watching me like a hawk, desperately waiting for me to make another mistake.
The day continued to drag on. I often caught myself staring out the window in a day dream trance. After my sixth snap back to reality, I remembered I needed to book my train and hotel tickets. The only problem being I had no idea where I was meant to go. I sent an email to HR in the faint hope they would be helpful. To my surprise, everything was already booked. Apparently they were made aware of this event months before me.
Finally it reached 5 and my colleagues began to pack their bags and leave. I started to do the same when the dreaded video call tone began to ring. "Oh fuck off" I mouthed before slumping back into my chair. The client meeting was always booked for 5 as the company were based in the US. Although they were all a friendly bunch, at the end of a long day, I just wanted to get on my train and nap.
The meeting finally finished a little after 6pm. I logged off the computer and stuffed it into my bag. The office was empty. Even the cleaners had left. I sat at my desk a little longer, head in hands. I thought about my life choices and how institutionalised I had become. I slowly stood up and stretched. I felt a distinct pop as each of my spine realigned after a long day of slouching. I threw my bag over my shoulder and shuffled toward the door.
As I left the building, the cool evening air hit my face and filled my lungs. It was refreshing. I continued back to my house to pack before making the journey to the station.
I unlocked the door and entered my apartment. I chucked some shirts and underwear into a sports bag. I threw in a pair of grey checked trousers and a jacket along with some other items. I then slid my laptop, charger and some notepads in the bag before leaving for the door again. I closed the door behind me and started headed to the station.
The train carriage was quiet. There were only a handful of people travelling and everyone was well spread out. As I looked out the window I began to day dream again. I opened my laptop and logged in to the system. I could see everyone else was offline except Michelle. "It's almost 7, everyone else is offline, why do I still need to be working. It's not fair" I thought.
I tapped away for half an hour or so, fixing some spreadsheets and formatting reports before the train's wi-fi stopped working and my concentration flatlined. I began to daydream, thinking about what my colleagues would be doing tomorrow while I'm stuck making pleasantries with busy bodies.
My mind bounced around until a lady got on the train. She smiled at me as she walked passed. I smiled back and then began to think how long it had been since I had been with a girl.
I was in my mid 20's, and yet to find a passion I could call my own. I followed various sports, loved all the Hollywood blockbusters and occasionally hit the gym for a workout session. I hadn't been in a relationship since university and even then it only lasted several weeks. I couldn't remember the last time I'd even been with a girl.
Luckily, before I could sink further into my depressing thoughts, the train pulled into my station. I got up and hoped off. Thanks to a map app on my phone I knew the hotel was only a 5 minute walk away.
I left the station and slowly trudged down the street. It was almost 11pm now. My legs were heavy and I let out a yawn. "I can't wait to collapse into bed" I thought.
"In 200m you have reached your destination" my phone alarmed.
"Great" I thought. I made my way down the street. It was a nice area, I could see the sign for the hotel ahead. Opposite it was a pub and a takeaway shop. Before I reached the hotel I passed a bar. The lights were off but I could make out a small dance floor.
There was no one at the front desk. I started to play with the bell, making up songs in my head. After what seemed about half an hour later, an elderly lady emerged from her office. "What" she grunted.
"Yeah, hi to you too" I quipped, to tired to even attempt to be nice. "I've got a room booked for a few days and want to check in please".
The lady scowled. "You want to check in? Now? It's almost midnight." she started.
"Yes I know, it's late but I'm here now so can you just get my key please" I replied, a little annoyed at her rudeness. The lady turned around and picked up the only key left on the rack. It was labelled 204.
"There. Now keep the noise down. It's almost midnight and our guests are trying to sleep" she said while slamming the key onto the desk.
I took the key and made my way to the room. The corridors were warm. Too warm. I could feel a sweat starting to form. Fortunately the room was only half way down the corridor.
As I walked down the corridor I could hear a raised voice. The voice got louder as I approached my door. I couldn't make out the words but I could tell the voice was angry. I put the key in the lock and paused. The voice sounded like it was coming from my room. Surely not. Surely it's just an echo from a room further down. I turned the key and pushed the door open.