"So, here it is," Damon said, spreading his arms out in an exaggerated flourish like he'd just landed a triple backflip.
Tomi surveyed the room, her new office, checking out its view and the plush carpeting. "Wow. This is... really nice." And for the most part she meant it. The office was modern in design and spacious, with a window overlooking the busy street below them. But there was one issue that stuck out to Tomi since before she'd even set foot in the room. The issue, the one real complaint she could have, was the huge glass wall that connected her little alcove to the rest of the office.
So much for privacy, she'd thought after seeing the clear barrier that was all that separated her from her team. But at least it was better than what her underlings would be working in once the move-in was finished. Damon and the other executives had pushed for a more "communal" environment in the new offices, so they'd done away with cubicles or even separate desks, leaving the regular attorneys to suffer the indignities of an open office. Forget privacy, those poor souls wouldn't even have personal space.
"I'm glad you like it," Damon said with a beaming smile. "Honestly, I thought you'd be a little miffed by the change is approach. But you know how it is, we value transparency over everything."
Damon broke out into a heavy chest-laugh at his own joke. "Get it? Transparency?" He continued to laugh heartily and Tomi reluctantly joined in with him. She didn't really find it funny—no sensible human really would—but he was technically her boss, and from how long she'd known Damon, Tomi understood the joke wasn't a jab at her; the man legitimately loved making puns.
Damon settled down from his fit of laughter. "But seriously, don't you think this will be better for the relationship between you and your team? This way, they know they're respected, as well as that you're always available if they ever need anything."
"Yeah," Tomi told him, "absolutely." The idea actually seemed pretty silly to her, even potentially awkward, however she supposed it made some degree of sense. Not to mention, Damon believed in the concept enough to use it in his own private office. Tomi had to admit, she never felt claustrophobic when visiting him, and his office did appear quite open.
Damon clapped his hands together lightly. "Great! I've got to talk to the other team leaders, so I'll leave you for now. Feel free to roam around as much as you like. And remember to get your stuff together; the move-in date will sneak up faster than you expect."
He left then, waving back at Tomi as he walked away.
She stood in the mostly empty space for a few minutes, admiring the view and enjoying the cool A/C blasting from above. Outside, the summer heat beat down mercilessly on the pedestrians walking the less-than-clean streets of NYC.
"It could be worse," Tomi said to herself, thinking of the open office awaiting her team. "It could be much worse."
A few weeks later, having fully moved into the new space, Tomi clacked away methodically on her keyboard. It was late at night, and lights from the offices of other workaholics shone in distant windows. Tomi's fingers moved as if she were in a trance, finding each key with fluid grace.
It was a quiet Friday evening. Almost all of her team had already left, gone home or out for drinks. But there was a new contract that needed to be worked out by next week, and unfortunately there was no one waiting for her at home, so Tomi had kept working until she lost herself in it. The process was just so straightforward and unambiguous to her that it became almost mesmerizing. Open message, check changes, redline, then send an email back; like water flowing into a bamboo fountain.
Finally Tomi was taken out of the hypnotic state when she put her water bottle to her lips and found it empty. She set the bottle down on the desk and leaned back into her chair with a heavy sigh. The watch on her wrist watch read 12:30, much later than she anticipated. A car horn blared on the street outside. Even at such a late hour, there was no escape from the city's noise.
I shouldn't be doing this to myself, Tomi thought as she absently looked out the window. I can't keep operating like some simple automaton. I need to add some more human elements into my life before I became a lonely cat person—or else I start being mysteriously drawn to bridges.
Tomi playfully spun around in her office chair, arms out as if to mimic a helicopter. It felt like the appropriate thing to do in the moment—a burst of spontaneity to break her out of her funk.
Then I guess it's a good thing that I'm allergic to cats and have a deep phobia of heights.
Tomi continued to spin in her chair until she started to get a little dizzy, her ordered brain swirling around inside her skull. The whole thing made her chuckle out loud. She thought she must look so ridiculous to anyone looking in from the adjacent office building. It was at that moment that Tomi noticed the other person besides herself still working on the project
Tomi stopped laughing immediately as she caught Lian looking askance at her on the opposite side of the glass wall. Their eyes caught for a single, heart-palpitating second and then Lian swiftly turned back to his work, clearly frazzled.
Tomi covered her face with her hands and cursed quietly. Of course she'd be oblivious enough to make a fool out of herself in front of the one guy on the team she was actually interested in. Tomi hadn't even noticed that he remained after everyone else had left. And it shouldn't be so surprising he would, Tomi knew Lian was as diligent at work as she was.
Lian had joined the team about two months ago. He struck people as a shy person who talked softly and usually followed rules to the letter; but overall, a skilled attorney with good attention to detail. And he was hot, too. Lian's diligence expanded beyond the office, as his consistent gym schedule attested to, a schedule which granted him a toned body.
Tomi's eyes had been on him since the second they met. He was exactly her type: masculine with a slight, subdued quality of boyish beauty in her facial features. Lian's black hair curled immaculately, and his shirts always showed off the strong forearms underneath them. Not to mention, it'd slipped out a few weeks ago that he was single at the moment.
Now, with her little stunt in the chair, Tomi was petrified she'd ruined her chances to get with him. It had been a long time since she'd been in a relationship. Her last boyfriend was Shaun, that absolute shithead. Tomi had no clue why she ever thought Shaun was a good match for her. He was so bland. Once, when Tomi wanted to spice up their sex life, he even turned down her offer to try anal, calling it "disgusting". I mean, honestly, what kind of guy turns down anal!
Lian, however, was just perfect. Tomi had been laying plans to get him in her net for the whole two months since he joined them, flirting with him surreptitiously when they were alone, or getting a little more personal with him than was proper in a business setting. And Tomi knew she was attractive enough to get his attention. It wasn't a product of vanity or anything, either. All of her friends thought that Tomi had seriously gotten lucky in the genetic lottery, with a lovely face, ample breasts, and a firm, round ass. So it was likely Lian was attracted to her as well. She was so close to getting him. But after seeing her little mental breakdown, Lian probably thought she was totally insane.
