"Jon can you get me a copy of this?" said my female office mate as soon as I enter the office and hand over an inch thick paperwork.
"Sure, I'll just put my bag on my table." I smile
"Yeah yeah sure, whatever. I need it before 10 am, OK? Thanks." She said with a fake smile and turn on her back, "hey Fritz let's go get coffee" she called to our female office mate and completely ignored me
I go ahead and proceed on my journey to my 38"x 25" table underneath the mountains of paper works.
"Jon, put this out for me please, thanks" said my male office mate and handover a box or should I say shove the box on my face without waiting for my reply and left
"Jon can you photocopy this for me as well?" said my other office mate and put the paper work on the box lid
"Jon, grab a coffee for me please. Thanks. Such an angel" said the other one female office mate that I can't even remember the name
"Jon."
"Jon."
"Jon, can you do this?."
"Jon, give me this."
"Jon."
"Jon."
If there will be a nomination or contest about being called a hundred times in first 10 minutes in the office, I probably win the grand prize. I haven't taken 10 steps from the entrance and I have been called 10 times already.
Do I even have to tell you my name? I bet you know it already but for formalities sake and for me to establish my character in this story I will introduce myself. My name is Jon Snow and no I am not a bastard from some fantasy hit television show. I am the only son of my Irish father and my California based mom.
I am now currently residing here in big city and work as an accountant after finishing my degree and got my license. I don't own any type of transportation vehicle since my apartment is only a couple of blocks and one train stop away from my work. Don't want to add another carbon footprint if ain't necessary.
"If it ain't my favorite accountant," said the beautiful woman wearing a fitted navy blue dress that compliments the shapes and curves in front of me with a very sweet seductive smile that can trigger the man inside me as she leans over on my table.
"Good morning Julie." I said with smile and tried to avert my eyes from her lustful figure.
Julie and I are really close since we've known each other since college days. Well, we're not actually know each other during those days, I just happened to see her almost everyday though she haven't noticed me like most of the people do.
I am so basic that I have become unnoticeable as if I am an invisible creature. Like a wind that occupies a space but no one notices and taken for granted yet hopelessly needed.
"Have you finished the report for tomorrow's meeting? I need to review it before then." she said while batting her thick long eye lashes.
"Almost. Just need to add some data." I answer
I can see how her beautiful bright facial expression slowly turns dark and deadly. "Haven't I told you last week that I needed that today? How could you be so incompetent?" she hisses
"I'm sorry, there's so much on my plate last week because of the monthly report for a client--"
"Whatever." she cut me off, "I will just do a all-nighter tonight. Haist, how am I going to say Alex that I wasn't able make it tonight to her party." she mumbles but loud enough for me to hear.
She and I are close since we got in this company on the same day about five years ago. She is smart and beautiful that is why she was able to climb the ladder in just a short period of time though I am the one who makes her report because she is always busy dealing with the clients. She is now the team manager and she recruited me from the marketing team where I was mostly ignored.
"If you'd like, I will send you the report tonight? Would that be OK?" I commend since I know it's either she's going to ignore me the whole week or she's going to nitpick everything I do for the whole week.
I see her face lighten up again, "Are you sure?" she said with her famous puppy eyes.
"Of course." I give her a bashful smile.
Yes, I am a pathetic guy who easily falls for girls' tactics but I am also doing this favor to her since she is my boss and my office wife/friend.
"OK." she springs up, "I need it before 9 tonight." she said and get out of my cubicle
I can't help myself to smile every time I see her. It feels like I am seeing an angel.
How could anyone be so gorgeous so effortlessly?
My day starts like that and ends up like this; me getting off the office around 7 in the night while all the other employees including my boss are already gone by 5.
I need to finish my paper works for the whole day in order to start fresh tomorrow since there is no one else there to do it for me.
My desk slash table is covered with mountain of paper works but most of them are not mine. They belong to my office mates and mostly from our team.
Like a clock work, as soon as I finish the things that I have to do the lights in the whole building shut off as if they're waiting for me.
I cleaned up my 8"x 14" workspace which is the remaining part of my table that even my netbook is having a tight fit every time I am using it.
Truth be told, I am not happy with my life right now but I am not unhappy either. I have always living my life like this even when I was still a kid whether inside or outside my own home. I maybe inherent this attitude from my mother who happens to be has a lock of self-respect and self-value. She can never say no to anyone to the point that her mere existence is to just serve people around her.
I don't want to walk the same path that she's taking but somehow I ended up taking her footsteps.
I just wish I would found someone who will see my worth like my mom did when she met dad.
"Good evening, can I have the usual?" I said to the nice lady behind the sandwich bar.
"What usual sir?" she ask politely
"Ah, sorry... ahm, give me a foot long Italian bread with light mayonnaise, tuna and lettuce, tomato." I said with smile
"You want to add cheese with your sandwich?" she ask again
I shake my head, "no thanks. I am not really a fun of cheese." I said, "And, can you please cut it in half?" I added
"OK sir. Is this for take-out?"
"Yes." I smile
I go to the register to pay for my sandwich when I heard someone comes in to the store and head straight to the sandwich bar.
The guy looks sharp with his neatly cut black hair, well-fitted suit as if he is a walking mannequin. He said that he wanted to have his usual and the sandwich lady nods her head with enthusiasm and starts preparing his order.
I remove my gaze to them when I saw him walks towards my direction.
I quickly pay for my sandwich and head out the store. For some reason, I feel off staying there with that guy.
I am eating and ordering my dinner in that store for almost a year now since I am so busy with work that I can't even cook a proper meal for myself but no one seems to remember me or my usual order. I am a bit hurt but who am I to complain? I am not as interesting as that guy.
I look lousy even with this signature suit I am wearing. I have a neatly cut hair as well but mine isn't black but blond. Even my eyebrows and lashes are blond. You can play connect the dots with the freckles that covers almost my whole body.
I bet that guy doesn't even have any imperfections but even if he has one it would not cause him negatively.
I went straight back to my apartment since I still have to finish the report that Julie needs for tomorrow's semi-annual executive meetings. Her promotion is basically depends on this report so I have to send it before 9 pm tonight or else.
I take the elevator since my pad is on the 5th floor and I don't think I still have the energy to climb up the stairs like I used to do. Besides, my hands are full with the stuff from the office that I needed for the report.
The elevator stops at 3rd floor then the door automatically opens but there is no one there to board so I decided to push the close door button. I hear the elevator bell ring that means the door is closing but somehow it opens again halfway of closing so it means someone push the button from the outside.
"That's odd." I tell to myself
I waited for a couple of second but no one boards the elevator so I decided to push the close button.
"Is this going down?" said a voice from behind me
I almost jump from where I am standing.
"Sorry. Did I startle you?" said the person from my back
I feel a sudden chill on my neck that makes my baby hair stand. I slowly turn my head to see the person behind me.
It is a woman. A very beautiful woman who's wearing a red spandex dress that shows her curves perfectly. She has a very fair white skin and a beautiful silky black hair that elegantly flows down and lies on her petite shoulders. And her lips are lavishly covered with bright red lips stick.
I don't know how long I stayed right there staring at her like she's some kind of puzzle while body is still facing the other direction
"Are you OK?" She asks while batting her big round eyes that makes her long thick lashes dance.
I quickly straighten up my posture and stiffly nod my head, "Y-yeah." I said and turn to face the elevator buttons.
Damn! I am only a couple floor away why on earth this elevator ride seems taking so long?
"What floor are you?" I ask without looking back
"B level 2" she said
I turn around to face her, "Sorry, this is going up." I said while pointing my right hand up while holding the paper bag that contains my dinner.
Her brows frowns in confusion and she looks up the little monitor above the elevator door that indicates the floor we are currently in.
"It says different." She said pointing to the monitor.
Now I am the one with frown brows and looks up. "What the?"
I really know that I am going up before she boarded. What the heck is going on here?
"This is a very old building, maybe the elevator malfunction." She said as if she can hear my thoughts.
I chuckle my confusion out since there is no point in arguing or overthink this and I push the level she'll going.
Both of us stay silent until we reach the basement level 2 where she is planning to get off.
"Thanks." She said before heading out the elevator.
I just awkwardly give her a smile as a response and push the close door button as she took off.
After that, I push the button of my floor on the elevator again and patiently wait until I reach my floor.
My pad is located on the far most side of the right wing and I have to walk pass three doors before I reach mine.
My building is one of the oldest apartment building here in the city but it is not as creepy or unsafe like most people think. The building is actually quite maintained and decent looking though you can see the some cracks on the painted wall and the tiles on the floor already lost its shine. Also, there is a little bit problems with privacy since the walls are made with Hardi-flex plywood so every time my neighbors talking or doing something, I can hear them.
Last week, I wasn't able to get a decent sleep because my newlywed neighbor decided to make babies almost every day and they didn't even tries to hide it. They did it so loud!
That is also one of the reason I haven't finish Julie's report yet.
I insert the key into the key hole of the door knob and twist it to unlock. I push the door to open using the weight of my body. The hall light automatically turns on since it has motion detection feature that is really convenient for someone like me that always get home late at night and not to mention alone.
I really wish I have someone with me that broke off this ear shattering silence of loneliness.
I put my house key on the ashtray that wasn't been used on the coffee table next to the fruit bowl that only contains fake apples that I won on a raffle last December during our Christmas Party at the office.
I turn the lights on in the kitchen and put the papers on the dining table and then take off my sling bag and hang it on the backrest of my plastic chair. Then I get the brown paper bag that contains my sandwich and fish out the sandwiches from the bag and place it on a microwavable plate and pop it inside the microwave. Press 3 minutes on the menu and hit start.
While waiting for my sandwich heating up in the microwave, I get my laptop that lies on my bed and place it on the dining table so I could start finishing up the report for Julie.
I open the laptop and turn it on then I heard the microwave beep that means the sandwiches are done. So I get the rubber pot holder from the kitchen drawer and press the button on the microwave to open its door then I take out the plate with my sandwiches off the microwave.
Then I head straight to the dining table and slide the plate next to the laptop.
I sit on the chair and take a bite of my tuna sandwich and start working on the report.
Time flies when you're having fun, that what people say but they don't say that it flies faster when you have deadline.
It is almost 9 and I am not done yet. Julie texted me already and asking about the report.
I ignore her text and silent my phone in order to concentrate besides, it is not like she's going to show up on my doorstep by this very minute.