Whoever said 'new day new you' should be in hell for promoting that stupid idea. It's my one-week mark since I started showing up to work and I haven't seen Ms. Sparks around. We never exchanged numbers so I've checked my emails to see if she had sent me a new message even if by a new email address but no such luck. I slid out of bed and picked up my phone to take it off the charger before it overcharged. Going through my emails once more I decided to give up on getting in touch with Ms. Sparks ever again. It's probably time I started to kill these feelings for someone I only spent almost half the day with. Going through my morning routine again I couldn't help thinking about how I was interrupted last time because my surprise visitor wanted to be selfish so I probably shouldn't have been surprised to know I was just a fuck buddy or something to someone who wouldn't even give me a passing glance if I weren't working for her. Grabbing my ripped black bell bottoms and a Slipknot crop top out of my dresser. Pulling on my black underpants and sports bra I put on my clothing slipped on my "goth" boots and went downstairs where Julie was waiting for me with a vase filled with flowers.
"What's that Julie?"
"They appear to be flowers, Ms. Furr."
"I know what they are Julie, I'm asking who has them to you?"
"Oh, they're not for me."
"Well, I don't know who else they'd be for unless they were meant for my auntie. I'll give her a call before I head into work but I head into work."
"Ms. Furr, I believe they're for you."
"Is there a card that's addressed to me?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Who's it from?"
"They're from your Aunt."
"Well, it looks like I do need to call her but to say thanks instead."
I was scared to know they came from Ms. Sparks but I also wanted them to from her as well. I honestly didn't know what to think but I could see that my feelings were going to make things so awkward today. Grabbing the keys to the black two-door tracker. I found one that looks a little like the one I dreamed of driving until my cousin took it. I was entitled to my age but because of my horrible upbringing, I felt it was deserving. This day deserved to go down pleasant memory lane so I grabbed my burned mix CD with Christina Aguilera's Genie in a Bottle at number one and cranked it up as I left my driveway. The only thing I played after that went off was a whole lot of Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. AFI's Miss Murder was in the mix but This CD was made for days like this. Stopping at lights was always the worst because even though I love causing chaos this served that purpose I just hate that they'd catch me in this mood instead of the mood I have when I do it on purpose. The way I got to work today was expected and now I'm heading up to the eighth level in the parking garage. When I found a spot further away from the entrance I cut the engine, grabbed my leather jacket I keep in the back for no reason but's become a habit, and picked up my bag with the things I may need for work. As I walk to the doors I pull out my phone from my back pocket to call my auntie. It's still early and I'm not expecting her to pick up. As confirmation of my thinking, I was sent directly to voicemail which means she turned her phone off again last night. Chuckling at the small memory of her telling me that as an important person in her own company the only way she'd get any sleep was to shut the damn thing off made my day brighten up just a little.
"Hey Auntie, I know it's early so I didn't mean to disturb you. I just called to say thank you for the flowers. I got them this morning. I haven't been able to read the card you included with it yet because I was running late to work today. So speaking of that I'm here in the parking garage about to head in so I'll talk to you either during lunch or after work.. Love you, Auntie. Wishing you the best today. Bye."
I ended my call just as I reached the doors which was a good feeling. I didn't want to travel through the halls letting others hear what I was saying nor did I wasn't to linger by the door waiting to finish what I needed to say. If I'm not careful I might start to think today will turn out to be better since the tragedy to my heart from last week. After opening the door I went down the corridor past the elevator to my right and walked through the doors to the studio I work in. The place was packed with people either working at their cubicles or running around trying to get info on where the managers of the artists who requested their assistance were. Along with other dialogue that I couldn't make out due to either it being a little louder than normal or because they were talking low on purpose. As I tried to make my way through everyone I got some stares and a few verbal and under their breath comments on how I was dressed. I honestly didn't care since that meant I was on someone else's mind which was what I was going for. They said any publicity is good publicity so in this type of business that means people will remember me now more than ever and they will know that this person was the one to bring this company further to the light than ever before. Sitting down in my chair I booted up my computer as I took my shoulder bag and jacket off. The day kind of flew by after all that until it was lunch. I chose to come in at nine-thirty in the morning like always so I went to lunch at one in the afternoon which made me feel in control after the week I had. I pressed the down arrow to go to the lobby so I could go to the cantine today as I was waiting there by myself I looked at my phone to see that I had one missed call from my Auntie. I opened my voicemail to hear what she wanted to say when the doors opened and the sight I was witnessing left me speechless. There was Rebecca pressed up against Ms. Sparks on the furthest wall. I ended the call on my phone and just stood there in shock. When no one got on the elevator they both stopped kissing and looked at me with questioning looks on their faces. Then Ms.Sparks seemed to have snapped out of the trance she was in as she looked between me and Rebecca. That caused me to snap out of my spacing-out moment as well and I decided to turn to the garage doors and started to walk to my car while Ms. Sparks was hollering from inside the elevator.
"Lucy wait!" She shouted out behind me.
"Um, sure," I said as I stopped and turned to face her. "What could I do for you?"
"Oh, um I wanted to apologize for the sight back there and I also wanted to ask you to not tell Kenneth about that."
"Sure." I conceded. "Would that be it or is there something else?"
"Yeah, I also was wondering if you're okay?"
"My day is going well. Thank you. I hope everything is going well with you as well."
"Oh um, yeah my day is going as well as it could be."
"That's good to know. With all due respect, I'm on my break and it looks like Rebecca is growing impatient so I'm going to my car. It was nice seeing you, Ms. Sparks. I wish you the best for the rest of your day."
"What? Are you sure you're ok? you don't need to be that cold to me do you?"
"I never meant to be so cold. I just don't have long until I have to come back from lunch and it looks like you need to go back to Rebecca before her red face pops her head off."
Ms. Sparks looked over to Rebecca and saw that I was right about my description of her. I imagined that when she looked back she saw that I was walking out the door to my car but instead of following me to my car, she stayed which confirmed my suspicions. When I reached my car I unlocked the door and slid inside and pulled out my phone again to listen to my Auntie's message.
"Hey baby girl, I hope your day is going well. I'm glad you got those flowers finally. Let me know what you think about them as soon as you can so I know what type of flowers you like. Anyway, I'm going to hop off here and let you get back to work. Have a great day sweetie."
It felt good to hear her voice. Seeing Ms. Sparks with Rebecca was a shock back to reality that my brain needed. I looked at the time on my phone and saw this even if I left now I wouldn't be able to stand in line and get back before my lunch break ended. I had decided to skip today's lunch to find a vending machine with snacks and drinks to take to my desk. When I got out of my car I nearly forgot to grab my keys from the ignition but the good thing is that I didn't lock my door even if I had closed the door. After I bent inside I grabbed my key locked my doors and went back inside the hallway. I feared that either Jayda or Rebecca would be there waiting for me but thankfully neither of them thought I was that important to their day. I walked back through the door that separated the hall from the elevators and the hall to the floor I was working on. The vending machines were to my right on the furthest wall from the doors to the studio. I grabbed a couple of Kit-Kats, Crunch bars, Milky Ways, and Snickers which I placed in my coat pocket after I retrieved them from the bottom of the machine. Then I grabbed a bottle of Cherry Coke and walked back to my desk taking out the chocolate candies and placing them in my bag. Taking my bottle of Coke lid off carefully I took a sip just as Brittany came back over as well.
"Hey, Brittany. How was your lunch?"
"Hey, Lucy. My lunch was good. How did yours go?"
"I missed it so now I'm substituting it with chocolate and cherry coke."
"Will that actually be a good substitute?"
"I do not know but I need something to tie me over for the next three hours. Plus when I hit the zone I'm usually not paying attention to much of anything including my stomach so I might be good."
"Well, that's certainly one thing to keep you in check."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, are you not on a diet?"
"No, what made me look like I was?"
"Last month you came here with salads for each lunchtime."
"Oh, that was because I was running low after paying so many bills that I forgot to cancel. Plus I had spent so much money on someone that I thought was going to be a good friend to me but they ended up being assholes once I started going to my surgeries so I decided to leave them alone."
"Ah, the old trying to keep things as they were but change made them change routine. Yeah, I hate when that happens."
"Is that so?" Johnathan cut in from out of nowhere. He sat right beside me in the middle.
"What you say?" Britanny asked with a single-cocked eyebrow.
"I asked if you believe you're telling the truth."
"Why would I lie?"
"I'm not saying you're lying on purpose but I don't think you can speak with one hundred accuracy."
"Oh right the spontaneous memory loss thing."
"Not what I was saying either but yeah, that too."
"Now I'm totally lost."
"I'm sorry to cut in guys but I think I have to go see Ms. Sparks."
"Oh, is there something wrong?"
"I'm not sure."
"Well don't keep the boss lady waiting," Jonathan said casually hinting that he suspects the same thing I wished had happened.
"It's not like that," I replied with sadness in my voice over the memory of the talk in my car. "She's probably going to tell me that I either need to pick up the pace on my latest assignment with the two artists that I'm supposed to be helping or see if it was a mistake hiring me."
"Woah, now that's a level I've only seen in those that have been here for years." Said Britanny.
"Alrighty then, that's my queue to not meddle anymore. Good luck Lucy. I hope everything turns out great." Johnathan said trying to make up for his comments but he didn't need to. It was my down-in-the-dumps attitude that needed to be checked.
"No need to apologize Johnathan." I started my apology but as I tried to tell him it wasn't his fault he just held up his hand and told me to not worry about it and told me to just make sure I didn't make Ms. Sparks wait for me. He informed me that it could put her in a terrible mood if she's not in one already. I responded to Ms. Sparks' email letting her know that I was on my way and packed everything up seeing as by the time our discussion was done today my day would be over or that my time here at the label would be.