My plate was empty. I contemplated going back to the table laden with goodies, but I noticed that everyone else still had plenty of food on their little black plates.
“Did you read about what's happening at the head office?” George asked the group. “I'm assuming that you all got the memo.”
“What memo?” Dawn took another sip of her strange colored martini, a turquoise blue with an oily looking green liquid floating near the top.
“It was really a memo about the restrictions for vacation time during the holidays,” Janet took up where George left off. “Admin likes to bury bad news down at the bottom of other bad news, so you might not notice because you are too spitting mad about the first message.” The sour scowl on her mouth quickly switched to a pasted on grin as she looked past my shoulder.
I turned, curious as to why the stupid facial expression.
Oh, yuck. Mark.
“Well, now, how is the auditing department doing?” Mark’s gravely laugh followed his question. He put his arm around my shoulder, knocking me forward so that my gin and tonic slopped over the edge of the glass and onto my foot, flowing down between the leather straps and surrounding my toes.
The pasted on grin tightened at the edge of Janet’s lips. “Just fine. Is Grace with you tonight?”
“Oh, she’s around here somewhere, always the social butterfly.” Mark squeezed my shoulder, where his hand still lay. I turned my head slightly and noticed Dawn staring at his hand, the turquoise drink held up beside her cheek, as if to toast the occasion, rather than take a sip. She squinted and looked into my face. I rolled my eyes and turned, sliding my shoulder out from under Mark’s hand. Swiveling to face him I held up my empty plate.
“Just need a little refill, the food is great, as usual.”
“Not so fast.” George grabbed my arm - the gin and tonic would be empty before I even had a sip. “Now that Mark is here, let’s ask him about the memo.”
“What memo?” Dawn’s tone was frustrated and she drew the what out to emphasize that no one had answered her the first time she asked the question.
“The parking spaces, how they are going to be reassigned.”
“Now, now, this is a party, let’s enjoy ourselves, no time to discuss work.” Mark’s hands circled around in front of him as he talked. Dawn quickly moved the blue drink down to her side, another near miss. She glanced my way.
Mark seemed to catch on that he was going to have to take some responsibility for explaining the memo.“I see Grace waving at me. You all have a nice time, enjoy some more of that wonderful food.” He gave my shoulder a final pat as he turned and escaped the group.
Janet stared after him, watching as he approached Grace. “What are they doing with the parking places? How are they choosing who gets what?” Her words seem to be directed at Mark’s back, rather than the gang. I wasn't really sure what she was asking. She chewed on her lip and stared at Mark and his wife.
“Well, you know how now they are based on departmental seniority?” George’s voice took on that lecture tone. My brain turned down the volume, tuning him out. It was the only way to survive.
Dawn moved closer to me and pressed her shoulder against mine, her voice a whisper.
Her breathe tickled my ear. “Would you like a taste? This is really unusual.” As she held the drink out toward my mouth, she met my eyes, stared straight into them without blinking, a hint of her tongue curled out of her mouth and licked her lip. I leaned forward and sipped the drink.
“Yes, very unusual.." I licked the bitter taste off my lips. "Not at all what I was expecting."
"What do you think about Mark?"
I rolled my eyes and placed my hand on her shoulder.
"Well, little lady, let me tell you." I leaned toward her and put my mouth close to her ear.
"I don't mind parking on the street.”
Hmm, a bit confusing. Is it a man or a woman talking? First I think a woman (because Mark puts his arm around the person but then later that person also says, "little lady."
ReplyDelete