8. You Got A Cat?

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Derek

"And where the hell were you?" Joan asked as soon as I entered the first work floor

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"And where the hell were you?" Joan asked as soon as I entered the first work floor.

"Feeding a cat." I answered, unable to give a more descriptive answer. Honestly, I just wanted to clock in and get this day the hell over with.

"You got a cat?" Barron, one of our team leads asked as he walked out of our printing room. He was wearing his lucky blue button down, reminding me of the promotional talk that had made its way through the floor. Today was review day with our floor managers, and Barron was trying to climb that corporate ladder.

Or rather, corporate staircase. He was trying to get bumped up to the fourth floor's marketing management team.

In my opinion, Barron had a better chance of getting laid by a mermaid, but it was his determination that truly warmed my heart.

"No, I didn't get a cat," was all I replied with. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't care to inform this group of rascals about neither my arrest nor my run in with John.

"Who's cat? Also, John called this morning trying to get your number. Also also, how was jail?" Joan got all that out in one breath, and just like that, the whole floor learnt of my weekend escapades.

"You were in jail?" Barron asked immediately, dropping everything he had just printed half assedly on my desk.

"It wasn't that serious," I insisted, but the eyes from onlookers let me know they weren't the least bit convinced. Luckily, my cell phone ringing saved me from saying anything else. "Sorry I've got to get this," I didn't even look at the caller ID. "Can you punch me in Joan? Thank you!"

Joan just gave me one effortless eye roll, as I all but ran out into the main lobby.

"Hello?" I asked into the line, making sure I was out of ear shot from these gossip greedy fiends.

"Derek, I'm glad I got ahold of you," John's voice spoke into the line.

I wasn't sure what made me straighten my tie like he was standing right across from me, but I did it anyways.

"Did you get my messages this morning?" He asked. "I hadn't heard anything back, and wanted to make sure Herold was doing alright."

"O-Oh." I sorta choked up, trying to catch the last bit of air I had lost on the brisk walk out here. "Yes I'm sorry I completely forgot to text you- I was late to getting up this morning so my brains been scattered-" my voice cut itself off immediately, forcing me to work out the sentences in my head first before blurting them out. "I did feed Herold though yes, he's doing well. I'll head back to check on him after work again today, and before work tomorrow."

There was a soft chuckle on the line as I heard some papers rustling. "You are literally perfection, thank you. I'll be back by this Thursday, just getting things together at my office right now."

Derek ⚣ ✓Where stories live. Discover now