REM // Van McCann

76. Raining Cats and Dogs

I woke up before my alarm, listening to Florence get ready for work. She was by the door putting her shoes on, about to leave, and I thought about saying goodbye but couldn't bring myself to. The last thing I wanted was to scare her as she's used to it just being her in the mornings. As soon as the door closed, I got up and turned my alarm off, pulling the duvet off my body. I stretched my arms over my head and yawned.

The bed groaned as I got up and I went to my closet to put on a pair of joggers and a T shirt. Ever since Florence caught me in just my underwear, I've been putting clothes on in the morning. It's silly because she already left for work but you never know. I opened the door to the balcony and smoked my first cigarette of the day. The slight wind caused me to shiver but I ignored the chill and finished smoking. After smoking, I went to get ready in the bathroom.

My first order of business was to stop by the bakery to see what they had. There was no time to order a custom birthday cake; I had to go early and hope there was a good selection to choose from.

The bakery was busy in the morning; there was the morning rush to grab something on the go and people ordering coffee. I stood in front of the display case wondering what I should get her. Does she prefer chocolate or something fruity? After staring for what felt like ages and having employees ask me twice if I needed help, I finally decided on a blueberry limoncello cake. Something told me Florence would like something more daring just like her.

In addition to the cake, I bought a breakfast croissant to eat at work. I knew I wouldn't have time to make tea in the morning and eat so I'll have to eat at work instead. I placed my breakfast on top of the box, carried it home, and placed the cake in the fridge for safekeeping. Then I quickly packed my stuff and ran down to catch the bus.

I thought about getting her a gift but didn't know what to get her so I figured cake was enough. Plus it's not like she's my girlfriend yet. If she was, I'd do more for her birthday. As soon as I got to work, I went straight to the kitchen to put the kettle on. My stomach was growling and I couldn't wait so I took a bite of my croissant and stood there, chewing. Bondy and Larry haven't come in yet so I was enjoying my moment of silence before the chaos.

We're going under Larry's dream to test Bondy's code again. Poor Larry is always putting up with Bondy's nonsense. One time, he put Left Shark in just for shits. Larry wasn't pleased to have Left Shark barge in on his date with Maeve asking for him to pay the train fare. I already paid him but he keeps asking for more money!

The water finished boiling so I poured hot water into my mug. Once my tea was made, I brought it back to my desk and turned on my laptop. Bondy walked in and I said good morning to him.

"You're here early today," he noted.

"I honestly thought I was running late but I ended up being a bit early," I told him.

"How's living with Florence going?" he asked, noticing that it was just the both of us.

"It's been alright." I know he's trying to get information out of me but I'd rather not deal with his teasing again.

"Do you know if Florence and Roman will continue their sessions while you go on holiday?"

"Roman feels comfortable going under with either you or Larry, but if it's too much work, he can wait until I come back. As for Florence, I still have to ask what she wants to do." Florence is going to ask her manager if she can take time off on such short notice. She's certain they'll approve it but I don't know...it's cutting it pretty close. I literally fly out early next week.

"Yeah, we can handle Roman. He only comes once a week so pretty manageable," Bondy replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He doesn't want to say it but Bondy is intrigued by the nature of Roman's dreams. He'll take any opportunity he gets to go under his dream so he can learn what men in higher positions dream about. He didn't say anything about Florence but it was apparent that I must let him know what's happening with her.