See if I Care!

Saw it Coming

A/N: Writing this in the middle of a heat wave… I'm also getting my new kitten next week, a black Cornish Rex boy I'm naming Bastian. The heat has slowed the writing down to almost nothing, though, so I'm falling behind! I haven't even finished next week's chapter yet! Gah! Well, I just need to buckle down this weekend… before Bastian comes and turns my life upside down… ;)

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Chapter 4: Saw it Coming

"Sue, have you seen my phone?" Mark asked frantically the next day. He was in their shared office, he swore he had only put it down for a moment and now it was just gone.

Sue Lee, his 'roommate' and closest coworker on the current project, chuckled. "It's on top of your computer for some reason. What's gotten into you?"

"Oh, thanks. Just lots to do."

"There's always lots to do, but hey, there's always the weekend?"

"Not this time, we're going… cruising."

"What, you're gonna pick up guys?"

"What?" Mark's mind went completely blank as he tried to connect the dots. Finally it clicked. "No! Not that kind of cruising, the being-on-an-actual-ship one! Or boat anyway… is a yacht a boat or a ship?"

"I think it depends on how big it is or something…? Though I actually have no idea what makes a boat a yacht, so…" she answered. "You're gonna be gone the whole weekend?"

"No, just Saturday, but on Sundays we usually go to my parents' for a few hours and… well, there's not going to be much time. Okay, I gotta listen through my notes now…" Mark popped his earphones in and took a few deep breaths before calmly starting to navigate on his phone. It was touch screen, and even with the added plastic sheet with braille and raised symbols, it took a bit of concentration not to get lost. Still, it was a normal phone and that was important to him. Yes, he also had other gadgets made specifically for the visually impaired, like his BrailleNote, but his phone made him feel like… everyone else. He snorted, knowing that Jake would get all serious and lecturing if he had known about those thoughts, but it didn't matter; some things just couldn't be explained.

"Hey darling, hey Mistress Lee, I'm here to deliver the material you wanted," O'Connor's voice suddenly called out.

"Could you not call me 'mistress'?" Sue sighed, and then there was the sound of papers, and something being put down on her desk with a thump.

"It's just that I could totally see you dressed up all in latex," the programmer claimed.

Mark just shook his head and was about to go back to his notes when the redhead turned to him. "So, sweetie-pie, wanna grab some lunch?"

"No can do, have to work. But kidnap Lance for me, we usually have lunch on Fridays."

"Love to! Where is he?"

"One floor up," Mark said and pointed.

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Lance was staring at his screen. When his stomach rumbled his eyes flitted down to the right hand corner. Two minutes to lunch. He could eat a horse. He knew having a big lunch just made him sluggish all afternoon, but screw it, it was Friday! He hoped Mark was up for pizza.

"Hello, handsome!"

Lance jumped.

"O'Connor? What are you doing here?"