It started, as most ill-advised things do, completely by accident.

She was walking by with a cart full of paperwork and presentations. He was trying to catch the elevator. As he ran past there was contact — accidental, inappropriate, thrilling. Reflexively, such trains of thought shut down, even as she glanced back at him. He simply stared blankly ahead as the cold, metal doors closed around him. Was it her imagination? she wondered. Briefly, he had seemed to pale, nearly blending in with his customarily white button-up. She had seen him around the office before, always running here and there, never talking or even looking at anyone. He did his work, he did it well, and he didn’t have a name. He was such a non-entity that some wondered if he planned it that way. Perhaps his life goal was to be a prop on life’s stage — there for aesthetics, but not for usability.

“Dani, what’s the hold up?” called Summer-Lynn. She hung out of the conference room door, her icy blond hair swinging freely. Picking up her pace, Dani continued across the floor.

“Nothing. It’s nothing.” Summer frowned, but remained silent. Grateful, Dani wheeled into the large meeting hall and prepared for the showdown.

Several hours later, she cracked the door to her townhouse, shooing the cat before hauling in the groceries that sat on the stoop.

“I’m home!” she called, heading for the kitchen and kicking the front door shut behind her. Augusta strolled in as Dani began putting things away. Her tank top clung to her skinny frame in direct contrast to her billowing pajama pants. “A little early for bed, isn’t it?” Dani asked, raising an eyebrow. Augusta shrugged her cocoa-powdered shoulders and saddled onto a stool before rooting around in the bags. She smiled easily upon finding the strawberries and carefully dug them out. Selecting one, she studied it as she asked the inevitable question: the one the shopping trip had been used to delay.

“How’d the thing go?”

“Oh, you know.”

“Bombed?”

“Bombed.” Augusta came over and wrapped her arms around Dani’s waist, laying her forehead against the other girl’s. Dani still held a carton of eggs in one hand and a quart of milk in the other.

“You’ll get it next time.”

“Technically, I got it this time. Just not the way I wanted it.” Augusta pulled back to examined her friend.

“What do you mean?”

Sighing, Dani pulled out of the embrace and put the perishables away. Things had, indeed, not gone according to plan.

“Summer requested a transfer. Barring that goes through, she’ll put in her two weeks.”

“That’s crazy. She should stay, keep fighting.” Dani shook her head and emptied another bag.

“She has. This isn’t the first time she’s made this bid. She tried to reason with the Board several years ago, too. She’s just tired of it. I can’t say I blame her.”

“So, if Summer leaves…”

“I’m next in line to get her job. Then, I’ll have to put up with the same crap she did. A moron who’s only in place because he’s a man. Separate but equal, my ass. More like separate with an attempt to be equal. Leave it to me to work at the only firm in the metro that insists on inter-building SBE.”

“It’s not very separate, is it?”

“Not terribly so, no. I don’t mind it so much, as long as they do their job. It’s when they get where they are based solely on gender that I take issue.”

“Dani, just curious, but have you ever actually met the ‘moron’ you just tried to replace?” She stopped. Had she? She honestly couldn’t remember. Surely, she had. Did it even pertain to the point?

“I don’t see that it matters whether I’ve met him or not. He’s an idiot who couldn’t tell the difference between FICA and FUTA if his job depended on it. I have the statistical data to prove it. We’ve had to correct more of his mistakes than his whole department could ever find in our figures. If they want two people over accounting, that’s fine. But, if two women are more qualified than one woman and one man, then for Heaven’s sake go that route!”

“Dani, what’s his name?” Again, she had to pause. What was his name?

“Bob, Bill, Benton, Bailey. Bailey. That’s it. Bailey Bankston. I remember the last name because with the word ‘Bank’ in it, you’d think he’d be better at number crunching.” Augusta rolled her eyes and stole another strawberry.

“You know, I’m not terribly heterodox, but perhaps you should give him a chance, seeing as how he’s going to be your new office buddy.”

“I suppose.” Dani sighed. “I’m just worked up because Summer’s going to be leaving. She’s been my mentor and best friend for three years, now. What’ll I do without her?”

“It’ll all work out. I tell you what. In two weeks, whether she stays or goes, we’ll all go out to the club for drinks. But, until then, I suggest we go to bed.”

“Two weeks is an awful long time to spend in bed. I doubt they’ll give me that much personal time off on such short notice.” Augusta smacked Dani’s arm and slid the carton of strawberries into the refrigerator. Turning, she sashayed from the room, leaving her lover to lock up and turn out the lights.

(No Ratings Yet)

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