The Workplace

Mariah tried to ignore her two coworkers loitering behind her at the watercooler. She likely had the worst cubicle in the entire office. She could see them in the reflection of the little silver hand mirror propped up on her desk. Her grandmother had left it for her when she passed. It probably deserved better than to collect dust in her office space.

Bill laughed too loudly. Today he wore an incorrectly tied striped tie of varying shades of brown and red. He was narrating the night before. Apparently, he’d gone on a blind date, and the woman had been a bit… over the top.

She’d had a crush on him when she first worked in the office. But when he’d blatantly ignored her, or worse, teased her, that little crush had fizzled.

Aaron, who never left Bill’s side, grinned at every overly dramatic, grotesque detail. At least he could tie his tie correctly. He was married, though. His wife probably did it. Would she be happy if she knew what he and Bill were discussing while they pretended to drink water?

Mariah lifted the mirror, pretending to fluff her tight curls. She tilted it just enough to see Sean walking down the hall to the cooler. She didn’t have to move the mirror to know Seth was walking down the hall on the other side. Great. The whole posse. She didn’t see what was so exciting about Bill. But the other three practically worshiped the ground he walked on.

Mariah tried her best to focus on the email. Mr. Guilligan, Thank you for your quick response. In regard to invoice 03254-1—

“Raya!”

Mariah whipped her head around to face Bill. “It’s Mariah,” she said with a frown.

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Bill chuckled. He had a nice smile— An attractive face, really, but there was nothing else positive she could say about him.

“What do you want?” She sighed. “Some of us have work to do.”

“We want your opinion to help us settle a bet,” Bill said, gesturing to his companions. “Which of us is more likely to get a date at the bar tonight?”

Mariah turned back around in her chair. “I’m not playing that game, Bill.” She continued typing. She hoped they couldn’t tell how red her face was.

“Someone’s got a stick up her ass,” Sean scoffed quietly. Not quietly enough.

In her mirror she could see the group disbanding. Finally. Maybe she’d move the water cooler before she left tonight. She’d place it behind Toby’s desk. He wouldn’t tolerate their banter. Bill hadn’t left her alone since the Christmas party: teasing and taunting. He could have any woman in the office if he wanted. Including Sarah, the new receptionist. She was about as pretty as they came, and sweet, too, as far as Mariah could tell. She’d flirted with Bill so many times it was a wonder he hadn’t invited her out yet.

Mariah watched the time tick down to five pm. It took forever. She dumped the rest of her lo mein left from lunch in the trash can. The janitors cleaned on Tuesday so her cubicle wouldn’t smell like it tomorrow. She needed to start eating healthier. She made pretty good pay and lived in a modest apartment with roommates. She could certainly afford to buy the healthy stuff. Maybe she’d hit the grocery store that evening.

She slung her purse strap over her shoulder and slid her grandma’s mirror into an inside pocket. She’d put it somewhere in her apartment. She’d buy a cheap one for the office. She double checked that her computer was completely off, and her desk was locked. Satisfied, she took the stairs down to the lobby despite the way her heels bit into her feet. She’d have to wear flats tomorrow.

Mariah made it to the lobby. It was pretty. There was a tall wall with a waterfall running over it. The white tile floors were always clean. She still thought the building with its live plants and modern lighting was as pretty as when she’d come to work here as an intern.

“Hey, Raya, wait up!”

Damnit. Mariah kept walking. “Goodnight, Bill.”

He skidded to a stop in front of her. “Hey, I’m sorry for what I said to you earlier. That was out of line.”

“Oh,” She had not expected that. “Well, you’re forgiven. Just, maybe have your conversations not right behind my cubicle.”

“S— Sure.” He stammered, running a hand through his dark hair. “Raya— Mariah, would you like to go on a date with me?”

That was even more unexpected.

“Bill!” Aaron jogged across the lobby, flanked by Sean and Seth. “Want to hit The Diaz tonight?

It could be some mean office prank. She turned to his friends. “Actually, he just asked me on a date.”

All three turned to him, incredulous. Maybe he’d been serious. “Did you?” Sean asked.

Mariah looked at Bill. “Your answer is mine,” She shrugged, “But if you say no, that door is shut for good.”

She’d never seen Bill turn red like this. It was nice to know that he could get embarrassed. He didn’t say anything.

“Right,” Mariah shook her head. She walked towards the door. Her heels clicked across the floor. She’d take a cab to the store. She made it almost to the vestibule.

“Yes!” He called after her. “Mariah!”