My Scratch Pad

:: complete and incomplete thoughts, daydreams and illusions ::

Closing Doors

If there was anything Katrina hated, it was having to work overtime. Especially when it wasn't your fault but you couldn't prove that so you wouldn't actually get paid. But since it was supposedly 'better' than losing your job, she did it anyway. Even if it meant staying in the office alone. For several hours. Until midnight.

The thought of staying out until midnight alone was enough to give her the creeps. And it was just her luck that nobody else had to work overtime with her. Sure, she wouldn't be really alone in the building. What with all the call centers on the other floors, there might even be a traffic jam by the time she got out. But none of the other people were likely to stop at her floor. Why would they? Theirs was the only office on the entire floor. There wouldn't be any other reason to stop there but her. And of course, no one would stop there for her. Not unless they were lost and desperately needed to ask someone for directions. It wasn't like she had a boyfriend to pick her up. Nope, that's how much of a loser she was, that the only time she'd stay out late, is not to go to some party, but to work, and not even have anyone but a cab driver to drive her home.

She sighed heavily, knowing it was her literal state of being alone that made her think about such things intead of just concentrate on her work like she's supposed to.

She tried typing on the computer again but ended up typing gibberish. There was no use trying. She was too distracted. She might as well take a break. So I could wallow more in self-pity without distractions, she thought bitterly as she stood up from her chair to go to the pantry and fix herself some coffee.

She just couldn't take her mind off the topic of being alone. Because, it wasn't as if she never met any cute guys. That was just it, she already had. And once, she even got to be alone with him inside the elevator in her building. And he even talked to her. Or, at least he tried to. Because as soon as she recovered from the shock that a cute guy was actually talking to her, and was about to answer his question, they'd reached the 12th floor, and it was time for him to leave. And so, with a small wave and a smile, he walked out, and the elevator doors closed, blocking him from her view, and, she liked to believe, also from her life.

The short elevator ride had seemed like fate's way of giving her a chance, but because she didn't grab the opportunity, she missed it. By about 2 floors. And, okay, it wasn't the last time she saw him. Sure, she sometimes ran into him at the lobby, and also in the elevator. She'd even already found out his name and what company he worked for, from all those incidents. But they were both always with other people. They'd never been alone again. Not even during the time that her friend Nancy from the same office he worked in told her that every 4 P.M. he went into the elevator to buy some food from the convenient store downstairs and that if she did the exact same thing she'd surely run into him. Because although she did exactly as she was told, nothing happened still--he'd gone down to eat an hour earlier than usual, which should've been enough for her to lose interest in him, until she found out that the reason he was earlier than usual was because his younger sister had come by and they ate out together. It was such a trap to prevent her from disliking him, it almost made her suspicious. But the more suspicious she got, the more perfect he turned out to be. Save for the fact that he still didn't notice her, despite both staffs in their offices coming up with ways to get them together.

She was actually ready to give up. After all, if he'd been really interested, then he'd have made his move long ago, may there be a crowd in the elevator or no, asking a girl out was a walk in the park for anyone who wanted it badly enough.

So his not making a move until then, surely was a sign that he wasn't interested. How could he be? The one time he tried talking to her, she had almost snottily snubbed him. So why would he be into her? It just didn't make any sense. And both their officemates had already given up anyway. She figured it was high time she did too. After all, fate had already given her a chance and she blew it. There was no use hanging around the doorway of opportunities when you know fate's closed it and is never going to give you the key.

With a new attitude, she marched back to her desk, more determined than ever to finish her work so she could go home quickly, and sleep. Tomorrow was a new day she wanted to start right.

 She almost didn't notice it when the clock struck 12 just after she clicked on 'Send' and sent her last e-mail. Her work was finally done! Excitedly, she shut down her computer, got her bag and ran to the hallway that led to the elevator. With any luck, she'd get to the building lobby just as an empty cab passes by. But then again, she remembered, luck wasn't her strongest suit. Or maybe it was, but not for the reason she originally thought.

To say she was surprised when the elevator doors opened was the understatement of the year. But why wouldn't she be? None other than the very person she had just decided never to think of again, was inside the elevator. And she really meant 'none other'.

"Hey," he greeted, smiling. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Hi," she said, wishing she'd stop blushing profusely.

"You're still working?" he asked as she got on the elevator.

"Just finished. My deadline's tomorrow," she replied.

"Oh, you mean today," he said, looking at his watch.

"Oh yeah," she said, wondering if she sounded stupid.

"I didn't know you worked so hard," he said. "I mean, I always figured you for a carefree person, y'know?"

"You mean a lazy person?" she raised an eyebrow. And what do you mean always? she wanted to add.

He chuckled. "Of course not. I mean, they told me you were smart, just, I just thought that because you were, you wouldn't care so much about this job because you can always get another one."

This time she couldn't resist. "They?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, Mike and Nancy," he said uneasily. "I'm Jeff, by the way," he held out his hand.

"Kat," she said, shaking his hand. "How do you know Mike?" she asked. Nancy, she could understand. Nancy worked with him. But Mike? Mike worked with her. And she knew for a fact (Nancy told her) that there was only one Mike in both offices.

"Oh, he's my friend from college. Isn't that a weird coincidence?"

"It sure is," she said and then heard the familiar ding-dong of the elevator, signalling their arrival on the ground floor.

The door opened, and both of them stepped out.

"Well, it was nice--" she started, and then from the corner of her eye, saw a cab slow down in front of their building. She looked at Jeff, and then back at the cab, and then back at Jeff, in time to see the elevator doors close behind him. The doors are closed. There's no point in hanging around, she thought, and quickly said, "I have to go, goodbye." And then she almost ran towards the building's entrance doors to catch the cab.

She already had her hand on the door handle of the cab and had opened it half-way when she felt someone touch her shoulder. Of course, she had to look.

"I kinda wanted to drive you home," Jeff said, smiling sheepishly. "I guess I should've just come right out and said it when I saw you."

"I--" she hesitated, and then looked at her fingers on the door handle, incidentally also looking at her watch, which reminded her that the next day had already started. She bit her lip. It was already another day after all.

She pushed the door back to close it, and gestured to the driver to pull away.

"Why not?" she replied, smiling.

"Come on," he smiled back and gestured to the direction of the parking lot.

Well, what do you know? Katrina thought. Closing doors can be a good thing after all.

END

08.31.05 22:59

by: distantorigin at 14:36 | link | comments (2)