LJI friends & rivals: topic 2
Charlie couldn't help but think of Sharon as a bad penny who kept turning up, often in surprising places. Either that, or like the boomerang shellacked with metallic flecks which he'd been gifted by his quirky Uncle Jerry for his sixteenth birthday; he had lost his fascination with the objects after he turned 13 and discovered the attraction of girls in a more serious way.
In any case, Sharon wasn't the type of woman he'd ever been attracted to - heavy on the makeup and a flashy dresser who seemed to teeter around on stiletto pumps, she was pretty much the polar opposite of the studious, bookish types he found himself gravitating toward. Sure, some of his friends called them nerdy, but the earnestness and serious curiosity he found in them mirrored a part of himself that he enjoyed and couldn't comfortably share around many of his friends.
He sighed as he saw Sharon wending her way toward him among the cubicles. He took two steps to his left and ducked down a short hallway to the men's room rather than risk enduring another tedious conversation about the lunch she wanted to have (while boldly hinting she'd like his company) or the latest events on America's Next Top Model, a show she was apparently enthralled by.
Charlie wasn't opposed to all reality shows; he enjoyed catching episodes of Face Off when he managed to, and he knew he'd probably be among the first to dive headlong into a show based on any aspect of the new Star Wars reboot. Long before he'd grown weary of Sharon's attentions, he'd briefly thought of inviting her to a movie of that sort so he could give them at least a chance and something to talk about over coffee or drinks afterward. The idea was swiftly nixed in his brain when she brought up seeing the latest Bond flick and the only thing she could espouse with any detail is how "utterly gorgeous" some of the clothes and cars were. To top it off, she said it with great exaggeration and a somewhat odd enunciation which made it come out "udderleee", followed by a high-pitched squeal he was hard pressed not to wince away from.
After he'd pointlessly emptied his bladder in the bathroom, he stood at one of the sinks washing his hands as he pondered some more. He glanced into the mirror, personally reaffirming that his dark brown hair cut in a nondescript style and the brown eyes behind the plain, black-rimmed glasses didn't normally merit undue attention from the Sharons of the world. He felt fairly sure it was his growing bank account that held her primary interest. She had no way of knowing how much he actually made or had socked away, but it was also no secret he was one of the company's golden children since his last product launch had been hugely successful and they'd put him on the track to a junior partnership.
The funny thing was he himself felt ambivalent about these recent developments, as he still had a strong desire to make his mark with a company of his own; he thought if he could convince Bill or Sean (or better yet, both of them) that they had a real shot at building their own success story, he knew the possibilities ahead were much more alluring and exciting than anything his current employer offered him.
With one more shake of his hands and a swift dry with a paper towel, Charlie took a deep breath and then another one. He was playing handball with Sean after work, and if it went as well as he optimistically hoped for, he's be a sizable step closer to launching his dream. He also thought he might have a way to finally fling off Sharon's unwanted attentions and now seemed to be as good a time as any. He pulled open the door and stepped back into the hall, wondering how far he'd have to go far to spot her again.
When he turned the corner back into the main corridor, lo and behold she was standing less than four feet from him. She instantly smiled, and while he gamely smiled back, he spoke up quickly before she could say anything.
"Oh Sharon, sorry I have no time to chat. I have a meeting with my lawyer over lunch, and I can't be late." He walked by her as she was saying, "Your lawyer? I hope everything's okay..."
"It's fine, nothing to worry about." He glanced around covertly and then whispered so only she could hear him, "I just have to discuss the ramifications of filing bankruptcy." He left her standing there without words, and now he suppressed a grin as he pulled open the door to exit the office suite.
this is my entry for Week 2 of LJI Friends & Rivals. stay tuned for a later update on voting information for this and other submissions after the deadline for entries passes.
In any case, Sharon wasn't the type of woman he'd ever been attracted to - heavy on the makeup and a flashy dresser who seemed to teeter around on stiletto pumps, she was pretty much the polar opposite of the studious, bookish types he found himself gravitating toward. Sure, some of his friends called them nerdy, but the earnestness and serious curiosity he found in them mirrored a part of himself that he enjoyed and couldn't comfortably share around many of his friends.
He sighed as he saw Sharon wending her way toward him among the cubicles. He took two steps to his left and ducked down a short hallway to the men's room rather than risk enduring another tedious conversation about the lunch she wanted to have (while boldly hinting she'd like his company) or the latest events on America's Next Top Model, a show she was apparently enthralled by.
Charlie wasn't opposed to all reality shows; he enjoyed catching episodes of Face Off when he managed to, and he knew he'd probably be among the first to dive headlong into a show based on any aspect of the new Star Wars reboot. Long before he'd grown weary of Sharon's attentions, he'd briefly thought of inviting her to a movie of that sort so he could give them at least a chance and something to talk about over coffee or drinks afterward. The idea was swiftly nixed in his brain when she brought up seeing the latest Bond flick and the only thing she could espouse with any detail is how "utterly gorgeous" some of the clothes and cars were. To top it off, she said it with great exaggeration and a somewhat odd enunciation which made it come out "udderleee", followed by a high-pitched squeal he was hard pressed not to wince away from.
After he'd pointlessly emptied his bladder in the bathroom, he stood at one of the sinks washing his hands as he pondered some more. He glanced into the mirror, personally reaffirming that his dark brown hair cut in a nondescript style and the brown eyes behind the plain, black-rimmed glasses didn't normally merit undue attention from the Sharons of the world. He felt fairly sure it was his growing bank account that held her primary interest. She had no way of knowing how much he actually made or had socked away, but it was also no secret he was one of the company's golden children since his last product launch had been hugely successful and they'd put him on the track to a junior partnership.
The funny thing was he himself felt ambivalent about these recent developments, as he still had a strong desire to make his mark with a company of his own; he thought if he could convince Bill or Sean (or better yet, both of them) that they had a real shot at building their own success story, he knew the possibilities ahead were much more alluring and exciting than anything his current employer offered him.
With one more shake of his hands and a swift dry with a paper towel, Charlie took a deep breath and then another one. He was playing handball with Sean after work, and if it went as well as he optimistically hoped for, he's be a sizable step closer to launching his dream. He also thought he might have a way to finally fling off Sharon's unwanted attentions and now seemed to be as good a time as any. He pulled open the door and stepped back into the hall, wondering how far he'd have to go far to spot her again.
When he turned the corner back into the main corridor, lo and behold she was standing less than four feet from him. She instantly smiled, and while he gamely smiled back, he spoke up quickly before she could say anything.
"Oh Sharon, sorry I have no time to chat. I have a meeting with my lawyer over lunch, and I can't be late." He walked by her as she was saying, "Your lawyer? I hope everything's okay..."
"It's fine, nothing to worry about." He glanced around covertly and then whispered so only she could hear him, "I just have to discuss the ramifications of filing bankruptcy." He left her standing there without words, and now he suppressed a grin as he pulled open the door to exit the office suite.
this is my entry for Week 2 of LJI Friends & Rivals. stay tuned for a later update on voting information for this and other submissions after the deadline for entries passes.