White Chocolate #23, Papaya #9, Rhubarb #1
Author: ardentblue
Challenge: White Chocolate #23 : exasperation / Papaya #9 : 'I've got my eye on you' / Rhubarb #1 : 'what's the worst that could happen?'
Word Count: 1,278
Rating: PG
Story: Perhaps : (Part 2)
How can a shoe disappear off the face of the earth?
That was the question that ran through Jo’s mind as she rummaged about in the pile of footwear at the bottom of the stairs. She’d rifled through the whole lot at least twice but the black patent leather shoe which partnered the one she wanted to wear that day was nowhere to be seen.
So far she’d unearthed her two pairs of knee-high boots (but it was far too warm to wear those today), her favourite pair of flats (but they were blue and would clash horrendously with her outfit) and her espadrilles. She couldn’t wear espadrilles to work. Could she?
Jo ran a hand through her hair and dived back into the pile. It had to be here somewhere! She caught sight of her watch. 8.20?! She was now officially late.
It would have to be the espadrilles. AGH!
Shoes in place, she grabbed her bag, ran into the kitchen to turn off the radio and then sprinted through the front door and out into the street.
8.25
It takes 6 minutes to walk to the Tube station and then the train journey takes...er...
It was no use. However optimistically she tried to calculate it in her head, she was going to be late to work yet again. She racked her brains for an excuse. Something wrong with the house perhaps?
She tottered along the street, the Tube station now in sight, and reached into her bag for her purse.
KEYS!
Jo cried out in exasperation; she’d forgotten her keys. She stopped dead in her tracks. She could see them in her mind’s eye - on the ironing board, of all places. And there was no-one at home for the rest of the day. Jo spun around and took a couple of steps back down the way she had just come, stopped, turned back to face the station then paused for a moment. Her head was pounding. Maybe she could just leave the house unlocked; I mean who was going to go around trying door handles anyway? No she couldn’t; it was ridiculous. She turned again and stared mournfully back down the road before running back towards home.
***
Door locked and keys in bag, Jo walked back towards the Tube station; she’d tried to run but was breathless now and could only manage an energy-sapping trot so, resigned to being the last one to arrive in the office yet again, she resorted to walking.
It wouldn’t be so bad if she’d never been late before. But, on Friday, she’d overslept; it wasn’t her fault, the alarm hadn’t gone off and, after spending the morning racing about in an exasperated whirl, she’d finally made it to the office at 9.15. Which would have been fine had she not been late the day before. On Thursday, she’d excelled herself. She was up bright and early but her head was elsewhere and she’d been swept away by day dreams and fantasies and, instead of changing trains and heading for work, she’d sailed through her stop, oblivious, and ended up in Central London.
Her mobile phone beeped. A text from her housemate Carrie, “Now you won’t chicken out will you?”
Jo tossed the phone back into the bag in frustration and headed into the bowels of the earth to catch her train.
As she stood on the platform she thought of Carrie. It was her fault she was late this morning; if the pair of them hadn’t been up til 2am...
She was still thinking of Carrie and last night when she boarded her train and took her seat. Carrie, who’d reached for the extra bottle of wine and seduced her into a night of drinking. To be honest, Jo had been easily led astray; she was always easily led astray when the conversation turned to her colleague, Nick, as she relished any opportunity to confide in Carrie about her feelings. Big, bold, beautiful Carrie who was the worst person Jo could ask for advice because they were so different when you really got down to it.
“Just ask him out for a coffee,” Carrie had advised like it was the easiest thing on earth. Sensing Jo’s reticence, she’d added, “what’s the worst that could happen?”
“Oh, you mean apart from the fact that my married colleague who’s 13 years older than I am might get offended and not speak to me again? That’s no problem at all, I mean we only work in the same claustrophobic office day in, day out,” Jo cried, reaching for her wine glass.
Carrie had simply replied that it was obvious his marriage was on the rocks, from what Jo had told her, and that this was the twenty-first century and that if she fancied someone at work, she’d ask them out.
It was a line that Carrie stuck to all evening. Well, until they were both drunk. At that point Carrie advised Jo, in a slurred voice, to run over to his desk, fling her arms round him and yell, “I love you” at the top of her voice.
***
Jo ran into the office block at 9.30 just as her mobile began to ring. It was Carrie.
“Getting into the lift. Call you back in a second.”
The lift pinged and Jo speed-dialled Carrie, who answered immediately.
“What’s wrong?” Jo stammered.
“Nothing. Just wondered if you’d asked him yet?” Carrie replied.
Realising there was no emergency, Jo stepped out of the lift, “only just got here. Late again. Don’t ask. What the hell am I going to say?” she jabbered as she marched towards the office.
“Don’t say anything...they probably won’t even notice. You know what they’re like.”
“God I hope you’re right,” Jo replied as she tottered towards her desk and mouthed her apology at Sarah who rolled her eyes for her benefit. She shut the phone off. “You simply wouldn’t believe the morning I’ve had!” she cried in her most theatrical tone, before dropping into her seat. No-one replied. Carrie was right...they didn’t care when it came down to it.
Nick had looked up though. She turned on her computer, her heartbeat racing. She glanced back over in Nick’s direction - what’s the worst that could happen? She put her face in her hands, this was madness - he probably wasn’t even interested. He had a wife. OK, OK she knew there had been problems in the marriage because she’d overheard him on the phone once or twice, even only hearing one side of the conversation and seeing his reactions she knew there were problems in the marriage. But it was a marriage. And he was older. There was no way he’d be interested. But then he had seemed to notice her. Oh God!
Sarah got up and strode off. Jo sidled quietly over to Nick’s desk. He didn’t even flinch.
“Morning Nick,” she said simply. And then he did look up.
“Good morning to you too, Jo,” he said, “and how are you today?”
”I’m very well thank you,” she answered, as she felt herself blush to the roots of her hair, “Do you fancy meeting up for a coffee sometime?” The last words, however, were in her head. She couldn’t bring herself to say them out loud. She just couldn’t.
But he was interested. She knew full well he was. There was an undeniable spark between them.
It was in the way he met her gaze and held it.
It was in the smile that played around his mouth.
And it was in the pained look that shot across his face as his phone rang, breaking the moment.