CHAPTER TWO

The next day in the office.

Bette drops a thick file on Tina’s desk, “here you go, the Wilson case.”

Tina looks annoyed, “Bette you already know that I have the Kodak as well as D&B on my hands that I have to evaluate at the end of this quarter.”

“Yeah, I know, but I also know that you perform better under stress” Bette declared.

“Stress my ass” Tina muttered.

“What’s that?”

“Grass!  I have to mow my grass this weekend” Tina stuttered.

“I thought you lived in an apartment?” Bette said confused.

“Uh, what now? I cant plant my own turf inside?” Tina said defensively.

Bette just looked at Tina funny and gave her the Porter frown

“Now if you will excuse me, I have three jobs to work on,” Tina stated.

As Bette proceeds to her office, Alice rounds the corner holding a Yale mug with contents of hot fresh brewed coffee.

“Quit being such a suck up,” Tina proclaimed.

“What? Hey, we are all friends here okay and I really really need her to go to this party Tina.  By the way, are you coming over after work to help me out?” Alice asked.

“Well, I got a bomb dropped on me just seconds ago, so I can’t make it today.  Can you ask Shane to help you out instead?”

“Shane? She’s too busy with her resent conquest and besides she doesn’t know the difference between streamers and tissue paper, she can’t help me decorate like you can” Alice says while bashing her eyelashes.

“Fine but I will be there late and I might have to stay over because I still need to come in to work tomorrow and there is no point in going back home when your place is closer to the office” Tina said.

“No prob, it’s settled then” Alice said happily while walking away.

‘Oh gosh, I am going to have some sleepless days ahead of me, all thanks to slave driver Bette,’ Tina thought.

It was a just an hour after work and the office was empty and quiet, everyone scurried away as soon as possible to enjoy an early weekend.  Tina was still looking over her files, when it started to pour heavily outside.  ‘Just great’ Tina thought ‘I wonder if I’m always this edgy towards the end of the year I have to remember to get some of those calming vitamins my sister was talking about.’  Tina didn’t like how her stress level was affecting her moods.  She wanted to be cheerful, especially during the holidays but with all the things that she had to take care of lately, surely anyone would be a little unnerved.  Right before she had the chance to hit save on her computer, the electricity cuts off.  “Fuck! of course, why not?” Tina said out loud, “There goes two hours, its only fitting might as well go help Alice now”  So she then reluctantly gathers her purse in the dark and walks along the cubicle walls, following the flood light to the elevator area.  She then pushes the exit doors into the staircase.  The door doesn’t budge.