He inhaled the aroma wafting from his coffee, brought the mug to his lips, and sipped before setting it down. Releasing a loud sigh, his eyes drifted back to the monitor, where rows upon rows of numbers and words returned his gaze. Blinking once, another long exhale left his chest as he languidly returned his hands to the keyboard.
It was another day for the man, in a long line of repetition.
A few more, break, then repeat. That was his routine. Yet he couldn’t deny his greying hairs. Or the way his suit felt tight, with his collar choking despite being loosened.
Pausing, the man stifled another sigh.
No, he should be proud. Afterall, it wasn’t easy getting here. Earning this office came with a price, one he had paid. Any more thoughts would disturb his flow, so he brushed them aside and continued to work.
Methodically, he continued to fill the sheet out, fingers tapping out the next sequence of numbers and words. His flow continued, only to halt as a timid voice cleared its throat behind him.
“Uh… Mr. Schafer?”
Turning his head to the side, Schafer found a familiar blond boy with sheets of paper clutched tight to his chest.
Glancing at him, he shook his head, “Sorry. I’m busy right now. Can’t you have Ashley look them over?”
The boy paused with a frown, fidgeting with the stack in his hands, “She always declines them all…”
Schafer closed his eyes and drew in a breath, “Right…” before he gestured toward his screen, “Sorry, Abel. I really don’t have time. I’m already cutting it close.”
“But—” Abel began, then stopped. Choosing to nod instead, he said, “I understand, sir.”
He lingered for a moment longer before backing away. Schafer’s gaze followed him briefly, making a mental note to have a chat with Ashley later before returning to his computer. However, another interruption appeared, his wish being granted far too soon.
“Hey, boss~ What’cha up to?” a chiming voice called in a lilting tone.
Speak of the devil…
Rubbing his eyes, he slowly swiveled his chair to face her.
A girl draped in a pristine white coat stood before him. Long, sleek raven hair flowed past her shoulders and framed a petite face with soft features. Most defining of all were her piercing blue eyes, brighter than the sky itself.
Yet that modest appearance fell apart the longer one looked. Light makeup caked her face, her lips slathered in dark red lipstick that stood out far more than it should have. Her inky skirt ended well above her knees, matched by tights that hugged her thighs, and, worst of all, a non-company-approved black undershirt beneath her coat revealed far more than policy ever allowed.
If appearance were everything, she was a perfect ten. Someone who could have passed for a model with ease. However, Schafer knew exactly the reason why they’d always stayed coworkers and nothing more.
“What is it, Ashley?” he asked wearily.
Her expression twisted into exaggerated sadness, “Aw… not even a congratulations?”
She tapped the namepin on her chest proudly. The words Assistant Department Head were etched in bold under her name.
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Schafer raised an eyebrow, “They picked you?”
Chuckling, she sauntered over and plopped herself onto his desk, knocking over a pile of neatly stacked papers in the process.
“Yeah. The brass loved my proposals. They said I had potential. Cool, right?”
Grunting at the new mess, Schafer rolled his eyes, “Then don’t you have new responsibilities to attend to?”
“‘Course I do,” she scoffed. “I’m doing them right now.”
Reaching into her coat, she pulled out a clipboard and handed it to him.
“New shipment arrived. Here’s the list.”
Schafer swiftly flipped through it, noting the inventory as something caught his eye.
“What’s this?”
He turned the clipboard back toward her, tapping a specific line.
Glancing at it, she bobbed her shoulders, “Dunno. Probably another doo-hickey or mystery substance they want us to test.”
“Did you check the depot to confirm everything arrived?”
She smirked, “No. I wanted to do it with you.”
Schafer met her mischievous expression with a deadpan stare. Silence stretched between them until Ashley’s lips finally twitched.
“…I just wanted to make sure I did things right, okay?”
Schafer’s gaze bore into her averted face, “Really?”
Clicking her tongue, she slid off his desk and crossed her arms, “Really. Now will you stop being such a dick?”
He gestured back to his monitor, “I’m busy.”
She followed his motion with a grimace, “Just do it later?”
“It’s due in two hours.”
“Then do it in one.”
“This takes two to fill out.”
“You’re lying.”
His forehead wrinkled, “How about I make you department head, then?”
To his surprise, her face lit up.
“Really? I’ll take it!”
Her reaction got a light chuckle out of Schafer.
“It’s not that easy.”
Puffing air into her cheek, she scoffed, “’Course it is! Do you know how many people would kill for your job? ’Cause I would.”
“That’s not what I—” he began, before falling silent.
Surely it wasn’t naivety that brought her to that conclusion. He knew she was capable enough to truly understand the work that was entrusted to her. Propaganda be damned once you are in a high enough position to see past it. But perhaps her ambition was too grand to care…
Realizing he wouldn’t elaborate, she groaned, “Ugh, why’re you like this?”
“Like what?” he scoffed, eyes half-lidded.
Her face twitched as if he had said something so incredulous that it surpassed common knowledge.
“This! Being a whole droopy little shit begging for pity.”
“I’m not,” he said flatly.
“You are, and it shows. Recently you’ve just been such a pain in the ass, you know. Remember a couple years back? You’d have jumped at the chance to come with me!”
“Since when?”
“Now it’s all about your stupid fucking responsibilities,” she snapped, drowning out his question.
“Would you rather I get myself fired?”
She paused, then rested a hand on his shoulder, fingers brushing his breast pocket.
“Cheer up, bitch! You’re at the top. What’re you being so moody for? You look like you just watched some dog die.”
“You…” he began before letting out a resigned sigh. “The top, huh…”
“Yes, the top! The tippy top! Of our facility anyway. Isn’t it great? All that money they shove down your pockets, the status, and the power!”
He chuckled quietly and shook his head, “Maybe you’ll understand when you’re up here.”
Silence settled between them as she waited, yet when no explanation came, she exclaimed, “What the hell does that mean?”
Schafer growled under his breath, opening his mouth, then stopping himself.
Why was he even entertaining this in the first place? He had work to do.
“If you’re really replacing him,” he said, waving her off, “you should be able to handle this yourself.”
Squaring his shoulders, Schafer turned his attention back to the monitor.
Ashley lingered behind him for a moment before scoffing, “Some friend you are.”
Her heels clicked against the ground, followed by the boom of a closing door. Peace had returned to his office. Now, it was just him once again with his numbers and words.
