Jonola14

After the drunken blur that was the recent Bank Holiday, I stumbled into work on Tuesday morning a somewhat fatigued young man. The girl that sits next to me was in a far more buoyant mood.

"How was your weekend Jon?" she enquired, an enthusiastic, genuine vibe in her voice. So I told her about the gig I went to on Thursday, how I'd been out with Simon S on Friday night and how Saturday night I had ended up having a large one again instead of the planned quiet night in. I added in the fact that I worked on the Monday and then, to return the courteous gesture, I asked her how her weekend was.

"Playing volleyball weren't you?" I remembered in a momentary flash of impressive memory. She went on to explain about how she was part of a team that had taken part in a volleyball competition near Bournemouth and how she had had such a fantastic weekend in the sun, playing volleyball, having barbecues, seeing friends and generally making the most of the long weekend. She paused for a moment and then, with a smile on her face said "and now I'm in the office". Or at least that's what I though she said, "hmmm" I replied, knowing exactly what she meant. Bank holidays are excellent fun - they sum up what living is all about, and then we all have to go back to the office the next day.

So I turned to my computer screen, but there was this huge smile on her face and she was staring me as if she was expecting more of a response than "hmmm". And that stare lasted a good second or two longer than it should have done, and she was still beaming away, a kind of excitement burning underneath somewhere. I really didn't have the energy to think of anything to add so I just got my head down and tore into my swollen email inbox.

Another colleague arrived and the two of them went off for a coffee about twenty minutes later, I declined their offer of bringing me one back on the basis that I only drink coffee when I can't keep my eyes open. As they ambled back from the cantine, steaming coffees in hand, the freshly arrived colleague said to me:

"did you actually hear what Susanne said to you when she told you her news?" I glanced up from my computer screen, "what news?" I replied, flummoxed by such a question - she hadn't told me any news, only that she had spent the weekend playing volleyball and meeting up with a few friends.

It turns out that she hadn't said "and now I'm in the office" at all, in fact it was nothing of the sort and what I had heard was a million miles from what she had told me.

She had, in fact, said to me the words "and now I'm a fiancÃ©e", expecting hearty congratulations, a hug and bags of over-excitement - so my reply of "hmmm", ignoring her and immersing myself in a swamp load of emails was not really the reaction she was expecting.

Well, the more i read it the clearer i thought the girl was teasing you (oh , yes , as she seemed to tell you she had a splendid bank holidays and furthermore with a large smile staring at you heard after that little pause ..."and now i'm in the office..." )
I had that idea in mind in fact that she was quite found of you and probably expecting more than your emails quest :), in a favourable and also perhaps languishing attitude :)
You're really good to tell us such stories, it could be nice to compile them in a more formal way i think, and propose them to an editor, ideas for scripts, i don't know but think of it ...
Anyway, i do like reading your "prose", c'est pas mal du tout Jac , vraiment :)

September 02, 2005

OFFICE AFFAIRS