Love Where You Work by Anna Pulley

Author:Anna Pulley [Anna Pulley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Anna Pulley
Published: 2022-01-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Operation Julia Makes Amends

Stardate 99434.24

“Paula, what does Star Trek have to do with this?”

“Do you want her back or not?”

Julia sighed. “Okay, continue.”

“As I was saying, Operation Julia Makes Amends, Phase 1. Acts of Service.”

* * *

At the all-hands staff meeting, Julia enters the room with two cups of coffee. She holds one out to Clare, who has not looked up at her, but pretends to be engrossed in Yolanda’s hair-care routine, which she appears to be explaining in exhaustive detail.

“…then I follow with a shine serum, and if it’s particularly humid that day I…”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Julia says. “But I got this for you. It has four sugars in it, just the way you like it.”

At this, Clare looks up, her face a stone cliff, and says, “Thanks,” before tossing it in the trash.

* * *

Stardate 99439.71 (3 days later)

Phase 2: Gift-giving

Clare arrives at her desk to find an original movie poster from Labyrinth, signed by David Bowie.

Julia, creeping from behind her cubicle wall, pitches with excitement as she sees Clare leave her office with the poster and walk right towards Julia. She imagines Clare thanking her profusely for the thoughtful (and expensive) gift.

Clare continues walking, however, past Julia’s desk to Rodrigo’s cubicle, where she finds him doing a series of prisoner squats. “Want this?” she says to him. Julia hears him squeal.

Clare does not look in Julia’s direction when she makes her way back down the hall to her office.

* * *

Stardate 99458.97 (1 week later)

Phase 3: Words of Affirmation

It’s after hours at W;nkdIn. Clare is on the phone, walking back and forth between her open office door. No one else is around. Julia walks cautiously down the hall toward her office and knocks softly on the door, her face a hopeful grimace. Julia holds a stack of oversized cue cards and a boombox.

Clare is puzzled. She stops pacing but does not stop talking to the person on the phone.

Julia holds up the first cue card. “Say it’s carol singers.”

Clare shakes her head, not understanding that Julia is attempting to recreate a touching scene from the movie Love Actually. Julia panics slightly, but sallies forth, turning on the boombox, which plays a riveting cover of O Holy Night by Justin Bieber.

The first cue card says, “Because it’s Christmas …”

Julia flips to the next card, her smile elvish with exaggerated glee: “Well, it’s not exactly Christmas yet …”

She flips to the next card: “but it’s near-ish winter, and when it’s near-ish winter, you tell the truth.”

Clare closes the door.

Julia moves her face to the window next to the now-closed door, her eyes sparkling with pitifulness through the blinds. She holds up the next cue card, which reads: “I’m so sorry. I miss you. Forgive me.”

Clare closes the blinds.

* * *

Stardate 99497.28 (2 week later)

Phase 4: The Big Guns

Clare hears a knock at her office door. She finds Paula on the other side of it. Paula deposits a three-ring binder in Clare’s arms.

“What’s this? The Affirmative Action planning binder?”

Paula shakes her head no.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.