Unfurling

Threatened

Standing in front of her closet, Paige struggles with figuring out what to wear into the office. She got text messages from several people last evening letting her know that her office didn’t smell like garbage and two days at home are enough.

Finally deciding on a peplum hem tweed jacket in red, a contrast-trim tie neck blouse, and a pair of navy slim leg ankle pants. She also decides to wear flats today in lieu of heels as she’s hoping to head downtown at lunch to grab something to eat.

Deciding on a lighter coat since the temperature is in the forties, she opts for an adobe colored belted and hooded trench coat. After pulling that on, she slings her briefcase on her shoulder and grabs her travel mug. She pulls the door shut, locks it, and walks to her car.

She’s a little nervous about going back into the office and wondering if the maintenance man, David, has more surprises for her. Especially since she’d called his supervisor a second time.

It isn’t long before she’s pulling into the parking garage and moving up the ramps to find a floor where traffic is light. She stops and parks on the fourth floor.

This morning he’s drinking water. He’s got to be at work tonight so sleep is a priority this afternoon. He hopes she will be in this morning and then he sees her little white car motoring up the floors.

Wow! he thinks watching her get out of the car. She has flats on today. That’s unusual for her.

He watches as she walks to the elevator and disappears. Then she reappears on the ground floor and slowly walks out to the sidewalk, taking sips of her coffee. It looks to him that she’s heading to her building almost reluctantly.

Maybe I should have taken a vacation day, Paige thinks.

I wonder if she was sick the last two days and that’s why she wasn’t in, he thinks watching her very slow steps.

Inhaling deeply Paige smells coffee, cinnamon, and chocolate in the air.

Boy it smells good out here today, she thinks as she swipes her badge for building access.

Reaching her office, she leans in and takes a couple of sniffs. She doesn’t smell anything besides the scent she has plugged into an outlet for which she is grateful. Walking in, she gets settled and starts her day.

Around mid-morning she walks out on the floor to say high to Neesy and some other folks. They inform her that the trash bags were removed from her office two hours after she left and that David’s boss had been in as well. In fact, David’s boss had watched him take the bags out of her office.

After the catch up, Paige heads to the restrooms and is grateful they are clean. She’s standing at the sink washing her hands and hears the door swing open. Next thing she sees is David walking around the corner.

What the heck?! she thinks as her heart begins pounding.

“I need to clean in here,” he announces.

“Oh, okay,” Paige says.

She hurriedly dries her hands and walks out of the bathroom noticing that David is right behind her.

Why is he following me if he has to clean the bathroom? she wonders.

“Don’t call my boss again. I’m not going to say it a third time,” David barks.

“I had trash in my office,” she replies as she turns around. “I’m also pretty sure you’re the one that put the trash there in the first place.”

“A lot of people have access to the trash I collect around here besides me.”

“Yeah, what was I thinking. Especially when I had to call your boss to get you to do your job.”

David says nothing and just glares at Paige.

Paige stares back and refuses to be the first to walk away.

Finally, he turns around and starts back towards the bathroom.

She begins walking back to her office wiping her hands on her slacks because they are sweaty and realizes her heart is still pounding.

That guy is scary, she thinks. Scary and big.