Back to work!

Before you knew it, it was Monday again. You mindlessly dressed and got ready for work and eventually you were sat at your desk, staring blankly at an excel sheet. The job was pretty easy if you were smart enough, which thankfully you were.

You nodded at your colleagues when they walked past your desk in a silent greeting, unable to muster any more of an effort. You felt a bit guilty when you remembered that you had to un-invite some of your workmates, but you were planning to do that later in the afternoon.

"Hey Mark." You heard a voice behind you. You looked around to see Stan.

"Hey Stan. What's up?" You asked lazily.

"Not getting much done this morning." He shrugged dismissively. "But I was wondering when I'll get the details about your wedding? Looking forward to seeing.. it." You noted that he paused mid-sentence and you wondered if he was going to say something else. You raised a brow then frowned.

"Sorry Stan, I've had to reduce some numbers. Not many people from work are coming." You explained, trying to sound as empathetic as you could on a Monday morning.

"So I didn't make the cut? Bullshit! You've come to all of my birthdays since we've known each other man." He exclaimed. It wasn't out of the ordinary for Stan to carry on so thankfully he didn't draw that much attention.

"Sorry Stan." You offered a light shrug.

"Whatever. So who's going?" He asked. You could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Only Nate and Tom." You told him.

"And their plus ones?" He asked.

You hesitated before answering. "Yeah."

"Cool. No worries man. I'll see you later." He said as he walked away.

You felt glad that the conversation was over and done. You began to focus on your work and sped through the day. Later in the afternoon, you received a call from Tom. You walked to his office and lightly knocked on the door before entering.

"Good evening sir." You greeted him formally.

"Mark, good, come in and sit down! No need to be formal." He smiled at you and motioned to the much smaller seat opposite his desk.

You nodded and sat down.

"I just wanted to chat with you a bit about the wedding!" He beamed happily. Tom was an older man, roughly in his fifties. He had grey, reclining hair atop his round face. He was slightly chubby in his later years. He was never this chirpy though, which was a pleasant change. Inviting him to your wedding seemed to be a good idea.

"Have you planned everything yet? Nervous I bet? I remember when I got married... It was the happiest day of my life." He spoke without pause, not letting you speak at all. You also put aside the fact that Tom was quickly divorced, too.

"Honestly, Mark. It's like seeing your wife for the first time in your life. And knowing how gorgeous Emily is, this isn't a wedding to miss!" He exclaimed. You meekly nodded, not wanting to disrupt him while in such a good mood.

"Which is why I suppose Stan came by my office earlier today." He said in a slightly more stern tone, raising a brow.

"Ah... Yes, unfortunately the venue we've chosen won't seat enough people. It's pretty embarrassing really." You answered him awkwardly.

"Of course I understand. Nevermind about that! Thankfully my wife will be out of the state for that week anyway, so I've asked Stan to be my plus one." Tom smiled at you happily as he explained his solution. You gave him a meek smile and nodded.

"That's very good of you sir." You said, dully.

"Of course, it's the least I could do!" He smiled again. "Oh, actually. I wanted to ask you about some gift ideas. I don't know Emily very well, nor do I know too much about your hobbies. I suppose I can ask Stan for his opinion. Who should I keep in mind when I'm buying a gift?" He asked you with a raised brow.