The boys below

"Hey, she remembers! Been a while now V, how goes it? Boss give you the pep talk as well?"

Viola shrugged, "Guess so-"

"Yea, Randall is just walking up the floors busting our balls for something that ain't even our fault. I don't agree with his choice there, but to send you down to our floor is something I believe should happen more often." He smirked, leaning against his cubicle wall, arms crossed. She scoffed, squeezing the bar on her cart before easing her grip. It had been two months she had managed in avoiding seeing him again, I guess it was good while it lasted. Eh.

"So whatcha got for me today V? Passing out flyers, we got a lunch date going on or something? Cuz if it's a date you're asking for then-"

"Documents, paperwork and all that. Randall asked me to pass them around, it's just that."

"Ah, understood. All business, I appreciate that. Hey, maybe after work you and I can grab a drink, maybe a coffee, catch up since the last time we met. Would make today a whole lot better, don't ya think?" He inched closer, reaching for the file she left on the cart. "This one meant for me?"

"Er-"

"This man bothering you again?" She felt a rush of relief once that voice crept up behind her, it was good to have someone else enter the scene before it grew more awkward. Out of everyone in this floor, thank god it was Robert.

Joey however was not so thrilled at the intrusion. "Hey, take it easy. We were just having small talk, that's all. Nothing but a little chat with a friend." He held his hands up, stepping back and gaining some much needed distance from her. He was like one step close to invading her personal space.

Robert stepped in to her vision which helped her feel much calmer inside. Still the walking example of a cliche in her book, tall, blonde, handsome, but stoic nonetheless. Seriously, he felt like a character who stepped out of an anime or something, complete with girls interested in him and him being a bit too short-sighted to take notice. I mean yea, he is married but it doesn't help that his wife is such an insufferable bi-

Ahem! C'mon now, be nice to the guy who's rescuing you from Joey. So what if he has poor taste in women? I mean Robert, not Joey.

"A little chat is fine, but interrupting a coworker as she's doing her job is something else. You're needed upstairs, I presume?" He looked at me with raised eyebrows, leaving the getaway door wide open for me.

Took me a second to catch on before nodding my head fast. "Yes! Yes, absolutely, definitely needed up there, yea."

Joey scoffed but shrugged nonetheless, folder in hand. "Alright, seems fair I guess. I apologize for catching you like that, it was rude of me. Let me apologize for it over drinks after work, alright? My treat." He winked before walking down the aisle past Robert.

"Phew, thanks for the save." She sighed, brushing her hair to the side. "Didn't think it would be easy to get out of it."

"No problem, he really isn't all bad. Just behaves as if he were still in high school, but he can be quite mature at times."

"Yea, I bet." Viola muttered with sarcastic intent. "Anyways, I-I gotta get going, Randall gave you guys the talk too?"

He nodded. "Seems everyone is in trouble despite the trouble being out of our control. Guess they need a scapegoat after last week. I should get back to work, lot of overdue files to punch in. Take care."

"Yea, you too!" Viola called out as he hurried back to his desk. Huh, nice guy but he so needs to divorce that cheating bitch. He totally deserves better, and it sucks that we can't really break the bad news to him. She pushed the now empty cart back into the elevator once she finished passing the documents over, left alone to herself while the soft hum of elevator music played. It's not fair, you get the job done, keep yourself fit and form a few bonds at work and still your life at home is a mess and you don't even know it. Someone should really tell him but... no one has the courage to, he's just so nice, like a teacher's pet who's mom is banging the teacher and that's why he gets such good grades. Sigh, that's just life I guess.

She pushed the cart back to its place before returning to a nosy Stacey playing with her phone... my phone!

"Hey! That's mine, you bitch!"

"Uh-oh! Hey V, totally what it looks like hehe." Stacey smiled, handing her phone back. "You got me, just wanted to know what your boyfriend's phone is that's all."

"Really?" Viola replied in a suppressed laugh. "Then why were you in my photos and gallery app, hmm?"

"Sounds like someone's busted!" Gary shouted from his cubicle.

"Gary!"

"Yea?"

"Shut Up!"

"Yea."

Viola glared at her, locking eyes and keeping Stacey on the spotlight as she shrugged apologetically before breaking into a fit of giggles. She joined her, shaking her head before socking her in the arm. "Perv, if you want his number just ask."

"Can I then?"

"Nope."

"Cunt."

"What was that?"

"-Er, nothing! Ow! I was only playing." Stacey groaned, rubbing her arm. "Another one is gunna leave a bruise, you know?"

"Shouldn't be sneaking into other people's phones. I'll ask if he is okay with it, and if she is too." She shot her coworker a look that reminded her of Robin's other gf, something Stacey had momentarily forgotten. She laughed nervously before flashing a wide smile and saying thank you, always had a habit of saying sorry rather than asking permission, the perv. Her and Joey really are alike in some ways.

"So, you put the file back then?"

"Hm?" Viola raised an eyebrow as she sat down in her desk. "Oh right, I think so? I forgot where I put it though..."

Her heart froze as she recalled the last she saw of the file on her cart.

"All business, I appreciate that. Hey, maybe after work you and I can grab a drink, maybe a coffee, catch up since the last time we met. Would make today a whole lot better, don't ya think? This one meant for me?" He asked as he reached in for the file on her cart.

Son of a bitch!