Without Nazis to punch

You take the slow library elevator down to the archives.

“Hey there.” Alice answers to your entrance in an uncharacteristically sing-song way. Her eyes are definitely smiling at you.

“Hi.” You reply. “What’s the plan for today?”

“I suppose it’s mostly just cleaning up the mess we made?” She sighs. “I’m gonna have to report to Professor Hubbard once we know what all is broken.”

“Alright,” you say, setting down your bag and getting your gear together.

“I’m sorry that I can’t help too much with the cleaning up part.” She says, looking down at your feet.

“Why’s that?” You absentmindedly ask.

“Uh,” Alice begins, “I’m still really sore because of you.”

“Really?” You ask, genuinely surprised. Alice rolls her eyes.

“Yes really,” she pouts at you, “I’ve been wobbling around like an idiot all weekend because of you.”

“Oops.” You smugly remark.

“Just know that once I can walk straight again I’ll get you for this.” She smiles and readjusted her glasses.

“Sure Alice.” You chuckle, putting on a new dust mask and disappearing into the archives. You come to aisle 23, which is still a mess. Glass shards crunch underfoot as you approach the pile of stuff that you broke and you’re a little shocked didn’t break you. You retrieve your ladder from the mess, a few books slaloming down the pile and skittering across the floor as you pull it out.

It’s a long couple hours of work in the archives, sweeping up the glass, trying to not break anything more than what already fell and on top of that tag everything that comes out of the mess. You sweat hard, groaning and huffing as you move massive tomes back onto the shelves. You are just about finished, the aisle filling pile of detritus shrunk down to only about knee height when you find a very familiar wooden box filled with linen. You pick it up gingerly, the linens catching the light with a few pieces of errant glass crystal. You flip open the sparkling linens and find the box empty.

“Huh.” You say to yourself. What the hell happened to that figurine that brought you so much trouble you think, looking around.

“Hey John,” you hear Alice call. You spin around on the spot, box still in hand. “We have to close up early tonight, I’ve got a club meeting to go to.” She adds, standing at the end of the aisle.

“Sure,” you say, setting the box down on an empty shelf, “let me grab my stuff.” You grab your bag and put your cleaning supplies away as best as you can under Alice’s watchful eye.

“Sorry about springing this on you, I completely forgot until just now.” She states as you and her lock up the archives for the night and walk towards the elevator.

“You’re good.” You say as you both get on the elevator.

“Are you busy this week?” Alice asks.

“That depends on what you’re going to ask me.” You reply, smiling at Alice. She frowns.

“Well I was hoping that we could go out, maybe go do something,” her voice drops to a low and shy mumble, “maybe hang out at my place or yours if you want.”

“Sure.” You say.

“Really‽” Alice gasps, looking exceptionally excited.

“Yeah? Why wouldn’t I want to hang out?” You scoff.

“I dunno, just my nerves I guess.” Alice sighs, looking very relieved.

“By the way,” you say, “what days do you plan on working in the archives, Lou wants me to hang out with her this week too.”

“Whose Lou?” Alice snaps her eyes to yours, her brow furrowed in suspicion.

“My sister.” You flatly state.

“Ah.” Alice laughs, trying to look as not serious as possible. “Oh well, I’d say you can always just text me if you want to skip work for a day or two, if it's something like that.”

“Wow, thanks Alice.” You reply, the two of you stepping off the elevator and out of the library into the cold evening air.

“Hey.” She says, wobbling up to you and grabbing your shirt. “I request my compensation for being such a magnanimous boss.”

“Oh?” You chuckle, looking down at Alice.

“Gimme a smooch.” She mumbles, and then gets up on her tippy toes to reach you. You crane your neck down and give her a peck, and a wide smile breaks across her face. “Ok, now, see you later.”

“See you,” you say, shaking your head as Alice waddles away from you.