instant coffee I have to choke down because I’m too nice to my intern and don’t make her run for coffee every morning, is just not what I signed up for…especially the instant coffee, yuck.
“Addison?” My intern, Hilton, peeks around the door of my office. “May I bother you for a quick minute?” When I first saw that Hilton was coming to interview for the intern position, I thought she was going to be some tanned blonde bimbo Barbie wanna-be. Instead, I met Hilton. A quiet, polite, pale skinned, black haired, reserved girl who always has her nose stuck in a graphic novel.
“Sure.” I take a big mouth full of my horrendous coffee, which is at least semi-tolerable when it’s hot, but it’s cold now. I pull the trashcan out from underneath my desk and spit the atrocious liquid out. I wipe my mouth with my sleeve and look up at Hilton.
“What do you need?” I probably sound a little harsh…but this morning is just not off to a good start. Hilton fidgets with the buttons on her blood red cardigan. Her hand makes its way up to her coal black hair and she starts twisting a few strands. “Earth to Hilton.” I snap my fingers.
“I’m pregnant,” Hilton blurts out as she sits down in the grey pleather chair in front of my desk. Her head falls into her hands. “I don’t know what to do, Addison. You’re the only person I can trust with this right now.” She starts to get choked up. What the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t help her out with this. I knew I shouldn’t have been so nice to her all the time. She’s my intern, not my friend! What do I say, congratulations? I’m sorry? Do I give her a hug? Maybe a high five or a pat on the back? What the fuck…
“Okay.” That’s it, just okay. That’s all I can come up with at the moment. I pull a few tissues out of the box on my desk and walk around to her. “Here, you have some snot on your lip.” Hilton looks up at me and gives me a hopeless look. Her eyes are bloodshot and her cheeks are flushed. “It’ll be okay.” I grab my coffee mug off my desk and walk out of my office.
Five o’clock can’t come soon enough, but until then I shall stroll down to the second floor to buy a Red Bull and a bag of Skittles from the vending machine. A very nutritious breakfast, if I do say so myself. As I pass by the tiny cubicles of interns and assistants I notice their sunken-in faces and the dark bags that hang from their eyes. They all resemble sad little pandas. In a way I feel bad for them, but at the same time, I had to endure all the shit they’re going through and I survived. Once I reach the doorway of the employee break room I notice Garrett standing at the coffee pot. Shit. I turn around fast to power walk away and trip over a piece of frayed carpet. “Ah shit!” I accidentally shout. Garrett’s head turns in my direction. He sees me right as I start walking away. Garrett runs out of the break room and catches up to me.
“Hey Addison, do you have a few minutes? Come have a cup of coffee with me.”
“I would, but I can’t right now. Shelly just called me about something really important and I have to go meet her in her office. Sorry,” I fib. I do everything I can to avoid Garrett at work. He happens to be the lonely guy from work that I’ve slept with a few times, more times than I want to admit, actually.
“Oh, really…She just left to go to a lunch with a client. But okay. I understand.” A look of disappointment covers his face. Garrett turns away and heads back into the break room. I knew it was a bad idea to start hooking up with someone I work with. I was under the impression we had a mutual agreement, though. We have to keep this on the down-low. It means nothing. He knows that. I walk back into the break room and sit my mug down on the counter by the coffee pot.
“Garrett…seriously. I didn’t mean to lie to you, I just didn’t want people to see us and start assuming shit.”
“Mmm hmm,” he mumbles.
“I just
“Addison?” My intern, Hilton, peeks around the door of my office. “May I bother you for a quick minute?” When I first saw that Hilton was coming to interview for the intern position, I thought she was going to be some tanned blonde bimbo Barbie wanna-be. Instead, I met Hilton. A quiet, polite, pale skinned, black haired, reserved girl who always has her nose stuck in a graphic novel.
“Sure.” I take a big mouth full of my horrendous coffee, which is at least semi-tolerable when it’s hot, but it’s cold now. I pull the trashcan out from underneath my desk and spit the atrocious liquid out. I wipe my mouth with my sleeve and look up at Hilton.
“What do you need?” I probably sound a little harsh…but this morning is just not off to a good start. Hilton fidgets with the buttons on her blood red cardigan. Her hand makes its way up to her coal black hair and she starts twisting a few strands. “Earth to Hilton.” I snap my fingers.
“I’m pregnant,” Hilton blurts out as she sits down in the grey pleather chair in front of my desk. Her head falls into her hands. “I don’t know what to do, Addison. You’re the only person I can trust with this right now.” She starts to get choked up. What the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t help her out with this. I knew I shouldn’t have been so nice to her all the time. She’s my intern, not my friend! What do I say, congratulations? I’m sorry? Do I give her a hug? Maybe a high five or a pat on the back? What the fuck…
“Okay.” That’s it, just okay. That’s all I can come up with at the moment. I pull a few tissues out of the box on my desk and walk around to her. “Here, you have some snot on your lip.” Hilton looks up at me and gives me a hopeless look. Her eyes are bloodshot and her cheeks are flushed. “It’ll be okay.” I grab my coffee mug off my desk and walk out of my office.
Five o’clock can’t come soon enough, but until then I shall stroll down to the second floor to buy a Red Bull and a bag of Skittles from the vending machine. A very nutritious breakfast, if I do say so myself. As I pass by the tiny cubicles of interns and assistants I notice their sunken-in faces and the dark bags that hang from their eyes. They all resemble sad little pandas. In a way I feel bad for them, but at the same time, I had to endure all the shit they’re going through and I survived. Once I reach the doorway of the employee break room I notice Garrett standing at the coffee pot. Shit. I turn around fast to power walk away and trip over a piece of frayed carpet. “Ah shit!” I accidentally shout. Garrett’s head turns in my direction. He sees me right as I start walking away. Garrett runs out of the break room and catches up to me.
“Hey Addison, do you have a few minutes? Come have a cup of coffee with me.”
“I would, but I can’t right now. Shelly just called me about something really important and I have to go meet her in her office. Sorry,” I fib. I do everything I can to avoid Garrett at work. He happens to be the lonely guy from work that I’ve slept with a few times, more times than I want to admit, actually.
“Oh, really…She just left to go to a lunch with a client. But okay. I understand.” A look of disappointment covers his face. Garrett turns away and heads back into the break room. I knew it was a bad idea to start hooking up with someone I work with. I was under the impression we had a mutual agreement, though. We have to keep this on the down-low. It means nothing. He knows that. I walk back into the break room and sit my mug down on the counter by the coffee pot.
“Garrett…seriously. I didn’t mean to lie to you, I just didn’t want people to see us and start assuming shit.”
“Mmm hmm,” he mumbles.
“I just
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