The Red in the Grey

                                    

                                          
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. The sound of the analog clock hanging on the wall across the room was annoying. All it did was remind me that there was so much time left in the day. An hour and seventeen minutes until five.
                          
Damned clock was starting to get on my nerves.
                          
"Nicki, there's a call on line three for Mr. Graham transferred from downstairs, but I'm off so I sent it to you."
                          
I looked over at Jess through the glass wall. She was an Amazon; her long legs spilled from a skirt on the borderline of being unprofessional and her blonde hair spiraled in curls about her chest, which peeked through her fitted blouse.
                          
"Since when do you get off a quarter 'til four and who is it?" I looked at the muted line that had a blinking light, indicating someone was on hold.
                          
"I don't," she shrugged. "Told the boss I wasn't feeling well, but I just needed to get out of this hellhole," she smiled as she shouldered her purse, red lips curling into a grin, "and it's David from the call center, something about the phone lines keep failing."
                          
"Okay, does this look like the IT Department? Mr. Graham doesn't care." I informed her and sighed. "Sorry, I'm just really anxious right now."
                          
"Aren't we all? Get yourself a drink when you get off. See you tomorrow." She smiled, tossed her hair over her shoulders and left. I picked up the phone and cleared my throat.
                          
"Mr. Graham's office, how may I help you?" I said into the phone as my foot began bouncing. An hour and twelve minutes left until you give your end of the day report. I smiled at the thought and crossed my legs, squeezing them shut to ward off the needing ache between them.
                          
"Yeah, it's David, we're having trouble with our phone lines down in the basement and they're ringing off the hook. There's gonna be a lot of complaints tomorrow."
                          
"I'll let Mr. Graham know and you need to contact IT. Anything else?" I knew I sounded harsh, but I just needed an itch scratched.
                          
I heard David mutter something under his breath and I rolled my eyes and hung up. I didn't have time for foolishness. I placed my head on my hand as I stared out the window. Small dots scattered across until the whole window was filled with them. It was supposed to rain all afternoon. Standing in my heels, I smoothed my palms over the skirt of my dress and went to tend to the list of things I had to do for my boss everyday, whether they needed to be done or not.
                          
I sauntered into the staff kitchen, the lingering aroma of stale coffee hit me immediately. Looking at the pot, it had been sitting there since this morning. Pieces of crumbs, more likely from the dozens of donuts, bagels and muffins that pass by here, littered the countertop. I blew out a sigh before wiping down the countertop. I poured out the burnt coffee stained pot before washing it.
                          
After playing office maid, I was finally able to make sure that Mr. Graham's Colombian coffee was well stocked, that the coffee machine was clean and that his supplies were stocked.
                          
I was in the staff kitchen, cleaning his already spotless black coffee mugs when the phone on my desk rang. I hurried as quickly as my heels could carry me and went to answer. It was line one.
                          
Mr. Graham.
                          
"Yes, Mr. Graham?" I tried not to sound too enthusiastic to hear his voice, but I hadn't laid eyes on him since  ten to eight this morning, when I took him his coffee and he gave me my work for the day.
                          
"I need you to call Johnson in Advertising and see if we can reschedule today's four o'clock for tomorrow at nine."
                          
"But, sir, it's already four o'clock." I looked at the time and shook my head. He always waited until the last minute for stuff like this.