Short Story--Office Surprise--Day 4

Welcome back to my annual birthday story. Ready to find out what happens next with David and Macy? Read on. Or, if you missed Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3, follow those links to catch up!

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Something strange was going on. David frowned as another coworker walked past his cubicle. An awful lot of traffic for a Tuesday afternoon. Had he missed a meeting memo?

A quick scan of his emails showed nothing. But three more walked by, whispering as they passed his desk. Maybe someday he’d have a close bond to some of his coworkers too. In the last month, he hadn’t really had time to get to know anyone. But surely that would change now that the Tyler project was wrapped up.

“Hey. Meeting in the conference room.” Macy poked her head through his doorway.

“I didn’t get a message about it.” David motioned toward his screen.

She shook her head. “It was last-minute.”

He frowned. “What’s it about?”

“Standard stuff. You know how it goes.” Macy moved her head in a ‘follow-me’ sort of way. “You coming?”
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“If only to appease my curiosity.” He grabbed a memo pad and a pen. “Lead on.”

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Macy was the perfect height, her forehead even with his chin. Her hair swung around her shoulders in brown waves. And she was the friendliest of the coworkers he’d met. Was that why he’d fixated on her for his plan? Or had the plan come about because of her?

Stepping into the conference room with her, it took him a moment to realize all eyes were fixed on him.

“Surprise!”

A chocolate cake sat in the middle of the table.

“Is it your birthday?” He asked Macy.

She blinked and laughed. “What? No. We don’t share a birthday.”

“Share a—”

Why did she think this was his birthday? Too late now. In for a penny, as they said. Everyone was already singing to him and he wasn’t about to embarrass them. He’d eat his cake and figure out the rest later.

One thing was certain. He wouldn’t leave today without making sure he had at least five minutes to talk to Macy. And they wouldn’t discuss stupid stuff like potholders or mirrors. He’d find out where this crazy party came from. And then he’d use it as leverage to see if he could make his own plans work.

He accepted a piece of chocolate confection from a girl named Hilary and smiled while he all the coworkers spouted good wishes. If nothing else, this had given him an opportunity to meet a few more people.

As men and women took their own afternoon snacks and headed back to various workspaces, Macy gathered up trash and swiped a lick of icing from the edge of the cake plate. David couldn’t resist smiling. It’s exactly what he would’ve done.

Macy spun around, hands full of napkins. “Oh. I didn’t realize you were still in here, David.”

“About to head back to work for a few more hours.”

She nodded. “Same.”

“Can I ask you a favor?”

She glanced back up, one brow raised. “Probably. What’s up?”

“I know we both have to work a bit more, but before you leave today, can I have five minutes?”

A wrinkle formed over her nose. “Um, sure. Everything okay?”

“Everything’s great.” He raised his cake plate in a salute and then headed back to his cubicle. Time to make his plan a reality.

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Are you confused? One more day to wrap up this short story. What kind of plan do you think David has? Check back tomorrow to find out.