Off-day outburst

As the car picked up speed, the wind whipped through my hair, prompting me to quickly tie it back into a ponytail. I adjusted my glasses, smoothing out my crisp white blouse and the dark blue A-line skirt extending down to my knees. My black low heels clicked on the floorboard, completing the quintessential "office look".

Approaching the red light, Andrew eased off the gas, and the car came to a stop. He glanced at me then took out his phone. "Babe, what's going on with you?" He questioned, his focus fixed on his screen.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I stared at him.

His phone had become a distraction, rendering him unresponsive. I repeated myself, but he gestured for me to wait. I pulled out my phone from my handbag and noticed a missed call from Rhea, a colleague. As I began dialing her number, he finally responded, "What I meant was, you're looking more like the secretary at my–" I politely interrupted him to answer Rhea's call. The traffic light turned green, and Andrew accelerated, easing us back into motion.

"Hello Rhea, Good morning. Yeah, I'm on my way right now... No. My husband's dropping me off today."

"Oh.You haven't been able to track down your stolen car?"

"Unfortunately, no. It was an old car anyways."

Andrew took a quick glance at me, which I noticed at the corner of my eye. "Yeah. Don't worry. I came up with something good for the project, and you're gonna love it."

"Alright," she breathed. "We'll talk when you get here."

"K," I replied, nodding like it was a physical conversation. "Bye." I hung up the phone with a smile on my face, now eager to show off my ideas on the building my team and I were working on.

"Was that your boss?"

"No. It was a colleague. She wanted to know if I was coming to work today."

"Okay..." He hesitated, his lips parted as if a word were about to escape, but nothing came. With our destination approaching, I decided to let the moment pass.

As the car came to a stop, I leaned over and gave Andrew a quick peck on the lips before stepping out onto the sidewalk. He lowered the passenger window, and I bent down to chat with him. "What time do you think you'll wrap up work today?" he asked.

I pretended to consider the question, tapping my chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, maybe around 6? Depending on how much overtime I decide to put in." Andrew nodded, waving goodbye as he rolled up the window. With a final glance, he sped off, leaving me to strut confidently toward the building entrance.

****

I stood nervously in front of Mr. Boston's desk. A set of architectural drawings was spread out, and Mr. Boston was scrutinizing them with a magnifying glass.

He glared at me intently and wrinkled his brows. He reclined in his chair, pointing to a drawing with the magnifying glass. "What is this? This facade is… bland. No character. Where's the drama? The flair?"

"Mr. Boston, I understand your concern. We've been exploring different options for the facade, incorporating…"

"Exploring?" He questioned, cutting me off. "We've been exploring for weeks! The Henderson's are losing patience. They want to see progress, not excuses." He slams the magnifying glass down on the desk, making me jump. "This project is crucial for the firm's reputation. I expect nothing less than perfection."

"I know, Mr. Boston. We're working hard. But these things take time." I pointed out, gesturing with my pencil and sketchbook.

"Time is money, Jessica. And this project is already over budget." He explained, his speech fast but steady. "I need you to find a way to make this work, and make it work now. I want to see some real breakthroughs by the end of the week."

"I'll do my best, Mr. Boston. I'll schedule an emergency meeting with the team tomorrow and see if we can push things forward."

"Good. I expect results. And don't disappoint me." He fixed me with a steely gaze.

I nodded "Yes, Mr. Boston." I turned to leave, feeling the weight of his expectations pressing down on me.

As I left the office, I ran a hand through my hair, feeling a surge of anxiety. I needed to find a solution, and fast. "Damn that old, bald bitch." I whispered, my voice almost inaudible.

During my break, I decided to discuss matters with Rhea in a bustling cafe near the office, filled with the aroma of coffee and the chatter of patrons.

I slid in the booth opposite her looking a bit frazzled, clutching a sketchbook and a large cup of coffee. Rhea in the other hand was calm and collected, sipping a latte, offering a supportive smile.

I put my sketchbook down, and took a gulp of coffee before uttering a word. "I think I might be losing my mind."

"What's wrong? Boston give you another earful?" She asked, teasing me with a smirk on her face.

I buried my face in my hands, and my voice was monotonous, slow and soft pitched. "Worse. I'm completely stuck on the Henderson mansion facade. I've tried everything – curves, angles, different materials... nothing feels right."

"Take a deep breath. Let's look at some of your ideas."

"Okay." I agreed, opening my sketchbook and started flipping through the pages. "Here are some initial sketches. I was thinking of a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, using a combination of glass and metal panels."

"I like the idea of using light and shadow. It could create a really striking effect, especially at night." She explained. Her finger landed on a particular sketch. "This one with the vertical metal fins – it has a certain elegance. Maybe we could explore that further."

"I was worried it might be too minimalist for Mr. Henderson."

"Jess, minimalism can be very powerful. But we could add some warmth with natural materials like wood or stone. Perhaps incorporate some cascading water features to soften the lines."

"Water features? That's brilliant!" I exclaimed, sketching excitedly in the margins of my sketchbook. "And what about incorporating some of the Henderson's art collection into the facade? Maybe create niches or display cases that showcase their pieces."

"That's a fantastic idea! It would personalize the design and make it truly unique. Boston should cool off with this one."

I sighed, resting my head on the table. "I feel much better now. Thank you for listening and for your amazing ideas."

"That's what we're here for. Now, let's go back to the office and start refining these concepts. I'm excited to see where we take this."

We both smiled, feeling a renewed sense of purpose and optimism as we walked back to the office.

****

As the office emptied during closing hours, the dwindling sounds of rustling papers, footsteps, and fading chatter only heightened my eagerness to finish and head home. I glanced at my phone: 5:17 PM. Earlier, Rhea had informed me of her departure, but I'd insisted on staying to complete a few tasks. Fortunately, Felix was still around and approached me to review my work.

"Mrs White, Haven't seen you today. How are you feeling?"

I replied in a soft pitch. "I'm much better, thanks for asking. Why are you being so formal?"

He shrugged, taking a seat next to me. "You don't need to spend extra hours on this. You just recovered, so I'd advise you to take a break from working..."

"No... No, I can't." I muttered, my voice barely audible. I let out a loud sigh, running my hands through my hair. "Boston's a pain in my ass right now. Is it wrong if I say that I regret being assigned the team leader?"

He shook his head, snickering. "What are you guys working on?"

"One of those fancy glass box homes. A client is building his own and it's like on a hundred acres of land."

"That big?"

"I'm kidding. But he wants something extravagant so Rhea suggested this," I carefully spread out the sheets of papers. "You like the idea we put together?"

He observed the intricate patterns, and he looked impressed. "You guys are actually doing good. I actually heard about this from Mr Boston yesterday, and after hearing the Henderson's budget, needs and wants.... This is definitely going to be the winning plan. The job is ninety five percent done, White."

"You really think so?"

"What did Rhea say? I'm sure she said the same thing. Stop worrying about being the top. Look, you may or may not be getting a promotion in a few years."

"Seriously?" I jolted up, taken aback by his surprising information. "How do you know this?"

He raised his hands in mock surrender, chuckling. "Hey, you didn't hear nothing. Mr Boston's my uncle, so I get some informations from him. You're amazing at this. I can help where you need it."

I smiled, resting my head on my hands. "Thanks. Gotta run, it's almost 6."

"Husband picking you up?"

"Nope, he works late."

"Okay. Then I can drop you off."

"I don't know. Lot of rules in the marriage industry."

"Industry?!" He burst out laughing, and I did too. "I understand what you're saying but it's a friend dropping you off. He'd appreciate it. Trust me."

I readily agreed to his request, gathering my belongings to prepare for our departure. As we stepped outside, I was momentarily stunned when he pressed a button on his car keys, illuminating a sleek, high-performance vehicle. He opened the passenger door with a flourish, prompting me to inquire, "When did you get this?"

"On my birthday. It's a gift from my older brother," he replied, a hint of pride in his voice. "A brand new car! What do you think?"

I circled the car, admiring it from every angle. "Nice! No wonder you were so eager to give me a ride – show-off," I teased, playfully nudging him.

He grinned, and our playful banter continued as we settled into the car. However, I noticed something during the drive. He seemed incredibly focused on the road, his eyes seemingly glued to the windshield. "Buddy," I observed, a mischievous glint in my eye, "you look a bit too tense. Haven't seen your eyes wander even once."

"Do you want to die?" he retorted with a smile. "If the answer is no, then I see no problem."

"Of course you don't see a problem," I countered, "because your eyes are glued to the road. Relax a bit. Afraid you're gonna crash it?"

"Yes, I'm afraid," he scoffed. "This car costs more than I make in a year. I'm not ready to be visiting the mechanic this early. Fixing a fucking billion dollar window."

His immediate admission made me burst out laughing. "I understand, I understand. I wouldn't want to drive faster than ten miles per hour in this thing either."

"Mm-hmm, sure," he said sarcastically. "You knocked a child over with an RC car."

"That was a long time ago! I didn't understand the controls."

"Sure. I believe you."

"If you say 'sure' one more time," I threatened playfully, "I'm taking the wheel."

"That's a fucking no," he declared. "This isn't one of your driving simulator games."

We both laughed, reminiscing about our college days, particularly the places we used to go together. Those were good times.

As we approached my house, I noticed the illuminated curtains through the windows. "Andrew must be home early," I remarked, glancing at my phone. It was only 6:30 PM. "That's a first."

Stepping out of the car, I joined Felix by his window. He grinned, "At least you can expect a meal on the table. Assuming he cooks as well as you do, of course."

"He's decent," I admitted, leaning against the car. "Not the best, but certainly not the worst. Better than you, though. You're only good at making sandwiches."

He chuckled, "Don't spread those lies. It was good catching up outside of work."

"Yeah... It really was," I replied, nodding towards my house. "I need to go. I'm starving. See you tomorrow."

"Okay, Goodnight. And tell Andrew I said hi," he said, driving off.

I unlocked the door and found Andrew on the couch, enjoying a sandwich and the TV. "Hey, babe, I'm home," I announced, scanning the room for dinner.

"I know," he replied. "That's why I left the door unlocked."

"Oh, thanks. I was wondering why you forgot to lock the door– you're usually so particular about that," I said, removing my blouse and bag.

He remained oddly quiet, so I decided to see if I could get a reaction out of him. I grabbed a sandwich from the plate in front of him and waved it teasingly. "Can I have some?"

"Of course. Feel free to do whatever you want," He muttered, his voice monotone. He kept staring at the TV, and I felt uncomfortable with his unusual behavior. I decided to ease the awkwardness in the atmosphere by asking him about his early arrival but he still kept his response brief and emotionless. "Got off work early."

His weird reactions prompted me to lean closer. "Is something wrong?" He remained unresponsive, and I felt even more uncomfortable. I furrowed my eyebrows, and placed a hand on his leg hoping he'd express himself. "Darling, if something's on your mind, you know you can always tell me. I won't judge you."

He gently shook off my hand from his leg, and got up. "You won't judge me? How did you get home?" He asked, glaring at me with a frown. "In a fancy car, huh. I wonder how much it costs."

"Oh that? C'mon, Andrew," I said, chuckling. "It was just Felix. You remember him?"

"The guy you said was your crush a few years back? Your co-worker? That Felix?" He Quizzed, pumped for information, and I could tell he was jealous. It was nothing we couldn't solve.

"Yes. That Felix," I confirmed. "He wanted to show off his car, so he offered me a ride home. He also sent his greetings," I continued.

Andrew remained silent as he towered over me. He suddenly looked disappointed like I had done something wrong. "I see. Your friend's a bigshot now, and you're looking to get something from him. I noticed how friendly you were with him, and you haven't been that way with him for some time. I'm sorry, I don't drive a million dollar car." He complained, his voice laced with annoyance.

"No, babe. You're getting it wrong. Felix and I were only catching up on lost times. We spend so much time on work and barely ever get to hangout. Nothing more than that."

"Mm-hmm. I'm sure you had a lot of fun. You can have the sandwiches. Hopefully, it's the type of food you can eat. Goodnight, Jessica." With that, he disappeared into the bedroom while I sat there puzzled.

"W-wait... Where are you going?" I said, chasing after him. He shut the door behind me and I was a little pissed. Wasn't he supposed to be grateful I was brought home safe and sound?

I assumed he was acting up because he had a bad day at work. Heck, I didn't even realize he was watching. He'd probably forget about it tomorrow morning.

I ate my sandwiches in awkward silence, still puzzled about the unexpected argument with Andrew. I decided to watch a couple movies I had on my phone before heading to bed, so I could get it off my mind.

When I was done, I cleaned up the place and took a shower before walking quietly to the bed. I wanted to talk to him about his false accusations but decided to let it go.

I got into bed with him beside me. I need to get a good night's sleep because I have a lot to do tomorrow. Mr. Boston is going to be very demanding.