Cubicle Envy. Geoff Jarok

you’re ready.” Her voice was unusually stern, but he

      didn’t hear it that way as he lay his heavy head down on the pillow.

      “Don’t wait for me to eat,” he warned fading quickly.

      Donna had made meatloaf, one of his favorites, but it didn’t really brighten his mood. She was finishing up her plate when he arrived in the kitchen, but got up to serve him.

      “Did you hear anything from Vivitech?” Donna asked as she shifted her attention from the oven to the table.

      “Nah, probably won’t be ‘til midweek. I’m kinda surprised they took me on Good Friday, but whatever.”

      She knew he was in a mood, but hoped to trudge through it. “Anything happen today?”

      “Um, we had a cake.”

      “A cake, really? What was the occasion?” It was like trying to get a story out of a worn-out five-year-old.

      “This lady was leaving.”

      “Does she know of any jobs?”

      “Um, nah.” Chris was trying to decide whether he should bring up Jack Dawes or leave it for another day. Donna seemed angry. That was his perception. In reality she was just frustrated because lately all the talk was about Chris and he never asked how her day was.

      “How do you know Jack Dawes?” Chris hammered.

      “I know Jack. Dawes.” Donna pensively approached the question, by not actually answering it.

      “Yeah, but how? Was he like an old boyfriend or something?”

      “No, why?” Now Donna knew she could get away with being prickly herself.

      “He said he knew you.” For the first time Chris raised his eyes from his plate.

      Donna stabbed back, “He wasn’t a boyfriend…I mean he is a good looking guy.” Now she could hold out the truth and let Chris twist himself up.

      “He’s not a boyfriend, then how do you know him?

      “How do you know him?” she snapped back.

      “We went to high school together and he’s a jerk. I mean, he was. He probably still is. I saw him at the liquor store the other day and he…” Chris tried to play the moment back in his own mind to make sure he hadn’t told Jack that he and Donna were a couple.

      “…he said ‘say hi to Donna,’ but I didn’t tell him your name. How does he know you?”

      “Jack’s a wonderful man.” She could feel the pressure suffocating Chris’ pride. “He had a beautiful dog, a boxer, that he could no longer afford to keep. Instead of dropping it off at a shelter he brought it to us and asked if one of us could help find it a home. He was so appreciative he actually spent six hours at our pet food drive a couple months back. I would have taken that dog in a heartbeat, but your condo’s not big enough. I probably told him about us. I like to do that kind of stuff, while we were, you know, helping to save the world.”

      Chris was crafting a resignation speech, but it was too late as Donna set her back to him standing at the sink washing the cookware.

      “Thank you for the meatloaf; it was great.”

      Donna wasn’t the kind to completely shut down the conversation when she was angry. It actually made it harder at times for Chris to tell when she had gotten over her anger.

      “You’re welcome.”