Page 7 (1/2)

Somebody else must have it

I turn my attention to a much seulation, Seventh Edition Only to find that it, too, is

What the hell?

I don’t believe in coincidences I take the elevator back to the fortieth floor and h Kate’s open door

I don’t see her right away

That’s because stacked on and around her desk, in neat skyscraper-high columns, are books About three dozen of them

For a moment, I freeze, my mouth open and my eyes ith shock Then, inanely, I wonder how the hell she got theot to be several hundred pounds of pages in this rooes over the horizon And, once again, she smiles Like a cat with a , don’t you think? Like they’re just waiting for you to fall asleep so they can smother you with their fur or piss in your ear

"Hi, Drew Did you need soers tap rhythantic hardcovers "You know…help? Advice? Directions to the public library?"

I s reat Bye-bye, now" And with that, she disappears back down behind the literary et nasty

I’m ashamed to say that both Kate and I sink to nes in professional sabotage It never actually wanders over to the realal But it’s definitely close

One day I co froe, but I have to wait an hour-and-a-half for the IT guy to show up and reconnect it

The next day, Kate comes in to discover that "someone" has switched all the labels on her disks and files Nothing was erased, le one if she wants to find the docu, I "accidentally" spill a glass of water on so that probably took her five or so hours to put together

"Oops Sorry," I say, letting the smirk on my face tell her how very unsorry I am

"It’s fine, Mr Evans," she assures my father as she wipes up the mess "I have another copy in my office"

How very Boy-Scoutish of her, don’t you think?

Later--about halfway through the sa kicks roan, and ht, Drew?"in o crying to Daddy either But sweet Christ it hurt You ever been kicked in the shin by a four-inch pointy shoe? For a man, there is only one area that’s more painful to be kicked

And that is a place that dare not speak its na dies down a bit, I hideThen I flip Kate the finger I at the preschool level, so I’ it’s okay

Kate sneers at ot me there, now doesn’t she?

We’re in the home stretch A month of mortal combat has passed, and tomorrow is my father’s deadline It’s around eleven o’clock, and Kate and I are the only ones left in the building

I’ve had this fantasy a hundred tih, I have to say, it’s never included us in our respective offices, glaring at each other across the hallway--accolance over and see her reviewing her charts What is she thinking? Is this the Stone Age? Who the hell uses poster board any the finishing touches on my own impressive PowerPoint presentation when Matthealks intoto the bars Never ht; that’s just Matthew A few short weeks ago, that wasThen he sits on the edge ofdo it already"

"What are you talking about?" I ask,over the keyboard

"Have you looked at yourself lately? You need to just walk over there and get it done"

And now he’s annoyingto say?"

But all he comes back with is, "You ever see War of the Roses? Is that how you want to end up?"

"I have work to do I don’t have tiht now"

He throws his hands up "Fine I tried When we find you two in the lobby under the fallen chandelier, I’ll tell your"What the fuck do youfor her"

I glance over at her office when he says her na’ for her An extreme dislike of her We can’t stand each other She’s a pill I wouldn’t fuck her with a ten-foot dildo"

Okay, that’s not true I’d so fuck her But I wouldn’t like it

Yeah--you’re right That’s not true either

Matthew sits in the chair across frohs And says, like it’s supposed to be so revelation, "Sally Jansen"

I look at hiain, then clarifies, "Third grade"

The picture of a slasses coirl I ever loved"

Wait What?

"Didn’t you used to call her Smelly Sally?"

"Yes" He nods solemnly "Yes, I did And I loved her"

Still confused