Monday morning came way too soon. Makingmy way into the lab, I set my briefcase on my desk and straightened mypenholder. I liked getting to work an hour before the team to prepare for my day.
Checking emails, I made a few adjustments to the list. Satisfied that I was properly ready for the day, I grabbed my plain white coffee mug and headed out to the small office kitchen that served as our break room.
Passing a co-worker’s desk, I shook my head at the array of coffee mugs with slogans like “Results may vary without caffeine” and “Fueled by coffee and data.”
I wasn’t in the mood to dig deeper into the glaring difference as I stared at my cup. But I couldn’t help wondering what it meant that they put a little of themselves out there in the form of a witty pun on a coffee cup, while mine was blank. Painfully closed off. Unwilling to share.
Pushing those intrusive thoughts away, I walked into the break room.
As I waited for the Keurig to do its magic, I thought about how to open a conversation with Leyla. I watched some TED Talks for ideas over the weekend. I watched them like other people watched reality TV. They weren’t much help in this matter, unfortunately.
I glanced out of the kitchen entryway to confirm I was alone, then tried to tap Google, only to trigger Siri by accident.
“All right then, Siri. Let’s see what you have for me,” I mumbled, the smell of coffee lifting my mood. Fueled by desperation and my internal musings about my stupid coffee cup, I let those walls down a notch.
“Siri, how do I get a woman to talk to me after making her mad?” I chuckled to myself in anticipation of what foolishness was about to spill out.
The familiar voice filled the small space. “Trying to get someone to forgive you. Here’s what I found online that might help. Would you like me to read the top three?”
“Sure, why not?” I asked, opening the refrigerator to get my half-and-half, my cup of coffee in hand.
“Got it. First one. Try apologizing and explaining your mistake.”
“Did not help. Keep going,” I snorted.
“Okay. Second one. When you really care about someone, open your heart and show them what they mean to you. Speak what is in your heart and soul.”
“What are you doing?” I froze when another female voice infiltrated the room.
I spun to face the new arrival, spilling hot coffee all over my fingers. I hissed, slid the cup onto the counter, and shook out my hand as Jaz’s amused voice spoke over Siri, who was still spewing out relationship advice.
“Tell them you will do anything to get them back into your life. Appeal to the bond you share with them.”
I turned, my face beet red, slapping at the offending phone on the counter, but to no avail.
“If you’re in love with this woman, make yourself vulnerable. Explain to her that your words may have caused a rift, but your actions will prove how important she is to you.”
My wet hand could not stop the flow of embarrassing words, and I was about ready to toss the phone on the floor and step on it when Jaz reached over and clicked the side button, blessedly stopping the Dr. Phil lesson.
She pinched her lips closed but said nothing. I was panting and sweaty, and the slight burning sensation on my hand dissipated, as did my pride.
“Are you finished?” she asked.
“F-finished?” Good grief. Was she asking if my lesson in the ways of love was over?
“Coffee. I need to get my coffee before Luke comes in,” she said cryptically. Unsure what that meant, but I was grateful she didn’t say anything about what she’d just heard.
Nodding, I grabbed a paper towel and wiped up my mess, sliding what was left of my coffee out of the way so she could sidle up to the coffeemaker.
When I power-walked out of the room, distant giggling made me shake my head in pure humiliation. Surely, she was a grown-up and wouldn’t say anything. We were all professionals, for goodness’ sake. Plus, we were both from other countries. Thathadto put us in the category of kindred spirits.
The day was almost over, and no one had said anything, so I was grateful for her discretion. Breathing a sigh of relief, I began wrapping up my paperwork.
At five, Luke knocked on my open office door with a grin. Taking Leyla’s advice, I’d started leaving it open to appear more friendly and approachable.
When I looked up, he said, “Hey, our quality control analyst, Marla, is going to be out for a few weeks. Her mom fell, and she has to go to Arizona to help, so Leyla will step in as much as she can. Thought you’d want to know.”
I frowned, not quite understanding. “She doesn’t need to do that. I can handle the testing myself while Marla is gone.”
