Smoke Break
(A Tabitha Tale)
The door swung open and I enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine
I was denied in my office, otherwise known as a cubicle. It was the one time of day where it was just
me and my thoughts. There was no
incessant drone of voices, all trying to make the next best deal, it was
peaceful. It was silence and nature on an
abandoned rooftop. They tried to make it nice by having a few trees and now
neglected potted plants. I truly
appreciated the effort. It was probably
the only thing I had appreciated about working at this company. I always picked this time of day because I
knew no one else would be here. 1:15 was
perfect. Everyone was scampering back to
their squeaky chairs to catch up on what they missed, or they had already been
there working through their stomach growls, in hopes of escaping the hell they
called work, an hour earlier than the rest of the suit and tie rats they
pretended to like.
Today was no different than any other. I fished out a pack of Dunhill Blues from my
pocket, ready to enjoy my tobacco escape and a little me time. Yes, I smoke the yuppie stuff. It wasn’t so much for the flavor but for the
art. I felt it separated me from the
chain smoking Marlboro huffing beasts that I wanted no part of. I guess it was me saying I am better than
you. I am refined. I am cultured and have great taste. The reality was I just enjoyed being odd and
different. Let the rest assume whatever
they wanted I did not care.
I lit the first of what would be roughly three cigarettes,
inhaling deeply my release. I thought
to myself this could not get any better.
At least not until after 5 o’clock.
I was not burning my soul in these wrapped papers but rather my disgust
for the drone of 9 to 5. The nicotine
rush did just enough to keep me sane or my smart mouth shut. I turned and flopped into one the plastic
chairs provided for us and leaned my head back staring into the cloudless
sky. It was then I heard the creak of
the door and felt my momentary paradise begin to crack. I did not want to have some hollow
conversation with a nobody who had dared interrupt my sacred and personal time
and space. The words “How dare they!”
flashed in my head but fake calm spread across my face as I took a deep drag
and lowered my head from my sky view to see who my new nemesis of peace
was.
Tabitha stood at the door.
She smiled at me and before I could say a word she held her fingers to
her lips in a shushing motion. I shook
my head without a sound. She knew this
was my quiet time. My escape from Craig
and his loud phone barking in the cubical next to me. She knew I came here to relax and just find
some peace of mind. Why would she dare
to ruin that for me? She walked toward
me and I could not help think as to how she was always so well dressed. She walked that blurred line of professional
woman and every man’s fantasy work place sex experience so very well. She was good at just touching the edges of
naughty but not enough for anyone to really call her out on it. Today it was a pencil skirt and bright white
three quarter length sleeve blouse. The
outfit that every Hollywood producer throws into the movies to make men leer
just a bit more at the screen. She
topped it all off with those sexy black rimmed glasses of hers that she chose
to wear every now and then. Only I knew
she did not have a need for them. Her
eyes were 20/20. She wore them when she
pleased for who she pleased.
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