chp. 2

Dean came by with the list of missing containers, a slew of items in the inventory to sort through, then cross-reference with the checklist: numerous pages with an itemized list of props from movie sets that were placed in the metal containers, then shipped.  Apparently, the containers were missing, or was it the props in the containers?    I don't know—How could those big metal boxes go missing?  I stared at the pages in front of me until I felt a sharp, dulling blankness. The air conditioning was cold. I took out a pack of strawberry yogurt and a banana from my lunch pail.  I had forgotten to pack a spoon. I dipped the banana in the yogurt, but when I set them down the weight of the banana tipped the cup over and I smeared some yogurt on the papers with my hand.  Dean passed by again, eyeing my desk.

"You wouldn't happen to have a spoon?  I forgot my spoon, " I chuckled, embarrassed.  "I was in such a rush this morning—"

"We need to get those papers to the paralegal;  she's expecting them.  I told her we'd have it by lunchtime.  It's important—so you should do your snacking later."   I thought I heard him mutter, ...or breakfast, as he walked away.  

He probably thinks I woke up too late in the morning, and am eating on their time.  I tried to wipe off the yogurt from the paper with my hand and tipped the cup over again and smeared more yogurt on my desk with another part of my hand.  There was a strawberry bit on my forearm from the lid wrapper.  I licked it off and wiped down my arm, then the paper stuck to my skin momentarily when I put my arm down on the desk.  Now it would be sticky, always slightly sticky.  I grew more frustrated, so I dipped the banana in the yogurt again and took a bigger bite while I sulked down into my chair with the cup in my hand.  Then I took another bite of the banana without the yogurt and it didn't taste as refreshing and I threw both of them in my wastebasket.  Half of the peel was stuck on the side of the basket and I was still chewing like it was a chore.  There was no bag lining the inside of the trash.  I shouldn't have mentioned being in a rush, especially not to him. You try some light-hearted banter with this guy and he uses it as a platform for your performance evaluation.