A Different Life

"Claire, do you think we can hit this deadline?"

"I don't know man, I really don't, but we've gotta try right?" I responded, I had been sitting at my desk rhythmically pressing away at my keyboard for hours now. A different department had dropped the ball on their part of a major project and now it was up to my team to fix their issues before the deadline. The problem was finishing the project was at least a month's worth of work for a decent result, the deadline however was end of day on Friday the eighteenth and it was currently Tuesday the fifteenth so we had to get thirty days worth of work done in four days. I was going to try my best but the outlook was looking grim. "If this project falls through the company might go under."

"Claire please we've been going full tilt on or part of the job for months if the B-team wants to fuck up I say we let'em." said my coworker Emily, she was the youngest member of our team with ginger hair, emerald green eyes and a round face, she had quickly found her stride on the team and become an invaluable member though her lack of filter would often get her into trouble. "I mean I've worked eighty hours in the past week." she said emphasizing the inordinate amount of work that had been foisted upon us. "I don't think it's illegal but at this rate the labor board is gonna rip this place apart before bankruptcy does."

"Look Em I get what you're saying but whether the company survives or not if we don't finish this, we're finished, and personally I like money so I want to keep this job even if it sucks." I said

"Claire, if you keep going like this you'll drop dead by forty. “Besides, I hate to see a beauty like you working so hard." This time it was our coworker Rod chiming in. Rod was fifty six with two divorces to his name and a distinct lack of hair on the top of his head and patchy stubble on the bottom of it, add in a considerable beer belly and I wasn't keen on taking life advice from the guy but at the same time he was one of the better employees in the company so he wasn't all bad. He was also pretty sleazy though, so mostly bad.

"Rod, Claire's right I've got a family to feed so can we all just get back to work." The new voice was Ian, a pretty straightlaced younger man who was all business and didn't make much effort to get along with the team.

"Come on Claire, why should we have to do all this extra work, what about the guys who did it wrong in the first place, can't they do their own jobs?" Emily asked

"They've all quit or already been fired, it's just us left that can get this done. I don't like it any more than you do but you gotta do what you've gotta do."

"Fine but if I don't get time off after this I'm gonna crash out." Emily said before turning back to her computer and continuing to work though I could tell her heart wasn't in it. Just as I was about to return to my own work Jeanette, the last member of the team spoke up

"Hey boss, I've got bad news." I could already feel a headache forming but I gestured for her to continue anyway.

"Looks like Li on the other team messed up his numbers, we're going to have to redo all of it." This news was a death blow to any chance we had at reaching the deadline and I could hear the bells tolling of this job but I figured I would ask anyway.

"How many of the spreadsheets did he do, if it wasn't that many we should be able to handle it."

"Like seventy percent of them boss." That was it we were done, I could have all five of us working twenty four hours a day for the rest of the week and still not be close to finishing. Right as Jeanette finished announcing our impending doom I heard a loud bang from Emily's desk, she had let her head fall on to her desk and let out a wail.

"It's all over, all my toil and sacrifice for nothing, led astray by my evil manager whatever shall I do."

"You don't seem very upset."

"Of course she's not Ian, she's young and cute enough to get another job easily."

"You don't seem very upset either." Rod barked out a laugh and responded.

"I'm old enough and have enough savings to retire."

"Good for you old man, but I don't have that luxury. Claire, is there anything you can do?" I drew in a breath and started thinking, I had an idea but the chances of it working were slim and it would put even more strain on my team but it was our only shot. I could feel the four others looking at me expectantly, Ian, Jeanette, and I needed this job, Emily and Rod would be fine without but they weren't so heartless as to just abandon us. If they were willing to give it a shot I would put my all into making this work.

"If we give it all we've got until Thursday or maybe early Friday I can ask Dean to extend the deadline, but we've gotta work our asses off until then and even then I cant make any guarantees so don't get your hopes up." The reason I wasn't confident was the fact the companies owner Dean was a cantankerous old man who I was convinced didn't have a shred of happiness left in his heart. He was cruel to all his employees whether you got results or not and even when you did what he wanted he demanded absolute perfection with your work. His only redeeming quality as a boss was that he made sure his people were paid well and on time. Emily snorted at my plan, with her head still face down on her desk it came out muffled.

"There is literally no way that's going to work, might as well give up now."

"I don't see what the problem is, a few more days of overtime ain't too bad." Rod said and let out one of his wheezing belly laughs.

"I agree with Rod we've already come this far, no reason to back out now." Ian said, Jeanette, ever the quiet one, just nodded her head. Emily suddenly shot up gripping the sides of her head and letting out a noise of both complaint and exasperation.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with the old guy but fine I'll keep trying."

"Thanks Em, I'll start thinking up a way to plead our case to the boss." My hopes might have been at rock bottom but I was at least going to try as hard as I could.