Uncaffeinated and Unready

I was at the institution of foreign affairs or something like that. What was I doing here, you may ask?
 I was collecting my new ID because my old one expired. It was all set and done, all paperwork completed—I was here just to pick it up.

 I scheduled this online, which was very convenient. There was a line there already, even though I had the first appointment at 8 AM and they start working at 8 AM.
Some women,three or four of them, were standing in front of the door, almost like fighting over which one would go in first. They were standing so close to each other that I thought they could lick each other's ears, or like blow some air in them.

I sat down on a bench a little bit to the right of the door. The women between them started talking about how all of them had scheduled visits here as well. They were all scheduled between 8 and 8:15 AM. I was quiet; I didn't want to talk with them. I was just waiting to get called. I didn't know we had to fight for a spot in the line, and I didn't have the strength to do it first thing in the morning without my body being caffeinated. It was 8:30—no one was being called, no one was exiting either. Then, before all of us, one fat, messy, hobo-looking woman pushed herself in—just went through everyone and opened the door. They were saying to her to get out, but she was deaf, so she was doing sign language to them angrily. She gave up and sat by the second door, having given up on this door.

Even though I arrived first, when the clock ticked 8:45 and from the door came the sound "come in," the woman that came after me started going in. I asked her why she was going in first. To which she said she had scheduled it at 8, to which I replied, "Yeah, same, and I arrived before you." To which she was shocked and just said

"Well, I'm going in anyway."

I was like, "Okay, great," and sat back down.

One woman in a nice coat, with short blonde hair, overly talkative and with this fancy-ass vibe, was saying how I should go in next, and how I needed to fight for the line and not be passive or I would never enter.
 
"I don't care."

 When the woman that came in first came out, I came in next. Slowly and calmly. I didn't fight anyone or have to say anything or talk to each person to respect the line; everyone knew I was next, so did the woman that came in before.

I finished all of this and came into the office at 9:02, to which the manager was making lip sounds and like teeth sounds of some kind. Harin, with silky long black hair, had been manager here for a short period of time. I'd been at the firm like five years longer than her, but she was the manager.

"Leo, tsk tsk tsk, you're late." Harin was pointing at her watch.

"I don't care. Go do something, you lazy bug."

"Ah, how can you say that? That's not nice."

"You're not nice."

"Okay, okay, I will forgive you being late and being rude."

"I didn't ask for forgiveness, but thanks."

And as I was walking through this maze of glass offices and hallways, she was following me.

I was confused because I thought our convo was done and now I could turn my laptop on and go make a coffee.

She leaned in and said to me softly, "I will forgive you if you take me on a date."

"Forgive me what?"

Harin was twirling a strand of her black medium-length hair. Her hair was something different, let me tell you, men—I have never seen a woman rock that hairstyle that good. She was strict, and she could be emotionless and ruthless. She is short and skinny; once she told me she can't donate blood because she is so skinny. She had an amazing sense of style—simple but elegant. Nothing too much, but still, on her, it looked sharp. She had that sharp look about her. In my head, she was the sharpest one around here, and I would not like to be on her bad side. But I never had issues with her, nor did she ever have any issues with me.

"I will forgive you for being rude to me if we go on a date. You treat—something fancy and expensive."

"Yeah, sure, Harin," I replied in a rush to turn my laptop on and finally get caffeinated.

"Great, send me the deets." She spun and cheerfully left the office.

Why did she do the spin like that? Is she a child?

I had no idea what I got myself into.

In the office, the room temperature was perfect if you are any type of reptile, and the way to my office was through a few hallways like a maze. And after I got to my small office, I needed to again go through this hallway maze to arrive at our big kitchen and make myself some coffee. The kitchen had three tables, and when there was lunchtime, every table was occupied by some annoying group of people. I always tried to lunch when the kitchen was mostly empty.

I need to pass the HR office to get to my office and also to get to the kitchen, which is slightly annoying when I am late for work, which happens sometimes.

I was starting my laptop, then Yuna from HR arrived and gave me some stupid papers to sign. It was almost as if she is some kind of serial stalker who knows to come only when I didn't have my coffee yet. I didn't care about reading anything before signing. She would also always bother me to sign my copy as well.

"Yuna, just go. I ain't signing my copy—it's mine. I can do with it whatever I want. I will throw whatever this paper is in the trash after you leave."

An evil smirk appeared on her face, and then she said, "You just signed to go on a date with me."

And I was like, "Whattttt?"

"Just kidding, ha ha, but would you go out with me?"

"Yeah, sure, sure."

"Wow, that was easy."

"Yeah, of course you are easy. Will you make me coffee, Yuna?"

"No way, make it yourself. I already made mine. And what do you mean I am easy? I am a woman of many complexities that a simple man like you could never understand."

"Great."

I didn't, in that moment, know that the date with Yuna would be relatively great and boring at the same time. I also didn't know that it would end up with us kissing in the park, or with her sticking her tongue deep in my throat as she did. That part was not bad either.

It was now 10 to 5. I'd met my coffee quota of 3 and even done more than that, with a 4th coffee ready to go into my empty stomach. The work was almost done; the office was quiet as always around this time, and that's when CEO Mina called me.

I was always respectful with her, but not respectful like Yuna or Harin. Their kind of respect could be called ass-kissing.

I already had my headphones on because I like to listen to music while working.

I picked up her call.

"Hello, Mina."

Mina asked me to stay longer and do some extra work for her that she should be doing. She is always busy, always working from somewhere only God and she knows where. She always has tasks that are clearly not for anyone but for her, but she still always delegates them.

"Leo, could you please do this research for me? It would mean the world to me."

I said sure, but I would only stay and do what could be done in half an hour—any more than that was not acceptable for me.

Mina was quiet for a moment and then said, "I can reward you if you stay one hour more, please. That would mean a lot, really. I would be forever in your debt."

"What, bigger pay will be my reward or some bonus? I can agree to that."

"No, I was thinking for a reward more like we can go together for coffee sometime," Mina said, almost through a whisper.

"You mean like buy me a coffee for overtime work I do? That's not really worth it, even though I love coffee."

Mina's voice changed a little bit. "No, like I mean a date. We can go on a date, my treat. For all the good job you are doing for me."

"Oh, okay, I guess. Sorry, I didn't understand what you meant. I am not sure if that's okay—will that affect my job anyhow?"

"Don't worry, darling. You know that you are my favorite."

"Okay, sure, we can go grab a coffee. No harm in that, I guess. Thanks, I will do that market research for you by the end of today."

Here I was now, one day after my first date with Yuna. The date went okay. Should I cancel the other two dates? Well, probably not. I can just decide after I go on one date with Harin and Mina.

The new boring day has come. I was thinking about what to do with these other two dates and how to plan them. While thinking about that in my nice little hot office with big glass walls, I was looking at some chimney from a factory long ago.

That chimney is creating clouds, man. If I didn't know how clouds were created, I would probably think that they come from factories.