Everything Is Blue

Chapter 7

Mondays. The worst day of the week. It followed two days of freedom, signaling the start of a new work week.

The weekend went by way too fast. As it always has.

Kimbra spent hers by tidying up the apartment and catching up on the show she found herself currently obsessed over. She should have gone out for a walk or caught up with an old friend, but no, she preferred to stay home. Her father would be disappointed she wasn't out interacting with people.

He'd say, 'Kimbra, you're only wasting your life away. Make friends. Do something fun. Stop pouring all your time into your job. That's no way to live, sweetheart' .

But it was all she knew.

She often wondered if there was more to life than just her work. The thought of marriage or starting a family never crossed her mind. Babies grossed her out anyway, so that was certainly out of the question. She didn't have the time to keep up a romance, so all she had was friends and family (yet said relatives lived up north and she only saw them during holidays).

Over the years, Kimbra also learned that it's hard to maintain friendships. People she cherished either passed away, became tangled up in their own lives, or you have to cut them off for being toxic jerks. Which yes, that's how life is sometimes, but it still hurts. Truly she had only one friend in St. Canard (besides her co-workers, but they were just considered work friends, a whole other category), Trisha. The canine promised to meet her for a drink soon, but the project took up most of her time.

The one she should have been working on right now instead of wasting time at that pitiful water bottling company.

So yes, this morning, instead of driving to EcoTech, Kimbra went across the city to the industrial park. Bud asked if she could stop by his office for a meeting. She didn't want to, but he was the sponsor, and sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the good of mankind.

It was less than ideal.

Kimbra stepped through the entrance of the Sparkling Flud Water building. The sound of a few employees and visitors echoed off the walls. It looked the same as before, boring yet clean. Bud's clerk sat at the reception desk. She appeared occupied with painting her nails a dark red color, being oblivious to the world around her. Kimbra couldn't blame her for being bored. Water bottling wasn't a very exciting business.

The white canine walked up to the desk and cleared her throat. "Um, excuse me?"

"May I help you?" Still kept her eyes focused on her nails.

"I'm here to talk to Mr. Flud."

The orange feline let out an irritated huff and turned to the computer, typing away on the keyboard. Her eyes quickly scanned across the monitor, and she looked back to Kimbra. "Take a seat, and he'll be with you in a moment."

Kimbra still stood there, in disbelief she'd have to wait. "So uh... he called me and told me to come see him about our project."

"Sorry sweet cakes, even the boss's girlfriend has to wait just like everyone else."

His... girlfriend? No... no no that's not what this was.

The idea of being Bud's girlfriend wasn't exactly a pleasant thought.

"Hey!" Kimbra spoke a little louder than she meant to. "I am not his girlfriend—"

"Just sit down," the clerk said, not wanting to deal with anyone today.

"But—"

"I'll let you know when Mr. Flud is ready for you."

Fine.