Laura's office had paper strewn all over the place with most of them marked up. The whiteboard looked like one of those modern paintings with various colors and little order. Frustration was just about to reach the boiling point when the sweet smell of chinese cuisine filled the room.
"I don't know about you, but I sure need this break." Micheal said to Laura with a smile as he anticipated the food coming.
Carol carried a brown paper bag in each hand. She placed them on top of the pile of papers that were on Laura's desk. "Here ya go." Carol said. "I'm headed home. I hate to tell you this, but John isn't coming and Applied Research said call them tomorrow.." Carol continued.
"I am so hungry right now, I don't even care." Laura said as she opened up the small box of fried rice.
"Have a good night." Micheal said to Carol as she walked out of the room.
Micheal and Laura ate for about 10 minutes without saying a word. Laura fed herself with chopsticks. Micheal used the plastic fork.
"So how did you become such an expert in using the chopsticks?" Micheal asks Laura.
Laura laughed and answered, "I spent a year in China."
"Why were you in China?"
"I took a job overseas to find myself."
Micheal laughed, "Did you find yourself?"
"WAIT!" Laura yelled. "I got it, I got it."
Laura picked up an empty box of chinese noodles and looked at the paper beneath. "Here, yes, and here."
"What is it?" Micheal asked.
Laura laughed. "I think I got it!" Laura said.
"How you figure?" Micheal asked.
"Look here." Laura said to Micheal. Laura then pulled out a calculator and began punching a series of numbers. "Now look, I bet you this will be right in line with the market."
"Let me see." Micheal said while grabbing a report that showed the actual performance of the market. "You are exactly right..." Micheal said.
Micheal then gave a double pump like the football players do after a touchdown. Micheal then grabbed Laura in a victory hug. They held each other as jubilation began to turn into passion and they slowly backed away from each other.
Laura nervously smiled and said, “I owe you an apology for the way I acted earlier.”
Micheal smiled and said, "Hey, we're a team. Sometimes you get mad at the team, but you always love your team."
Laura's heart jumped at the word "Love." But she threw it out of her head for there was work to do.
"Those idiots at Applied Research bungled up the numbers. We have to get hold of their computers, but that will have to wait until tomorrow." Laura said. "Let me call Dr. Stevens."
Laura then walked over to the phone and dialed the phone. She began talking into the phone, “The work that we sent out to Applied Research was done poorly. Micheal and I found the problem and, but they never sent anyone, so we will finish tomorrow.”
Dr. Stevens then said, “Ok, I have gotten an extension on our presentation until Friday. So the company will fly you both to Orlando on Wednesday if you can get the work you have to do done tomorrow."
"If you can pull this off, then you can take a week vacation down here. Tell Micheal thank you from me. You two may have saved the company.” Dr. Stevens said.
Laura hung up with a smile on her face. She looked over at Micheal who was looking away from her at some numbers and writing numbers on the white board. Her heart jumped as she just watched him move.
"Hey Micheal," Laura interrupted Micheal's writing.
"If we can get this done tomorrow, Dr. Stevens is flying us both to Orlando for a week."
Micheal then said, “Imani will love that.”
Laura smiled, but her heart dropped as she began to like the idea of spending a week with that “chocolate stud” as Emily referred to him.
"Oh, your girlfriend." Laura said hiding her disappointment. "Yeah and it will be the first vacation I have had since my divorce." Laura continued.
"Let's head home, Imani will be happy that this is not going to be another 2am night." Micheal said.
"Well there are cots in the back if you really want to prove your loyalty." Laura said. But she nervously realized that the statement could be taken in a number of ways.
"If I don't get to Imani's bed she will probably think that I am in somebody else's bed." Micheal laughed.
“She the jealous type?...I mean I understand since she is with a great catch like you.” Laura said.
“Oh you like the dark meat? I would never have guessed it.” Micheal playfully responded.
“Dark meat? Naw I just know a good catch when I see it.” Laura responded with a pretty serious look on her face. She could not believe that she was flirting with her co-worker.
“Well let’s go.” Micheal said quickly changing the subject.
“Laura stole glances at Micheal as he and her picked up the papers from the room. She also exchanged glances with Micheal and almost thought he was catching glimpses of her.
The two walked out of the office and saw that there was a torrential rainstorm going on. Micheal pulled out an umbrella and put his arm around Laura as they both got under the umbrella. Laura smelled his cologne. She felt weak at his touch.
"We can't let you get sick and miss our week in Orlando." Micheal said.
He opened the door and walked her slowly to her car door. Micheal made sure that she got in without any rain hitting her. Micheal looked at Laura's exposed legs as she sat in her car.
Micheal then looked up at Laura in her eyes. Laura looked in his eyes and for what seemed like the longest 5 seconds in the history of the world.
Micheal then stood up and said, "I will see you tomorrow."
Laura smiled as she sniffed the cologne still in the air as she drove home.