"Can you pass me that?" Jillian Holtzmann said, gesturing to the wrench on the apartment floor. Patty Tolan obediently looked up from her paper and leaned back to grab Holtz's desired object. Handing it to her, she shot her a 'you're welcome' look, whipped her newspaper back open and continued reading.
Not more than five minutes later, Jillian asked Patty to retrieve another item for her, this time further away. Sighing and slapping her paper down, Patty spoke as she walked to the tool. "Holtzmann, next time you get in your weird little zone, can you please make sure you have what you need? I'm trying to get myself educated and up-to-date. Puh-lease." She pushed the item to Holtz's glove, who nodded while preoccupied.
A more concerned Abby Yates chimed in from the pink booth in which she resided. "Holtz, why are you keeping blowtorches on the floor? Was that... oh my God, Holtz, was that even locked?"
Holtz examined the potentially dangerous civilized fire gun, all whilst not making eye contact with either of the women. "Absolutely not." She set it down and went back to her work. Patty shook her head disapprovingly. Abby laid one hand on the table, the other massaging her temple, which served as the only way to keep her sanity.
Holtzmann continued working, using the blowtorch to fix her mistakes in her work from time to time. Each time the torch was activated, Patty shifted slightly further away from the workstation.
Eventually, Holtz started to become fed-up with the mistakes in her welding and decided she had enough. She swiped the piece across the table, sending it flying across the room, hitting a wall. Both Abby and Patty jumped. Holtzmann picked up the blowtorch and with all angst that her petite body could muster, lit Patty's newspaper on fire. Patty immediately dropped the newspaper and stood up, backing away from the crazed woman. Abby stood up and rushed to retrieve the fire extinguisher which was always at hand for moments like these.
"HOLTZMANN, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?!" Patty took the red extinguisher from Abby's hands, stood back, and put out the mini fire Jillian had set.
"Do I really have to answer that question still?" Holtz said with a small grin, leaning on the table, observing her destruction.
Patty stared at Holtz for a minute, knowing she had a point but still was too dumbfounded to answer her question. Tolan turned to Abby and said "This is the third time this week she has done this! Abby, who in their right mind still lets this woman keep fire-dispersing objects in her possession?"
Abby sighed. "Nobody, Patty. Kevin buys them for her," Taking the fire extinguisher back from the tall woman, she set it in the corner between the couch and window.
Holtzmann chuckled. "The nicest thing about him is that his age serves as a tool for maniacs like me who aren't allowed in stores that sell items such as those babies. He acts eight, but thankfully is over eighteen." Holtz walked over to the mini-fridge next to her workplace with a swift stride and retrieves a Diet Coke, pops a paper straw in it, and plopped herself back down in her chair. Looking through the tops of her glasses at the two women, she slips the straw into the corner of her mouth and sips.
Patty shakes her head again and checks her watch. "I'm going home. It's too damn late for people like you to be out and about, and I don't want to be around it."
"Your loss," Holtz snickered in reply. She fiddled with her gloves, removing them and placing them in a drawer underneath her bench. Patty exited through the door, not giving Holtz another ounce of satisfaction through a reply.
"Im with her. Love you though, Holtzy. Really do. Don't touch anything dangerous before Erin gets back, okay? Promise? This is our workplace, Holtzy. We lose this and the people downstairs lose their crappy restaurant." Abby briefly remembers the countless number of times the Chinese restaurant has ripped her off and almost takes back her thought, but holds her angst in. One day Karma will come back for such evil acts.
Holtz gives a nod of agreement, but is unable to provide anything else to her dear friend because her mind is preoccupied by the thought of Erin. Erin and Holtz spent a lot of time alone, so it wasn't something completely taboo that it will be just the two of them again tonight. But the thought still makes her feel tingly from the tips of her fingers to her toes, and she can feel her heart rate increase. That also may be from the quantity of Diet Coke she had been consuming.
Jillian retrieved the piece she was working on earlier, this time being more patient with her craftswomanship. She certainly didn't want to lose her cool again. Especially when Erin is around, even though typically Erin makes her lose her cool anyways. Holtz thought about the ways she could make Erin lose her cool...
"Holtz? Holtz? Holtzmann." Erin Gilbert stood outside, knocking at the locked building's door. She checks her watch. 8:42 P.M. There's no way the small blonde is asleep yet. "Jillian Holtzmann? Jill? Jilly-Bean? HOLTZ!"
The door swung open. Leaning against the frame was the petite scientist. She looked Erin up-and-down, examining her choice of dress and figure. "I was here the whole time. Just wanted to listen to you singing my name for a while longer."
Erin blushed slightly. She was used to Holtz's flirtatious manner. After all, it was part of her crazed personality. She talked to all of the team like this, even Kevin. She never thinks much of it. "I'm sure that's exactly what was happening. Thanks, Holtz."
"Don't you mean Jilly-Bean?"
"I'm not calling you that."
"Really? Because I think I just heard you call me that."
"That certainly did not happen."
"Did too."
"Did not."
"With utmost respect to you, I will agree with you this time. But I won't forget this immense favor in which I am bestowing..." She stopped to look the red-headed beaut up and down once more before continuing, "...upon you."
"Holtz."
Jillian snapped her finger and pointed at the woman, winking. "Gilby."
Erin pushed past the shorty. "Jillian Holtzmann, stop it right now."
"Oh, am I in trouble? You never address me by my full name," Holtz said, taking off her long jacket and hanging it on a rack next to the plethora of coats. She kicked off her black boots and lounged back in her cushioned desk chair, sitting cross-legged and stretching her arms to rest behind her neck, exposing her toned arms.
Erin sighed. "What are you working on?"
"You are quite the questionnaire, and that's a good one. I don't know." Holtz looked at the piece of metal lying before her. She groaned and took a big gulp of her Diet Coke, trying to suppress what she was thinking of before drifting off to sleep.
"Oh. Is something wrong?"
"Yanno, I don't really know," Holtzmann sighed, setting down her Coke. She began unzipping her work pants, sliding them off to reveal old black leggings underneath, leaving her in just those and a stained baggy grey t-shirt. "I've had trouble with inspiration lately. I've just... already invented everything in this crazy mind."
"Trouble with inspiration, eh? Well, Jillian..." Gilbert walked over to the blonde who was wearing significantly more clothing than she'd like. "I think I know a cure."
Holtzmann's breath hitched. "Oh, d- do you? Do you r-really? Because I think tha- oh." Holtzmann was interrupted by Gilbert, now standing over her, pinning her hands to the back of her chair. Erin's leg slid up onto her lap, straddling her small waist. Jillian had to focus on reminding herself how to breathe. She was shaking. Her whole body was shaking so hard that the chair was rocking. Her whole body was shaking way harder than possible to be shaken by just herself. She heard someone... yelling?
Jillian opened her eyes. In front of her was Kevin, vigorously shaking Holtzmann and shouting towards the door. "HOLTZ! HOLTZMANN OH MY GOD. HOLTZ IS DEAD ERIN! ERIN COMEINHERERIGHTNOWHOLTZMANNISDEAD."
Jillian shifted slightly before realizing Kevin had a grip on her wrists. Kevin jumped back and screamed, "OH MY GOD! JILLIAN'S DEAD BODY JUST MOVED. ERIN OH MY GOD ERIN."
Holtz groaned, rubbing her eyes with her newly freed hands. "Kevin, I'm not dead. I was sleeping."
Erin worriedly came stumbling through the door. "Kevin, she's fine." Her muscles relaxed.
Kevin examined Holtz, who was now leaning her elbow on the table and propping her face up by pressing her hand on her cheek. "Hi Erin. Do you really think I have the potential of being that harmful? I ALWAYS know what I'm doing 30% of the time."
"Well, Patty and Abby did inform me of your fire incident earlier. Kevin, you can go home now. Thanks for walking me home, you beautiful human, you." Erin smiled at the large man-child as he retrieved his jacket, waved, and exited. Erin sighed sadly and plopped herself onto the diner booth.
Standing and taking off her jacket, Holtz prepared herself to be the host of another therapy session. She waved bye to Kevin and said, "Bring Mike Hat soon or I will fire you." She pointed at him before the door swung shut.
"Holtz, you can't do that," Erin groaned through the seat of the booth, which her face was buried inside of. "You like, literally don't have the authority to do that."
"Psshhhh, Gilbert. I can do anything I want. I mean, look at me! I'm a woman."
Erin pushed herself up, her messy auburn hair plopping into her face. "That is a completely valid point."
Holtz so badly wanted to tell Erin that the best thing a woman can do if they want a spouse that can understand them as a woman completely is to be with a woman. A woman like Holtz, who completely understood Erin even though she knew it would take a millennium to understand her own complexities. She loved that, though, and she knew Erin would as well.
"Hey, Gilbert. Yes it can. It totally can help you. You are a woman too. An independent one. You have lived all these years building your best self, okay? And that's fantastic." Holtz stood in front of the table Erin slouched at, her hips swaying a bit as her fists rested on them.
"Holtz you're not okay," Erin looked up and squinted at the curly-haired woman.
"I am completely okay," Holtz cracked her neck both ways before continuing. "See? Its screwed on right. Just a couple of loose bolts." She winked. Erin giggled.