Into the Black, part 3

So Friday morning I woke up next to Jennifer. No, nothing happened. Anyway, she drove me to work for 7:00. This would be her first (of 3) appearances on the company property since her firing on Wednesday. I figured she'd be fine, but the way certain people in the company had transformed into dicks over the past couple weeks, there was no way to know for sure. She brought Sarah along, too, possibly for protection, just in case a particular person or two decided to get ugly.

On the way up the hill we drove by Bob, who was pulling out of the Co-Op parking lot, and yes he did see us. The question of whether or not Jen was still going to be allowed on the property would be answered pretty quick. Her intention was just to drop me off, mind you. She wasn't going to get out or cause any trouble. Of course, we were at the point now where her just showing up with me was sure to be trouble enough, if you know what I mean. We parked in the front; Bob drove around to the back. Apparently, he didn't have a problem with her being there. Fair enough.

Parking around front meant we'd see Starr. She drove in a few minutes after us, and came by to visit, and to see Sarah (Starr is a big dog person). Now, Jennifer and I differ on the subject of Starr. I think I can trust her; Jen doesn't believe she's so trustworthy. Ok, to be fair, I did say that I think *I* can trust Starr. I don't think she'll sell me out or throw me under the bus. Whether or not she'd sell Jen out or throw Jen under a bus is another story, because .... she might have. Skip and June also kind of share this opinion of Starr. But the fact is, she's never screwed me over, and she has had ample opportunity.

Jen, being a player herself, made nice with Starr. Since Starr and I ironed out that whole weird static she and I went through a while back, I do think she's started to like Jen a little more than maybe she did then. So they had a conversation where they discussed the details of Jen's firing, the details of which I'd filled Starr in on the day before. And oh, she loved Sarah, too. That is one personable dog, I tell you. I'm not really that big a dog person my own self, but Sarah and I are best buddies.

I was leaving at noon. This developed out of a conversation Jen and I had on the way to her brother's graduation the afternoon before.

Me: "You still want me to come to Newport with you?"
Jen: "Sure. If you want."
Me: "Would you have enough time if we left at noon?"
Jen: "Yeah, no problem."
Me: "Because this is what I was thinking...."
Jen: "I'll pick you up at noon!"

And then, in our devious way, we ironed out the details.

Ok, so that meant I had to tell someone I was ditching out early. So I stopped at Bob's desk and let him know I was leaving, if not why. Then he said, "You'll tell Sue, won't you?" Fuck.

I didn't want to tell her shit. Since the firing she and I had been on the outs, but if I have to I have to. But, I was going to do it on my own timetable, so between 7 and 9 I didn't breathe a word of it. I'd told Starr already, of course, and once again she didn't sell me out, so I can trust her. It's good enough for me.

On the way to 9:00 break, however, I showed up at Sue's desk with my timesheet, already filled out for three hours of personal time for that afternoon. She was not happy.

"Bob already knows about this, but since I know how communication is around here I figured I'd tell you I was leaving."

And she said, "Going to a physical appointment with Jen?"

That question could not have been more snotty, and it was the crack I told Bob only the afternoon before that I would bite on, and somehow I resisted the urge to grab Sue's throat with my teeth and rip it out.

"Something like that," I said. I made sure my expression was as smug as humanly possible when I said it, and walked off.

She was *pissed*. Imagine having four years of payback coming and collecting it all in a three week span. That's what Jen and I put Sue through on our way out. During break I told Skip about how I'd just ruined Sue's day. It was beautiful. He laughed and laughed. And then I told him the best part -- what was coming up at noon. I told him to be sure to keep an eye right out the window there.

I was on foil that day. And I was just slamming it out. The other days that week I'd pumped out 12 jobs all day. That Friday I put out 16 jobs just between 7 and noon. I was a machine, and really I wasn't even breathing hard doing that. I was just showing off what I could do and what Sue would be missing after I was gone. For most of the day I was working alone, too. Stacy was up working with Starr on other stuff, and not catching for me. Even so, Stacy came down to talk to me several times, which annoyed Sue. That, and she was dancing along to her radio. She's kind of a goof.

June stopped by. "You're leaving early, huh?" "Yup. Who told you? Starr?" "Nope. Sue." "Oh, I bet she's kinda pissed, huh?" "Oh yeah."

*Snicker*

I made sure all the key people knew the secret: Jen was picking me up at noon. And she was coming to the back door, right by the smoking area. Yes, right in front of Sue. It was going to be quite a show. Stacy was so excited that Jen was coming that she couldn't wait to come out and see her. Excellent. The more people that like Jen and miss her, the more the hostile work environment bullshit rap looks like a pile of shit. I'm just a little worried about Stacy. She really attached herself to the wagon that Jen and I have been pulling, and we've been looking after her, so after I'm gone ... I'm concerned about what may happen with her. If she's lucky, she'll get pulled back into her own department.

But she has been an interesting ally. While we were leaving Thursday, she was way ahead of me up the hallway. I was walking with Skip. Stacy looked back over her shoulder and hollered, "SAY HI TO JEN FOR ME!" across at least twenty people. Jen thought that was hilarious.

Jen made her grand entrance a couple minutes after 12:00. Stacy and I burst through the doors. Skip and a few others were watching out the window. Sue was in the smoking area already. Just like always when Jen and I pull these stunts, I did not turn my head to look in her direction. My role is to play it straight and play it cold, and I've always delivered the goods during these capers. But Sue was watching. Oh yeah. Of course she was. Jen said she was getting the Evil Eye the moment she pulled into view. Stacy chatted it up with Jen for a few minutes, and when she was leaving to go back inside she yelled, "LOVE YOU, JEN!"

She's such a doll.

So then, with Bonnie and Clyde reunited, and having wrecked Sue's day once again, we pulled off out of the parking lot, heading towards Newport.

And we'll finish this series off there next time.