Ben likened his 7th floor workplace to a colony of ants. Everybody is busy working in a dull uniformity. Everybody looks the same with their black and red suits. 2 more hours and Ben will be out of here. Waiting for 5 O'Clock is always a thing to endure every weekday.
The Queen Ant summoned Ben to her office. "Ben, I need you to bring this down to Mr. Myrmex on the 5th floor". Ben's eyes sparkled: "Of Course. Of course". The 5th floor is where Mar is working. Mar is Ben's new crush. He's the new guy with the dimples. Ben's not even sure if he's real name is Mar. He once overheard someone calling this new guy 'Mar"... which could be a nick for Mario, or Marlo, or Edimar. Just like his 'Ben', a short for Benjamin.
Ben with the docs on hand passed by a mirror. He checked how he looks. He's not that bad looking at all, he thought. At least for his standards. Ben fixed his red plaid tie. Not for the extra pounds, he'll be perfect. He smiled anyway and headed to the elevator.
The fifth floor's aura was much different from where he works. They are much relaxed here. He saw Donna, Mr. Myrmex's secretary. "Hi, Donna" with eyes not on hers but journeyed somewhere instead, to look for Mar. He saw Mar at his desk. Absorbed of what he is doing. "Your Boss needs these papers", says Ben to Donna but eyes still on Mar. Let Mar see me please, thought Ben. Donna was on the phone unaware of what's going on. Ben waited both for Donna to attend to her and Mar to see him. He wanted himself to be visible to Mar, visible to be noticed.
Then it happened. Mar eventually saw him. Stared at and noticed him. Ben did not smile at all. He instead counted from 1 to 4. Yes! 4 seconds. According to his friend, Henry, a 4-second stare or more means something. Something positive. Then Mar smiled at him and he smiled back. The dimples just made him want to shout "Hanep!". But he kept it to himself. He then noticed Donna smiling at him too. He retained the smile for Donna and said: "I love your lipstick!"
Ben, back to 7th floor smiled till 5pm.
-O-
3:50PM, 5th floor
Marlon has to impress his boss. He's new to this company and the paper works assigned to him are not his forte at all. He has to finish this by 5pm or else his boss might think he's not capable of this job. He needs this good first impression. Just like how he impressed Tommy, the guy he's dating for a month now. Marlon is into well-built muscled guys like Tom. Like this new job, he wants to keep Tom for good.
The company sales materials Marlon is working on gave him a headache. He's been at his desk for 2 hours straight since his lunch break. He paused for a while to take a deep breath. While doing this he saw this chubby guy with a red plaid tie staring at him at Donna's desk. He looked familiar. He tried to remember where he met this guy.
Presto! The guy staring at him now is the same guy he caught picking his nose while driving at the parking garage this morning. He cannot help but smile. And the guy smiled back at him. That worsened the situation. He wanted to laugh hard but felt embarrassment for the guy. He just lowered his head instead with the smile still intact.
-O-
9:00 PM, Ben's Bedroom.
Ben cannot sleep. Happiness is what he felt. He thought of the smile Mar gave him this afternoon. The 4-second stare meant something. Ben's positive. Mar's into him. He's excited to go back to work tomorrow.
-O-
9:00 PM, Mar's Bedroom.
Marlon is happy. He just had another great sex with Tommy. While Tom's head on his chest, he shared how stressed he was at work and the story of that funny-looking co-worker picking his nose at the carpark today.
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