Duvet day

Jumping from one disaster to the next, I push snooze and pull the duvet over my head. Digging myself deep into my pit, I fight to revisit the dream the alarm disturbed.  Why is it that it is always when you reach the best bit that you wake up?  I was enjoying flying like superwoman over the Dover Cliffs.  Not sure what a dream specialist would make of that.

As the alarm went off again, I forced myself to sit up in bed.  Thinking of the day ahead of me I shuddered. My sick record flashed in front of me, but I can’t face it.  I’m in danger of being dismissed but with Vile Marcus on my case, playing at being sick is preferable.  I’ve always known not to get involved with a colleague, but his calm confidence drew me too him.  Before I knew it, he cast me aside for another girl and my name became dirt.

The feeling of being thrown away when you start to trust someone, the hurt caused, especially when shared secrets become the departments business.  Reaching for my phone I can feel a story of food poisoning coning on.  In the last few weeks, I think I’ve covered all possible ailments, I’m unlikely to get a glowing reference thanks to Marcus.

Finishing my phone call, I bury myself again in my duvet, when I feel like this, bed is the place to be.

Melinda

Sitting at her desk, she thought of last night.  Catching Marcus with Beatrice had been a punch in the gut.  As she saw him arrive, Melinda wasn’t sure what to say to him.  She had believed all the stuff about Tanya, now knowing it was cruel lies, she felt her palms go sweaty.  They had to stop him, it would be Beatrice next.  How though do you bring down senior management?

Hearing laughter, she looked up.  Seeing Pam and Jenny giggling, she knew something was up.  She thought of things she had told Marcus, private things, how could she have been so stupid?

Overhearing the words, ‘Tim and ‘father figure’ Melinda knew that indeed Marcus had made an idiot out of her too.

Looking at Tanya’s desk she could see she had phoned in sick again.  They had never been friends but now was the time to make up for the twisted stories she had believed.   Surely it wasn’t just her and Melinda hurt here, she wondered what why he left his last job.  Opening up google she entered the name, ‘Marcus Tenneson’, nothing came up.   She tried again with ‘Marcus woman’ still nothing.  Then ‘Marcus, predator.’  Success, up came a photo of Marcus Jeffries dismissed from his lead role.  So, he had done this before.

The boss’s office

Picking up her laptop, she had to do it.  Knocking on the door, she heard sniffing. As there was no answer, she knew something was very wrong.   Pushing the door open slowly, she saw Kerry crying into a box of tissues.

“Kerry, what’s happened?”

She passed me her mobile phone.  There in a text message, partner Paul of two years had finished everything with her.  I’d liked him, I didn’t like him now.

“Kerry this might be a bad time, but it might also be a good time.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, if you want to hate men, look at this.”

Handing Kerry the laptop, Melinda watched as her jaw dropped.

“The dirty rat!  Isn’t he with you?”

“No, I caught him with Beatrice last night.  He finished with Tanya for me, all the nasty stuff he has said about her was private and shouldn’t have been shared.”

“I had wondered, she has phoned in sick again today”.

“To be honest, I considered it this morning.  I didn’t want to see Marcus and he has already shared something that I trusted him with.”

“Yes, this was a good time to tell me.  Task for today, could you please go and see Tanya.  Tell her what has happened.  I will see Marcus and yes, he will be dismissed.  I’m not having him hurting my staff.”

The day improves

Hearing the doorbell I groaned, I just want to be left alone.  Seeing the shadow at the door I questioned my sanity opening it.   Pulling down on the handle, I nearly slammed it again seeing Melinda.

“Tanya, I’m sorry but we need to talk.  There’s something you need to see.”

“No, I’m ill, I need bed.”

“Tanya, you will feel better in about ten minutes, just let me in.”

Leaving the door ajar, without inviting her in, I headed for the kitchen and flicked on the kettle.  What possibly could this woman have to say.   Watching her pull her laptop from her bag and turn it on, what was happening?

“Last night Tanya, I caught Marcus with Beatrice.  Today’s story in the office is how years ago I dated a man old enough to be my dad. That was private and should not be shared.  Kerry knows I’m here.”

Pushing the laptop to me, she added, “he is now being dismissed, sorry I’ve been so horrid to you.”

Reading the screen, I knew he was bad, but this was very bad.

“So, what is his name? Is it even Marcus?”  The tears started again.

“Tan, I don’t know but you can come back to work tomorrow.  Kerry’s given me the day off to come and see you.   It will be Beatrice hurt next but he will be gone today.”

“How did you find this Melinda?”

“Internet search and there he was, he didn’t cover his tracks very well, serial womaniser.”

A better day

Today had evolved in a way I had not expected.  Thanks to Melinda, who I had hated this morning, Marcus was now out and I can go back to my life again.

Spending the afternoon with Melinda was actually better then hiding under the duvet. Exchanging stories we found that we did like each other. Today was a good day and tomorrow I will start repairing my sick record. It will be another day, without the need of my duvet.

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Written for A story a day for Pancreatic Cancer UK