Writing Prompt: Herman looked very pleased with himself.

Morning all and welcome to Friday morning. The coffee is brewing and the end of the work week is almost in sight. Admittedly it is at the end of a long to do list, so let’s just jump into the morning prompt so as not to cause the to do list to attempt to secure attention through attack paper cuts. Ready? Good let’s go.

Hmmm, not my favorite of the week. Admittedly after the fun I had with yesterday’s prompt there was always the possibility today would be disappointing. It’s not bad, it just doesn’t pull me in as fast. Still it got my brain moving and that was the point.

Friday, March 4th: Herman looked very pleased with himself.

Herman looked very pleased with himself.  I tried to decide if that was a good thing or not.  Usually when he was pleased with himself someone else was suffering.  I took a moment to think through all of the things I had going on and trying to see how Herman might be connected.  While he wasn’t directly tied to any of my projects he might have friends who were, friends he might want to help out.  I expanded my mental list as I calmly sipped my tea. 

I didn’t think anyone involved in my projects was one of Herman’s cronies.  And the funding wasn’t tied to anything he had control over either.  I felt myself relax a little.  I wasn’t completely in the clear.  Until Herman let the hammer fall on his chosen target, I would still worry, but I didn’t see a clear connection between my work and Herman.

Sandra walked into the break room.  It wasn’t small, just a few small tables huddled at one end for those who wanted to sit on the uncomfortable chairs to eat or drink, while the other end was occupied by an ancient couch with one busted spring and two arm chairs whose cushions had seen so much use that they were permanently concave. 

Its other amenities featured a temperamental fridge that often had brief periods where it thought it was a freezer.  Many afternoons I had eaten a yogurt popsicle and several of the staff members routinely pre opened their yogurts and inserted a spoon into the container on the off chance that it froze before their break time arrived.  There was a microwave in reasonably good condition and for those who trusted neither appliance a snack machine and coffee/tea/hot water/hot chocolate dispensing machine. 

Today I chose the tea.  It had more than a hint of chocolate in it but it wasn’t as terrible as I expected. Sandra went for the coffee option and once it dispensed her brew she came and joined me at the table. 

“Ron,” she said by way of greeting.  I nodded.

“”You see Herman?”

“I did.”

We sat in silence and I could see her doing the same mental calculations I so recently completed.  She finished and nodded, the edge of tension leaving her shoulders.  She sipped her coffee. 

“More Mocha today,” she commented.

“The tea is the same,” I told her.  “Do you think the hot chocolate decided to stage a hostile take over?”

“It’s possible,” she said nodding.  Her eyes slid from her cup to the glass partition.  On the other side, Herman chatted with those around them, the smug look still dancing across his face.

“That really doesn’t bode well does it?” I said.  She shook her head.

“No,” she replied. “He’s scheduled an announcement for later this afternoon.”

“At least we won’t have too long to wait,” I replied after glancing at the clock. 

“True,” she said.  We sat and sipped our chosen beverages in silent as we each contemplated the havoc Hermon was about to wreak.