Morning all. we have made it to Friday. And I am almost completely caught up. while the Ties that Bind chapters will resume next week, the August Chapter will be up today. which will make me about 90% caught up and I can live with that. So are you ready for the morning prompt? excellent. Let’s see where it takes us today.
Huh. That was not what I thought I would write when i sat down. I could see it being interesting. New guy swings in to take the job they all want. Someone might actually decide to leave, things could be shaken up. It is interesting, just not where I thought my brain would go this morning.
Friday, August 12th: The tension was brutal.
The tension was brutal. They all knew the score. There was one promotion and six of them who wanted it. All of them had been called for interviews. Ted didn’t know if that was the head office being diplomatic or not.
‘They could have decided to interview all of those who applied from within, just to look fair.’ He thought. Ted thought about his co-workers. There were a few he could see doing the job. Charlie and Beth would do well. He had no idea why Harold applied.
‘Well I know why he applied,’ Ted mentally corrected. Promotions were rare. People tended to get Jobs with Reddington, Inc and keep them until they retired. It was a good job and no one wanted to let it go. That meant advancement came with retirement or death. Ernie opted for retirement, although there were many who were sure he would hold out for death. No one could picture him sliding into retirement in any capacity. He lived and breathed the job.
For the first time Ted wondered what Ernie was actually doing. He frowned and found himself unable to picture Ernie in anything but work attire. Ernie gave the impression that he even slept and showered in the suit and tie. Even picturing in pajamas was too much of a stretch for Ted and he let it go.
The interviews were completed earlier that morning. Peter was the last. He came out of the office with a smirk on his face and flashed one of his friends the double thumbs up.
‘Doesn’t mean anything,’ Ted told himself. He heard the whispers from the others with more or less the same sentiment. Peter was always overly optimistic and always thought better of himself than those around him. Ted knew from sneaking a look at his CV that he didn’t have nearly the experience r training required for the position. Still Peter’s optimism tied him in knots.
Everyone knew the interviews would be over and the position would be filled by the end of the day. They all knew the announcement would be made just before they left for the day. Ted, like the others tried to work. To ignore the large clock on the wall and not think of it as a timer counting down. Four hours til we know, three hours till we know, two, one.
The alarm signaling the end of the day sounded. Ted jumped a little in his seat even though he watched the last minute tick by and knew it was coming. He saw several of the others jump as well. Then the door to the upper office opened and they all watched the head receptionist step out of the office and descend the stairs. She had something in her hands. They all knew what it was. Even as the other employees started to file out for the day, they all remained in place. They watched her cross the floor and reach the door to Ernie’s office. His name was still on the name plate attached to the door. She slid the name plate out of the metal holder and slid the new name plate in. Then she walked back across the floor and climbed the stairs back to her office. As the door shut they all burst into motion and raced to see what name the door now held.
Peter reached it first.
“Calvin Adams,” he read aloud. He looked around at his fellow interviewees. “Who the hell is Calvin Adams?”
Ten til Midnight 