The Fifteen Minute Novel is an attempt to take a single prompt and use the last sentence written each day as a start for the next day. This year I had several prompts circling around a similar story, so I have combined them. However, the story starts the same way each day, with the last line from the day before and a timer set for fifteen minutes. The hope is to end up with a complete, if very rough draft by the end of the year. Some stories are better than others, but I always learn a whole lot about my own writing when I do this so for me it is not only a nice way to work out a story, but it is a tool for helping my writing get better. And so, we continue this story for 2024 with…
Day 58: “If you can’t get yourself off of probation, they will fire you,” Evers told her.
“If you can’t get yourself off of probation, they will fire you,” Evers told her. Kristen made a huffing sound.
“You can’t fire me,” Kristen said. “Who is going to help you cover with your wife and run interference between Carrie and Petra?”
“Look, I’m on probation too,” Evers told her. “We all are, even Sophia because of staying late to make up for all the work she missed during her vacation. We just have to get through the and then things can go back to the way they were.”
Sophie rolled her eyes and switched to one of her Italian podcasts while she ate her lunch. ‘Surprising that he doesn’t know I’m not on probation.’ She took a bite of her sandwich. ‘Or maybe he does but isn’t telling the others.’ Sophie frowned. It seemed like something her supervisor should know. ‘I wonder if they are keeping things from him as well.’
Deciding the best thing she could do was to keep quiet about any details and let the others think she was in the same boat, Sophie finished her lunch and got back to work. Surprisingly no one left and Sophie thought the others were working through lunch. The workday ended and instead of hiding out until the others took the elevator down, Sophie gathered her things, leaving the office exactly on time. The others were already on their way out and Sophie joined them in the elevator.
“Must be nice not having to work late for a change,” Carrie said to Sophie.
“It is,” Sophie said. “Although I am probably going to have to work through lunch for a bit.”
“Me too it seems,” Carrie replied.
“So lame,” Ryan told them. “I’m sure there is some rule about not making us work through lunch. That can’t be legal right?”
“They can’t make you work through lunch,” Evers said. “You have a mandated lunch hour, but if you need to you can.”
“This is the first time I’ve skipped lunch in forever,” Ryan said. He looked to Sophie. “I guess you are used to it though.”
“No,” Sophie replied. “Today I brought my lunch but sometimes I go to the food trucks. It’s a lot quicker to run down there and once I get the food I can just bring it back to my desk.”
“I guess that could work,” Ryan said grudgingly. “If I have to.”
The elevator reached the ground floor and they left it’s confines. One by one they each buzzed through the gate, letting the machine record their exit time for the company records. Once out the door, Sophie walked to her car which was parked a distance from the others. They were all clustered by the east exit while she parked near the west.
Ten til Midnight 