Really

From The Everywhere Girl Diaries – a work of fiction

Fourth week of October, year one

Dear Diary,

So, this week Mr. Mallard has me following a couple of new people on Twitter (the poor man just will not give up on the whole pizza thing). So, I was in the office yesterday, transcribing some of their mundane tweets, when I heard the door open.  It startled me as I am so used to being there by myself. When I looked up, a young woman had entered the office – boyfriend jeans, black turtleneck, and pearls. Think Audrey Hepburn meets Katie Holmes. Of course I was wearing my oldest jeans, fuzzy blue hat, and shell necklace.  Think got- dressed-in-a-hurry meets stock photo of a college student. She seemed equally as surprised to see me as I was surprised to see her.

One of us had to speak.

Me: Hi.

Her: Where’s Piers?

Me:  I’m sorry; Mr. Mallard is not here right now. Is there something I can help you with? (I doubted if there was, but it seemed polite to ask.)

Her: Probably not, unless he left a package with you. Photographs, I was hoping to pick up my photographs.

Me:  I’m very sorry, but he didn’t.  May I tell him you stopped by?  He can get back to you.

Her:  That won’t be necessary.  I’ll call him at home.

And she was gone.

I didn’t like her. And, it wasn’t because she was gorgeous, or because she had Mr. Mallard’s home number.  Really.