Sally the Single Lady

A Story by Chayenne Son

This is a very short story about Sally who feels like she's gonna be forever single while all of her friends has an awesome love life.

SALLY the Single Lady:

A very short tragic story

5:00. Strike the clock. I glance at my colleagues. They're busy fixing themselves, preparing to go home. Cynthia is painting her upper lip with red, then smack it against her lower lip. She's holding a compact mirror. She pouts her lips, and, satisfied with her appearance, smile giddily at her reflection. Later, she would hang her arms on her gangstah boyfriend, who's probably waiting for his sugar mama outside right now. Then they would go to I-don-know-where-the-hell-they-trash-themselves. I know, I just pretend I don't. Or I regret I did know.

On her side, Lora is applying concealer. I imagine her using 1 tube per day since her pimples has grown a face. I kid her sometimes to stop worrying about another pimple bulging, because, honestly, there is no space available for another tiny zit. I reckon to myself that if I were her, I'd spend on derma clinic instead of ensconcing my face with unfaithful products. When I broached my sentiments one time, she said derma clinic is more costly at a time and a concealer cost just a pinch from her salary. She won't feel it decreasing her money. But I guess she's buying 10x a month! More than the cost of one derma sesh! Well, I stop arguing. It's her life. And besides, her boyfriend loves her in a concealer. He won't talk to her without it. Isn't it sweet?

Opposite my desk is Sonia, the ever prim and proper Secretary of The Manager. You gotta say it with that capital letter or you're guilty of disrespecting her position. Her desk is organized but her room isn't. Her voice is so low but when she shout's at her mama, it grows to a higher octave. She wears killing heels like a pro and throw them anywhere upon opening their door. She's the campus crush back in college, an editor-in-chief of the school paper, and most of all, she's the only one who has gotten a latin award out of the four of us. She's only have one goal in life, to marry the son of the multibillionaire owner of an oil depot company. That's why as a graduate of Marketing Management, she work her way to be the Secretary of Lucas del Monte. No under the table transaction, no sly schemes and definitely, no filthy hoodwink above his bed. Everything is legit. Every plan is well-executed. She's over-qualified he said. She rebut in the interview that overqualified is better than under. She added that a Secretary position is just her stepping stone to belong in a prestigious noteworthy company. He smiled with her dedication and humbleness, then hire her shortly after an hour of deliberation.

Don't get me wrong. I'm no snoopy nor an office yenta. The three of them, is no lesser than my best friends since high school. And this story, is not about them. This's all about me. While they all fix themselves, which I found so inapt since we're all approaching the day's end, I huddled in the lounge waiting for them to finish their I'd-die-without-doing-this ritual. We're not going home together. We're going down the elevator together. That's the code when everybody is present. Do things together. Leave no one behind.

Cynthia and Lora join me as we waited for Sonia. It didn't take long when the Manager's door opened. Sonia gathered her things and we all proceed to the elevator. Lucas's hand sits on Sonia's waist all the way down the building. We said our goodbyes. Sonia and Lucas get in his car. Yes, they're in relationship after 5 years in the company. They're now on their third year as couple, candidly defying the company's ethic standards. It's their life anyway. And, it's his father's company. Whatever.

As presumed, Carlos awaits Cynthia on the street, wearing his signature MIB get up. Okay. He's cute. But he's a good-for-nothing maniacal ‘gangstah’. I wonder what Cynthia has seen in him. They shamelessly kiss in front of us before starting to walk away. I always have this feeling that those kisses were meant to annoy me. I don't know. But I'm really annoyed down to earth. I watch them as they disappear in the dark, then imagine them going to some cheap inn. Every boring day. Pft.

I glance at Cynthia. "Ain't your boyfriend coming to fetch you up?" I ask timidly.

"We've broke up. But somebody's coming instead." she answered nonchalantly.

"Who?"

"My new boyfriend."

I can't help but raise my eyebrow. And I didn't even feign to be happy about it. Disbelief floods my face. I gape at her. She laughed. "Speaking of the devil." she said looking behind my back. I don't want to turn around. But I did out of respect. She introduced us to each other, and I hastily excuse myself as the rain starts to fall. I hail a public utility vehicle and ushered myself inside feeling all gloomy. Well, it looks like this just the end of my day, not my friends'.

The rain becomes heavy as we enter the traffic. I look at the people inside. All cursing the weather but the couple in front of me. The guy is rubbing his hand on the breast side of the girl's shirt. His other hand sits on her lap just above her thigh, slowly squeezing it as they kiss. From my standpoint, I know it's a no-public kind of kiss. They break up when somebody caught their attention. The girl bit her lip as she move closer to the guy and bury her head in his neck. I can almost feel them seething. She tug the guy's shirt and close her eyes. I roll my eyes surreptitiously and harrumphed. Geeez. I can't blame them though. It's really getting cold. I imagine Cynthia and Carlos cuddling each other in a tiny bed of the cheap inn. Sonia and Lucas listening to classic songs, hand clasped, in the middle of the traffic. Lora and I-forgot-his-name guy, maybe in some cozy diner where lights are dim, chosen by the guy, to conceal her concealed face.

And here I am. Ever the Virgin Mary. Alone. Sulking. And mourning my bloody singlehood at 28.

As the traffic move ever so slowly, I suddenly feel sleepy. It has been a long day; passing of strategic marketing reports, SWOT of one of the branch plus the nagging accounting whose hobby is venting her every spleen on anyone who happens to be misfortunate to pass her mind. I got some share of it when I let the Monthly Branch Audit sleep in my desk. It's not my report, obviously. But I was the one who personally pick it up after my Monthly Branch Evaluation. Then forget all about it once I settled in my paper-swarmed desk.

I look at the person in my right. She's reading Pride and Prejudice. I read with her, but only up to her third turn of the page. My eyes can't follow anymore. I suddenly jerk up. Then realize I must have drifted for a few minutes. The couple in front has gone. The student at my right was replaced by an old woman. As I roam my eyes to catch where we are on the road, the guy with black-rimmed glasses on my left caught my attention. His sideview is so damn hot. He got a stubble on the side of his face. I can make out a divided chin below his pink thin lips. He's staring at his phone. Oh my Holy Christ! His eyelashes. His goddamn beautiful curled eyelashes. I melt inside. Lashes as lustful as that is my weakness.

I move my head to look at his phone. He's texting somebody. Guess it's her girlfriend. Oh no. My heart sink down to my feet. Absentmindedly, I pout then turn away.

I feel sleepy again. I bow my head and close my eyes. All the while I was closing my eyes, this thoughts flood my mind.

"Don't fall asleep, you’ll lean on his shoulder for sure."

"Will he let me lean?"

"This can be the start of my love story."

"Come on. I'm so sleepy. I still have a long ride. I can drift for a while."

"Damn it. She got a girlfriend."

"What the hell!! I'm f*****g sleepy I can't open my eyes!"

I open my eyes. I can feel a hard bump on my neck. S**t. I leaned on him while sleeping. I slowly sit up straight and secretly wipe the sides of my mouth. But wait. My head came from the right. I feel like my world turned upside down when I saw that the one I leaned on is a gawky pale-faced guy who creepily and goofily grins at me his toothless face. I baldly cringe. I can feel my nostrils flung and the gritting of my teeth. I turn to my left.

Holy cow. The guy is smiling. Nope. His laugh is half bemuse, half derisive. My brows automatically furrowed, lips pursed.

He straighten his face. "Uh. Sorry." he said chuckling.

I smiled. Making sure my dimples are exposed. "I understand." I said. Then we laugh.

"You're cute when you're sleeping." My grin stretched from ear to ear. My stomach cartwheeled. But it was only for a moment. A little 10 secs after that statement, he flag the jeep and descended without looking back. It's over. My jeepney love story is once, and again, over.

"You enjoyed your sleep." I was startled by the voice of the guy on the right. I smiled timidly and murmured thanks.

"Oh. No worries. It's only 5seconds heaven on my part." he said smiling.

"What?" I said. I only slept for 5secs? Why I felt like it was too long?

"Oh. Guess you really had a good sleep. You can't even remember where you leaned on." he said.

My eyes grow. My mouth open. My hands clutch my chest. I laugh as the guy beside me shake his head in amusement. I feel like my world is bouncing. I feel so giddy that until I descended the jeep, I feel lighter.

I sleep in his shoulder!! He smelled my hair! Our skins touched!!! Oh my God!! My head screams as I walk down the street bouncing, not touching the asphalt. Then as quickly as it all happened, my smile vanished. Then I feel myself, my surroundings. Alright. I'm alone now.

Forever alone.

I smiled painfully on myself.

"Come on buddy. It's okay. I'm fine. I'm still gonna pump blood." My heart reassured me.

"Yea. She's right. And I'm still gonna give you clients." My brain seconded.

I tugged the strap of my Jansport as I continue to head home with all the laziness in the world.

Maybe I could prolong tomorrows for a little while.

Or maybe I could hurry and earn more so I could buy my own car. I think jeeps are boring.

Yea. That's better.

-Sally Gustillo