A Dangerous Affair Chapter 61

A Chapter by Repgreece

Stephanie returns to work

The office was in uproar. Cheers and shouts could be heard throughout the entire building. The officers roared with laughter and for once Brick simply leant against the door frame of his office with his arms crossed and observed the spectacle, an amused grin on his face.

Bob was balanced on one foot halfway down a long line of masking tape that had been stuck to the floor. An empty waste paper basket had been placed over his head and his arms were outstretched as he tried desperately to keep his balance.

“Hey, you see that boss? You think we could make a story out of this? Office worker booked for being drunk and disorderly at work.” Tom shouted across to Brick.

“Give him a chance to prove himself Tom, he hasn’t reached the end of the line yet.” Brick grinned back.

“Come on Bob, get moving!” one of the staff yelled.

Bob’s response was indistinguishable and came out as a muffled noise from underneath the waste paper basket. He put a foot forward but wobbled alarmingly and compensated by taking another two quick steps along the line.

“Oi, get back on the line, you’re over stepping it Bob!” the man shouted.

Bob mumbled again and rose on his tiptoes before taking another couple of steps. Hilarity filled the room.

Tom leant towards Stephanie who was standing next to him, her arms crossed and her lips pressed together as she tried to hold her laughter in.

“You must be glad to be back now. Look what you’ve been missin’,” he said under his breath.

“I don’t recall it ever being quite like this,” she grinned.

He leant his arm on her shoulder and looked down at her for a moment, his eyes brightening, Stephie was back! Then he returned his attention to Bob.

“Rubbish!” Tom hollered.

Barker pointed to Tom. “Good one! It’s the end of the line for you Bob!”

Tom acknowledged Barker’s pun. “You’ve lost you’re chance now sonny!” Barker added.

“Yeah, it’s bin and gone!” the other worker joked.

More hilarity filled the room.

“Bob, get a bloody move on will you? I do have to put some reports through before the end of the day!” Brick boomed.

At the sudden sound of Brick’s almighty voice reverberating around the room Bob lost all control of his arms and legs and teetered on the brink of total humiliation. The hand that shot out beside him ensured that his final downfall was as spectacular as everyone had hoped. He toppled to the side whilst circling his arms like a demented windmill before crashing into a chair and falling to the floor. He sat, surrounded by the reams of paper that had slid off his desk in the commotion, whilst the entire office exploded into life with cheering and shouting. Taking the bin off his head, he grabbed a sheet of paper, rolled it into a ball and threw it into the crowd. The ball of paper was swiftly hurled back in his direction and there followed a frenzy of scrunching and throwing as paper missiles shot around the office.

“All right, all right, that’s enough!” Brick bellowed. “If I don’t see some bottoms on seats sharpish all intoxicating substances are going to be relocated…to my office," Brick added.

The crowd quickly dispersed as the reporters made a beeline for their glasses of celebratory drinks, taking them back to their desks and watching with relief when Brick disappeared back through his office door.

It was around lunchtime when Brick had gathered everybody in his office to make an announcement that had startled everybody. He had declared that, although he still expected paperwork done and reports on his desk, there was much reason to celebrate that day. Firstly, and most importantly, Stephanie was now in good health and had returned to the paper bringing some style and decorum back into the office. Secondly, although many of the officers saw the following reason as more of an excuse than anything else, Brick felt it was his duty to inform them that Bob was going to reach his twenty fifth birthday by midnight that day. And last, but definitely not least, he was delighted to say that he had recently been voted president of the London and Provincial Angling Association. All of the above considered, drinks would be provided to mark the occasion.

A couple of hours, and several drinks later, Bob’s ability to hold his drink was in question and the masking tape had been produced.

Bob was still sitting on the floor when Brick re-emerged from his office moments after the entertaining display. Brick had in mind to speak to Tom and Stephanie but when he caught sight of a bewildered Bob still sitting amongst the array of papers he ran an exasperated hand over his head and addressed Bob instead.

“Bob!” he barked. “If you want to make it to your twenty fifth birthday I strongly suggest that you pick your uncoordinated self up off that floor and tidy this chaos up!”

Bob flapped around for a moment on the sheets of paper like a fish on the shore before finally rising to his feet.

“Tom, Stephanie,” Brick made a head gesture towards his office, “a word please.” He turned but then swung back before Tom and Stephanie had joined him. “Oh and Bob, that report you’ve taken most of this week to finish, make sure it’s on my desk in five minutes.”

Bob nodded and then the office door was shut. He breathed a sigh of relief. Then he looked down at the floor and sighed at the mess. It was only seconds later when his head shot up, a look of horror on his face.

“The report!” he exclaimed, diving back onto the floor and reaching for the scattered balls of scrunched up paper.

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