Weekly Writer’s Workshop

Today is a two-fer.  Thanks Mama Kat, for the prompts this week.  I chose…

5.) Who blind-sided you? Write about a time someone caught you totally off guard.  (writingfix.com)

I used to work on the 18th floor of an office building in downtown Seattle. I was a worker bee, my days were filled with endless phone calls and reports.  This particular Friday was shaping up to be like all the others, until I walked past my boss’s cube. 

He popped his head up and said, “at the end of the day, we’ll need to go down to HR and have a little chat.”  In corporate speak, that means you’re fired.  I nodded, and stumbled to my cube in a fog.  I couldn’t fathom what I’d done so terribly wrong.  I could take 100 calls a day and be helpful.  Did I forget to file a report…WHAT?

The day couldn’t have oozed along any slower.  As 3pm rolled around my heart started to hammer.  Was I supposed to go see my boss, was he coming to me? Is there an etiquette  for getting fired?  I could hear footsteps coming down the aisle and a growing murmur.  I was mortified, was there going to be an audience? 

I looked up, and there was Tim and he was holding roses.   My boss was behind Tim, hopping up and down, clapping, and grinning like the Cheshire Cat.  Tim didn’t say a word, he just nodded, and pushed the roses towards me.  You probably know what was coming, but at the time, all I could think was, “does this mean I’m not fired?”

The roses had a note tied to them that said “Will you?”  Inside, there was a ring, and a note that said, “Marry me? XOXOXO Tim”  Of course I said yes, and all of my co-workers cheered as Tim escorted me downstairs to a waiting limousine.  As I passed my boss he said, “this means you get to go home early!”   True story.