I felt like I was in a tangled trap of love last night.  Rebecca was always loving towards me but last night she was even more motherly towards me than the previous night.  It almost felt toxic for me.  Her touch, her grip.  It all just made me want to lose myself.  With feelings like that, it’s amazing I wanted to leave the house at all, but since she worked when I was to leave, I suppose I didn’t have a way around it.  That and I wanted to know what the deal was around the job.  I felt alienated the day before and it bothered me.

I got in the door and was all set on marching right up and giving that sourpuss receptionist a nice greeting to return her bothersome treatment from the day before.  I don’t even know why I cared enough to do it for someone who’d been so cold to me, but being ignored bothered me a lot.  If you don’t like me, fine.  But you act like my boss and suddenly don’t even say a word to me?  It was bothersome and I wanted to find the answer.  Even if it meant a conflict and ending up scared and intimidated by her again. 

I didn’t get the chance, though.  When I got in the door, she wasn’t at the desk.  I walked up confident and she was nowhere to be found.  I let out a sigh as I just went back to my office on my own.  I’d look for her later, on my break, or lunch, or both.  Surely she couldn’t be gone from her desk the entire day.  And if she were out sick, they’d have a replacement there at the desk.  Then again, I’m not sure I’d want to see a replacement there because I’d probably like them more than her. 

I got back to my office and continued towards taking my nightly calls.  The chair felt comfy, very comfy.  I hadn’t really noticed it being comfortable before, but I’d take it.  Even my headset was comfy enough that it was sliding around on my head.  Not that I used it much.  By the time my first break happened, I’d taken maybe two calls, one being a wrong number call.  My mind was wandering, though.  As my first break alarm hit, I was a man on a mission.  A mission to find a very unpleasant person. 

I wandered the halls and up to the front desk again and again and again.  Every time I came up there, no receptionist.  I peered down the various halls and then went back up again.  I even stopped and waited for a while to see if she would get back from wherever she was before I would have to go back to break.  But, the longer I waited, the more I realized that I was going to miss her again.  So I went back to my office and would try again on my lunch break.  She couldn’t evade me forever. 

When I went back on my lunch break, it happened again.  I wandered, waited, wandered, waited.  It was like she wasn’t even there anymore.  But she had to be.  About half of my lunch was up before something touched my back.  I darted my head around, only to find the petite doctor looking at me.  The doctor, in front of me, in person.  Well that was a start.  She looked me up and down, asking what I was doing out in the halls alone, and she invited me back to her lab for the remainder of my break.  Taking whatever company I could get, I accompanied her back to the lab. 

A pitched creak flowed through the room as she pushed a small glass of tea my way.  “So, what were you doing?”  The question was a surprise for me.  I looked at her, a little dumbfounded, until she continued.  “I’ve seen you walking up and down the halls today.  On your breaks, I’d guess.  You almost looked like you were hunting something, or someone.  What are you looking for?” 

I looked back at her and took a sip of her tea.  I wasn’t one for being overly open about my feelings, but she was the only one around.  Maybe she had an answer.  “Well….” I began, slowly but surely explaining that I was looking for the woman who gave me the job and had spoken with me every day up until now.  She just looked me over as I explained the situation, nodding and listening every few moments.  It wasn’t long until my phone went off, signaling the end of my lunch break. 

I gathered my things, along with another cup of tea the good doctor had packaged for me.  On my way out, she spoke to me again.  “What does she look like?  If I see her, I’ll tell her that you’re looking for her.”  I turned around and nodded, explaining that she was a tall blond woman, the same that she’d seen me with my first day.  At first, she looked confused.  She cocked her head to the side, as if trying to process the information or trying to think of what to say.  I didn’t think I’d said anything wrong.  Eventually, she said she’d keep an eye out. 

I left the room and went back to the office.  I never did hear back from her or the receptionist that entire day.  ‘Maybe she had a day shift today’ I thought to myself.  I thought of it until I left.  Amazing, thinking and almost worried about someone who had been nothing but rude to me…