Growing into the Job, Post 482: People Are Still Weird

So, yeah, that was my conversation with Josie that Sunday. So much for a relaxing morning with coffee and porn at home….more fires to put out. Whatever it was that Marisela and Stephanie got into last night was totally above my pay grade but I figured I should do something about this group of people that just couldn’t f-in stay away from Melissa and were gathering outside the office. Anyway, after that, I had paperwork to pick up from Sheryl that I had to get to Melissa. We were going to meet for lunch at some Mediterranean place we both like in the city. I also figured that I could bring Melissa whatever these people were going to leave her, if they left money or gifts or whatever again.

The thought of that, actually, made me kind of shiver, and not in a bad way. I thought back on the day before, that Saturday morning when I’d given Missy the first envelope of what felt like - fuck, let’s not mince words - offerings, money and notes that the crowd had left.  

At first, it had been just one of those routine moments: me doing what I do, running around like always, helping keep Missy happy and the office from falling apart. But then she opened it, the fucking envelope, and everything about her shifted. At first I was a little taken aback, a bit, by the sudden change in Missy’s vibe. There was a strange new intensity in her eyes. It was something hungry - but at the same time it was fucking magnetic. It was clear that this wasn’t just about the money - it was something kinda, I dunno, deeper. It was like she saw something in that envelope that fed a part of her that she didn’t even know was starving. Something was awakening in Melissa, and I’d known her long enough that I could sense it. It was kind of unnerving, but also fucking thrilling because I knew it meant something more for me, too.

When she’d told me to ‘get more’, I nodded like the good little worker bee I am. Hell, I even smiled back, which is insane because, at that moment, I could feel the tectonic plates (you like that? Dandi Randi with the vocab lol) of our friendship shifting. She wasn’t just Missy anymore - my quirky, slightly clueless friend who spills coffee on her spreadsheets and had opened more tubes of lip gloss than textbooks. This was someone new. Someone entirely new. And me? Like I said, I immediately agreed, running a hand through my messed-up hair and getting ready to do exactly as she asked. It was weird but it was like something woke up in me too, like I had a new purpose. And when Missy smiled at me I swear my heart fluttered, and I knew that something big was just beginning. She was becoming something more than just my friend or our boss. Should I be excited or terrified - or maybe both? 

And that envelope? It wasn’t just cash. It was a sign. The first sign of something big, and I somehow knew it wasn’t going to stop. Missy wasn’t going to stop. And me? I figured I’d better get used to running myself ragged for her, because this train wasn’t slowing down anytime soon. Melissa was transforming us all into something far more than what we were before, and that envelope was a sign of what was to come.

So, anyway, the group outside the office was back, this morning. Of course they were. It wasn’t enough that I had spent all of my weekend juggling paperwork, phone calls, and running around like a headless chicken for Melissa. No, now I had to deal with her fan club.

Honestly, though, could I even call them fans? They felt more like…something else, and as I stared at my closet I wondered what you even wear to address a group of fucking disciples. Josie wasn’t wrong, though - they left money. So, I finally settled on an orange dress, some tall boots and - in a last minute impulse - a charm on a wide choker that seemed kinda ceremonial. I grabbed my keys and headed out. The office wasn’t far, but the drive felt longer, my brain buzzing with a cocktail of irritation and anticipation.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I wasn’t surprised to see the group already there and bigger than yesterday. Great, I thought, they’re multiplying. Maybe two dozen or so people, clustered like moths around the glow of the Far Horizons logo on the glass door. Some had brought signs. Others had what looked like gift bags. A few were just standing there, heads bowed, like they were waiting for some divine fucking intervention.

Taking a deep breath, I straightened my top and made my way toward the crowd. Their murmurs quieted as I approached, all eyes turning to me with a mix of reverence and curiosity.

I stopped a few feet away, scanning their faces. Mostly women, a couple of guys, all of them looking at me like I held the keys to some kingdom.

“Morning, everyone,” I said, keeping my tone even, though I couldn’t help the slight edge of sarcasm that slipped in. “You’re here early.”

A ripple of nervous laughter spread through the group, and I let myself smile - a small, tight thing that didn’t quite reach my eyes. 

“Melissa can’t be here right now,” I continued, holding their attention and hearing something different in my voice, a strength that came from somewhere new, “But if you’ve got something for her, I can make sure she gets it.” I glanced at the cluster of gift bags and envelopes near the door, suppressing a sigh. My job description just kept getting longer. “And if you’re here to see her…” I paused, letting the words hang in the air as I set myself up in front of the crowd and tilted my chin up so I could look down on these peasants, “...I’ll need to know why.”

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thank you to ElephantPorn for help in the image