That Little Souvenir
Jayne’s got the respect of her colleagues, but is that enough? Time to use Plan B (Friendly).
The pitter-patter of rain against the office roof did nothing to soothe Jayne today.
Normally, the grey-beige coloring of this work building was comforting. The bonafide Good Place. From the uniform cubicles to the predictable schedule. Hell, even the roundtrip traffic had become somewhat nice over the last few months.
Going to work was cyclical—something she could rely on when other aspects of her life were going tits up.
That’s not to say it was always easy. Working as an executive assistant to the director could get hectic, sure. But her forward-thinking tactics and organized approach to problem-solving usually saved them before true disaster struck. After salvaging a particularly brutal fiasco involving an email with the wrong Samantha CC’ed, her boss no longer micromanaged her.
It could be nice here.
It had taken a while for the staff to get used to Jayne. Showing up to work in the same outfit every day like Steve Jobs had been…a choice. A fantastic choice for her own planning and sensory needs, but still. She knew that owning five pairs of the same cardigan and trousers would be a statement, nonetheless.
People were too nice to mention it at first. Then they got over themselves—the unfamiliarity and professional distance quickly swallowed up in the delirious routine of seeing the same faces more than their families. Tentative questions turned into teasing morning remarks and puns that rhymed with her name.
She’d shut them down almost as soon as it started. They needed to take her seriously or her career would never progress. Before long, the jovial smiles and teasing greetings had tapered off into cordial nods and small talk about the weather. Until…
Well, until they’d stopped completely.
Jayne didn’t notice it at first. The office was blessedly quiet already and her own thoughts were so, so loud. Until last week, when she’d entered the break room for lunch only for the laughter of a rather boisterous table to suddenly cut off—the following pause almost surely in its third trimester.
Now, her thoughts were louder than ever.
Jayne’s parents always told her work wasn’t about making friends. You don’t need to be friends to be friendly, right? Just keep your head down and get the job done. And professionalism was marketable…
…Right?
She wasn’t too sure anymore, to be honest.
"Was I too harsh in my approach?”
“Maybe the teasing was their way of welcoming me. Like light hazing…”
These questions had been ping-ponging around her head, consuming her thoughts between meetings. A chasm was growing between her and the rest of the office. She had to do something and fast.
So, Jayne devised a strategy to bridge the gap: Plan B (Friendly). Pretty self-explanatory—and foolproof—if you asked her. Humans have been buddy-buddy since the dawn of time; this should be a no-brainer.
With complete faith in her success, she implemented this approach almost immediately.
Starting out strong, she offered a smile and a "Good morning!" as she passed people in the halls. No one seemed to hear her soft voice, though.
No worries. Undaunted, she tried again. During the Wednesday meeting, Jayne asked a random coworker if they enjoyed their weekend. That seemed like a promising start before they volleyed the question back at her. Completely unprepared, she fumbled, "Well, my neighbor's cat died."
Jayne - 0. Office - 2.
She thought she might be able to turn this around when the security guard waved her goodbye as she signed out on Thursday. Heartbeat fast in her chest, lips twitching, she moved to raise her arm—
“Thanks again, John!”
“Bye, Steve. Tell the kiddo I said happy birthday.” John replied behind her.
Oh.
Jayne - 0…Office - 3.
So.
Now it was Friday.
The usually calming sound of rain outside did nothing for Jayne’s nerves or mood. After rolling around in the hay with her insecurities, Plan B (Friendly) was failing epically.
She felt like ET without an Elliott.
The thought of having to switch jobs again hurt too much to consider…
Heading to the last meeting of the day with a muffin, she quickly skirts the edges of the conference room with her head down, prepared to take notes in silence.
The room is a bit loud as several men discuss last night’s football game, their voices bouncing off the cramped walls. What the hell is a “halfback”?
Jesus wept, blend in, blend in, blend—
“Hey, you! How’s it going?”
She looks up, surprised to realize she’s being addressed.
It’s Rachel—the Operations Manager…?—smiling down at her with kind brown eyes.
“Mind if I sit by you?” Rachel asks.
Still too stunned to be engaged like this, Jayne blandly nods, scooting her bulky office chair over to make more space.
Their side of the room is eerily quiet compared to the rest. They still have another 5 minutes before the meeting starts and several key people are missing. Without anything interesting to say, Jayne asks, “Would you like half of my muffin?”
“Oh yes, please! I should’ve grabbed something from the break room before sitting. This place is too small for the lot of us. Thanks a bunch! You’re so forward-thinking, Jayne.” Rachel says, still chipper as ever.
This was her first time speaking with Rachel, so the familiarity was foreign to say the least. Also, Rachel talked a lot. Note to self: do not engage when you’re in a rush.
“I’m actually glad I caught you before the meeting...” Rachel hedges. “The head guy wants us to brainstorm ways to streamline processes. Have any ideas?”
The week was still wearing on Jayne’s nerves. She could see the company parking lot through the window over Rachel’s shoulder. A deep yearning to just leave and disappear almost overtook her.
Too weary to keep up the put-together-professional act, she answers honestly. "No. Didn’t you know? Being boring and forgettable are my superpowers."
Large brown eyes clouded over with what seemed like indignant confusion. “What do you mean "boring"?! You’ve got to be the most talented and efficient person in the office. It’s why I wanted to sit by you. I’m trying to absorb whatever magical juju you’ve got through osmosis.”
Jayne was dumbfounded. Surely this woman is joking with me? She looked painfully earnest, though...
“I guess I’ll allow it.” Tinkling laughter swelled within their little pocket of quiet.
It was nice.
As she packed her bags and shut off the cubicle light, Jayne’s shoulders eased a bit. The small line between her eyebrows smoothed. Her computer bag felt less heavy.
“These ideas are brilliant, Jayne! Let’s meet every week to brainstorm like this.”
A small warmth blossomed in her chest; she could finally take a deep breath.
“Bye, Steve!” She waved, her voice finally carrying on her way out.
“Bye, Miss! Drive safe.”
Yeah. This was a good place.
.
.
.
Thanks for reading the first story in Golden Ripples, a Divergent Digest series of short stories capturing characters overcoming insecurities and social challenges.
Go out there and be someone’s Rachel.
♫ Golden Ripples Soundtrack
This week’s story was inspired by “Here’s Where The Story Ends” by The Sundays. Maybe give it a listen when you get the chance! 😊
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