Big Mouth In The Office

I head into the office for my yearly flu shot. I ride my bike. It is a nice morning.

I head in to say hello to Boris after the flu shot it done. Boris' office was empty, I stand at the door for a moment.

A temp financial accountant asks me if she can help me.

"No, it's okay, I work here."

She kind of looks confused.

I point to my office and tell her that is mine. It is next to hers.

"Oh," she says. "So you are the guy who has that office." She left out the word 'mythical' but I heard it in her tone.

"Yes, that's me."

She is filling in for the sexy Irishman who, I assume is on holidays, probably extended, probably in Ireland. She didn't say any of that, but I fill in the blanks.

Then there is another guy who I have never seen before introducing himself to me. "Hi," I say.

Then Joe comes out of his office and gets chatting, as Joe likes to do. He's the other gay guy in the office so we have a certain camaraderie.

Joe is asking me how I get away with never coming into the office.

"I don't know how I get away with it," I say. Immediately realising I am saying too much, but I have already started saying it. "I just," er somebody stop me, "do."

Then all three of them are talking about working in the office, or not, and I am thinking, beam me up Scotty, me and my big mouth.

So, I quickly ask about Boris, who, apparently, was working from home today.

Joe and I chat a bit more about Fitzroy, as he lives in Fitzroy too.

Then I excuse myself, and I get the hell out of there.

I'm kicking myself for such a stupid lapse, opening myself up for questioning about not being in the office as instructed.

As it turns out, Joe was leaving the next day, and the other two are temps so maybe I might just get away with it.

Stupid me, I tell myself, fancy letting all of that happen, I think, as I ride my bike up Collins Street in the sun.