This choice: The growth is slow, and Bill has to go to a meeting. • Go Back...Chapter #4The growth is slow, and Bill has to go to a mee... by: t. jay   It turns out wishing something to pass you by actually makes it stay for longer.
That's how Bill found himself in this meeting covered head-to-toe in sweat. He had kept his composure to enough to look his superior in the eye as he went to his unofficial seat in the hall, but he knew it was only a matter of time before his stomach reacted badly.
If the drink was even a laxative. He found himself thinking.
Daniel, his favorite coworker, kept sneaking him glances as the presentation went on. The man found himself sweating more and more, and the ticking of the clock seemed slower and slower as he willed every inch of his body not to move. His body, however, had other ideas. Bill swore that his clothes were gradually getting tighter and tighter, but with everyone spaced out and sitting he had no way to prove it.
Finally, the end of the meeting came, with most of his coworkers filtering out first, before his boss also made his way out. Bill knew that normally he'd be one of the first out - the bi-weekly meetings usually fell at the end of the workday, anyways.
But not today.
Once he was sure that everyone was out, he stretched his legs and got up. What he wasn't expecting, though, were the tears that accompanied him standing. The middle-aged man paused, noticing the tears at the bottom of his slacks and on his suddenly very taut sleeves. Bill shrugged.
Guess he was bloating in more ways than one.
He passed back into the common work area, noting his boss patrolling the empty desks for anything out of the ordinary. Bill resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The man in charge, Adam, could be a lot to handle sometimes. A perfectionist at best, an idealist at worst, his vision for the company was superhuman.
Too bad he and his coworkers didn't fit the bill.
"Staying late?" His voice rang, pitched like a pubescent teenager.
Bill bit his lip to prevent from snickering. "A little. Just had to reconcile some notes from this week's meeting."
Adam raised an eyebrow, still not looking him in the eye. "And what type of notes were you taking?"
Bill's eyes flickered to the bathroom. He didn't have time for this.
"Just on what I could do better next week. I have a few reports I didn't get in, so I think I'm gonna cut my lunch break by 5 minutes so that we can meet the efficiency quota you mentioned."
Adam nodded in approval. "That's what I like to hear."
Bill rolled his eyes as Adam's form retreated back into his office. He was barely in his thirties. built like a twig, and thought he could call the shots because his dad owned the company. The man grumbled as he pushed the bathroom door in, locking himself in a stall.
He was still sweating by the time he sat down. Hopefully, whatever this was would just go away now.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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