1640 words 12 min read
***
Leona was a free spirit. The woman was fearless and filterless. Howard was a man filled with filters, and rules, and inhibitions galore. She was lightning, and he was sand. I know when lightning strikes sand, we get glass.
They both were good separate, but no one saw the two of them together. No one but me. They were like sparks from fast train wheels on new tracks. In the dark, the spark beamed, from miles away. However, most people didn't see the blaze in the light of day.
They were that coworker twosome always talking by the cooler. Nothing sexy. Howard would never dip his pen in company ink. He had a career ahead of him. Everyone knew he was untouchable. Handsome, educated, endearingly geek. He was the son of the President of Enviro Sun Products. Leona and he worked in sales together. She had a degree from a community college out west which in no way compared to his degree from Harvard. But she knew people and was the number one salesperson for the national company. She never followed the script or plan. She was all guts and heart. She even had trouble following the dress code and was always pushing the limit. The two of them always had lunch in the cafeteria and he'd walk her to her car at night. They talked about everything and disagreed on it all. People gossiped. But they both insisted they were nothing more than friends, respected co-workers. I watched their friendship from my cubicle in the back near the air-conditioning vent. The damn cold air caused me to wear my gray button-up sweater even in the warmest of weather.
On Monday the President announced that we would have a team building outing on Friday. It would be at the beach, mandatory, and swimwear required. The day out promised to improve morale and expose us to the new company products; sunscreens, aloes, solar grills, a new line of solar speakers, fire-lighters, and even solar tents.
It was an excuse to get sun while learning the new product lines. These events were always filled with some office drama. Last year, it was the VP and his assistant getting more than drunk and more than friendly. They're married now, so likely no thrill-gossip there. My money was on Daddy's boy and that free-thinking friendly brunette, Leona. My sixth sense was never wrong. This year's planned trip to the beach seemed perfect. I might not need my gray sweater.
* * *
On Friday we all piled into the shuttles to the beach. Sitting beside Jake, from accounting, wearing his orange tanks and no shirt was awkward. For once I was glad to pull my gray sweater from my beach bag and cover up my cover-up and one piece.