Working during the last few days before a long holiday weekend can be a lonely task as almost everyone else uses vacation days to get as long a time off as possible. While it may be lonely at work, it is quiet and if you have work to do, you normally can get more done than at any other time of the year. Of course, if you don't have any work to do at the moment, then it is a good time to catch up on your reading or, if you don't snore too loudly, your sleep.
Most of the people who are working these lonely days will drag in late since their bosses are off, so the very few who do come in early, the building is practically empty. Since I like to beat the traffic in most days, I continue coming in early on these light days, traffic is that much easier and I can always slip out early. So when I walked into the lunchroom on that Thursday morning, checked in the plastic recycled bottles for contest bottle caps and then wandered over to the vending machine, I didn't realize I wasn't alone.
Looking over the selections in the vending machine I noticed a cinnamon roll dangling at the end of the machinery inside the glass. Apparently someone had purchased the roll and then it got caught in the mechanics of the vending machine. "Hmm," I thought, "Looks like it's buy one get one free," figuring all I have to do purchase another cinnamon roll and the one I buy will knock the dangler loose and I'd get both rolls.
I reached into my pocket, fished around for change and pulled out four quarters. I was about to feed the quarters into the machine when I heard a voice from behind me, "That cinnamon roll is mine."
The voice startled me and I nearly dropped my change. Looking in the far back corner of the lunchroom I noticed a short, wide lady sitting at one of the tables. Squinting, I looked harder and replied, "Lilian?"
"Yes, I've been waiting patiently for someone to come along and help me get that cinnamon roll."
"Well, I'll just buy one for myself and hopefully both will fall down," I said, stepping over to the vending machine. I was about to slip in my four quarters when I read the flashing red letters, "Exact Change Only." "It says, exact change..."
"...only, yes I know," she interrupted. "I could have just bought another if that was the case."
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see if anyone else has some smaller change," I said.
"But I've been waiting for what seems like hours. Look if you can get that for me, I'd do anything for you," she then looked me in the face, stepped up close enough to where her huge breasts rubbed against my chest. Turning a bit from side to side, she repeated, "I'd do anything."
I'm not really sure what I was thinking at the time, but I quickly turned and bumped against the machine. Nothing happened. Then I reached to the back corner, pulled it toward me, tilting the machine slightly on its front legs and then released it. The machine crashed down with a loud bang and the cinnamon roll dangled, swinging back and forth. I quickly pushed on the front top of the machine, this time tilting it backwards and then letting it fall forward.
That last maneuver did the trick and the cinnamon roll fell down to the bottom of the vending machine. I reached inside and pulled it out, but as I turned to hand it to Lillian, she was on the ground. "Lillian, are you okay?"
