Parked in a Ditch

By David O. Zeus

The course of true love ne'er did run smooth for a middle-aged, middle manager stuck in the mire of administration. A Short Story (10,200 words approx.).

• Language: English
• Publisher: David O. Zeus
• Release date: Jun 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310992797

David O. Zeus

A UK-based writer of short stories (and a few longer ones in due course). See http://www.davidozeus.uk/ for details.

Book preview

Parked in a Ditch

A Short Story

by

David O. Zeus

Table of Contents

I. A Plan.

II. A Plan. Plan B.

III. Plan C. Plan D.

IV. Plan E.

V. Plan F.

VI. Plan G.

About the Author & Copyright

Copyright 2015 © David O. Zeus

Parked in a Ditch

– I. A Plan –

He was somewhere in middle-management. She was in the secretarial team. He was single, over one whole decade older than her (even closer to two small ones), in reasonable physical shape and of sound mind. She was in her mid-twenties with hair (long and brown). He had hair (some and brown). On his purchase of fashionable, thick-rimmed spectacles, colleagues likened him to the comedian Eric Morecambe (without the jokes). He had gleaned somewhere that she might have a boyfriend – the degree of ‘seriousness’ of which, he was unsure. He had noted her charms over the two-and-a-bit years they had worked in the same organisation. They interacted at regular intervals and engaged in cheerful chat whilst always maintaining their professional relationship. There was no flirtation and he had never targeted her for banter. It would have been inappropriate for him to engage in such things (or so modern society preached, he noted with sadness). Thus was he left gasping in the twenty-first century office.

He had had a ‘busy-headed’ few years, but the troubles had subsided and he was beginning to think of lighter, warmer things. Quite by chance (sort of), he was moved into a shared-office arrangement with the secretarial team. The boss had thought that he should become more closely involved in the work in which she herself was involved, which prompted thoughts to turn over in his head. Not that he was looking to get involved with her, but by being acquainted with the work in which she was involved, then maybe the grounding for them to become further acquainted might be laid (ultimately leading to something more than acquaintances …. at a later date, in due course, possibly). Thus his thoughts turned and turned. It was progress, anyway – sharing an office. Besides there was no rush. She wasn’t going anywhere.

‘I’m leaving,’ she cheerfully announced one morning two weeks into Operation Bliss. ‘Will you be my referee? Please?’ she asked him.

He was happy for her. He did not have to hide his anguish because it would be noted by neutral observers that a team-player leaving a team was a cause for anguish for everyone. Sobbing inside, he laughed and joked about the effectiveness of any job reference he might write – after all it might result in them sharing an office with each other for many more years to come, he joked.

Sadly, the prospect of any prospects with her seemed to lessen in the days following the news. One step forward two steps back, he thought. That’s life. No sooner had he been promised a little bit of the promised life, a curtain is pulled back to reveal the