They all burst out laughing as she walked into the office, well actually Gerry was sitting in the corner being grumpy but Brian and Steve were both in fits of laughter.
"Told you she was sleeping with Strickers!" Steve said through his hysterical giggles, his statement only adding to the grumpy look on Gerry's face.
"You what?!" Sandra screeched as she spat out the coffee she'd just drank.
"You and Strickland. We're totally fine with it Sandra." Brian told her as she turned her head to Gerry who was quite clearly not okay with what he was hearing.
"Where did you get the idea of me and him from?!" Sandra asked with extreme confusion.
"Well you went out looking normal and came back without tights out and the buttons on your blouse aren't done up right any more." Brian told her.
"So you assumed that..."
"Well you did go for a 'meeting' with Strickland!" Steve laughed at his own choice of words.
"Yeah a meeting not to sleep with him!"
"We aren't judging you Sandra." Brian insisted.
"Even if I was sleeping with Strickland, which I'm not, do you really think I'd ever let it interrupt work?!"
"Well if you aren't how do you explain your top and tights?!" Steve asked as he was still convinced she was with Strickland.
"I must have caught my tights on something because when I looked they were laddered so I went to the bathroom and took them off."
"And your top?" Gerry finally spoke from the corner of the room.
"I had a glass of water while I was in the meeting with Strickland and I managed to spill it down myself so while I was in the bathroom I took my blouse off..." The boys stared at her in shock. "Oh for God sake, I'm wearing a vest top underneath! Anyway I tried to dry my blouse underneath the hand dryers, I must have done it up wrong again, I hadn't even noticed." The boys still stared at her in disbelief. "For God sake, my blouse is still wet and I'll get my tights out of my bag if you want."
"It's fine we believe you but how do we know you aren't with him?" Steve asked.
"He annoys me just as much as he annoys you, only I have to listen to him. There is no way I could put up with him at home as well as here."
They now all seemed content with her explanation and set about returning to whatever they'd been doing before she'd arrived.
"Gerry a word." Sandra called from inside her office. "Close the door." She told him as he walked through. "What was all of that about? Surely you knew the truth?!" The look on his face told her all she'd needed to know. He'd also believed that what the other two were saying but now felt guilty for it.
"Sorry, it's just sometimes I wonder why you're with me when you could have someone younger and better looking just by clicking your fingers."
"I stay because it's you that I love and don't you forget it!"
