"ISN'T IT A WONDERFUL MORNING IN DOWNTOWN LOOONNDDOOONN!" I slammed my hand down hard on the radio, sitting up and rubbing my stinging palm. Once I realized that I hated talk radio, I used this to my advantage in getting up at a reasonable hour. Mornings consisted of getting up, showering, making a nice breakfast and taking easy. At exactly 9:10 I left the house, got a lift from my creepy neighbor to the bus stop. First job was at the local Veterinarian Clinic. I just took phone calls and helped out cleaning up pee, it was a good job really. That was a Monday to Friday gig that went from 9:30 to 4:00 then I got home, got changed and ate what ever I could. From there I left around 4:45, jogged to the small wood fire pizza place and got changed from the long jog, helping set up and then waitressed...if that's a word. That was all week accept Sundays and it started at five, usually meant I was home before ten. Accept on Saturday nights that sometimes went late. Then Sunday I had all day to myself. It was a tiring time, but I've been doing this for five months and so far I haven't passed out from exhaustion.
"JOSH YOU BETTER NOT USE ALL MY WATER!" That was a lie, it was our water. Josh and I had been mates for a while and even though he was two years younger, we were practically family. If you are wondering why I work so fucking hard, its because I want to go to Hawaii. Not backpacking, like really go and have a holiday. Then I can come back and settle down, but for now I'm working my ass off because I've always wanted to go. So to make enough money for the holiday and enough to keep up the bills of the house we just bought, I'm going to work my ass off.
"DON'T WORRY, I'M DONE!" He called back, the water getting turned off almost as soon as he spoke. One problem I had was the fact Josh was...well he played the drums. He was a cute nineteen year old who moved out of home because he had a fight with his parents, and I had no problem letting him crash with me. But when he is just in a band there isn't that much income coming into the house. Plus what ever he does make gets deducted from the booze he drank that night. To sum up, I do a lot of carrying him around.
"Okay sweetie I'm going to work now, its already nine. If you finish your jam sesh then please take a picture of the shopping list and pick up some stuff." I spoke to him walking around the whole house, picking up my gear and watching Mr. Simon's honk his horn in front of the house. One day that man was going to drive straight past my bus stop, keep going to some park and rape me.
"I'll see, there are auditions for a band around town so I might be late home." Josh walked into the kitchen wearing nothing but a towel hanging around his waist. I put my sunglasses on, pulling a water bottle from the fridge and nodding.
"That's nice hun, please get dressed at some point. Bye." I kissed his cheek, running out of the house and hopping in the car. Oh good, Mr. Simons.
Time, 9:26. Loved being on time. I pushed my key into the door, yanking it open and turning on the lights. It was a small reception area, pale blue lino on the floor and a few magazine stands around the uncomfortable chairs. Radio was usually low, nothing we could change since we lost the remote long before my time. The rest of the room was stands of pet food and toys, all things to just add to people's final bill. I put my bag down, shivering at the cold and looking around for the remote to the heater. That was something I did need to find.
"Don't like being late, do you?" Carol, one of the vets observed walking in just as I was sitting down at my desk, 9:30 on the dot. I shook my head with a grin, if I had to have a reputation I would defiantly like the on time gal.
"I'm not complaining." Michael grinned walking in behind her, lunch box in hand and a smile on his face. Carol was my boss, Michael was hers. I've crushed on Michael since I met the guy but I was 90% sure Carol was sleeping with him, and like they say 'Don't shit where you eat'.
"Neither am I. Just saying for a nice young girl like you we would expect you coming ten minutes late wit ha hangover." We. Pfft. They didn't speak together. And I still loved how she treated me like I was this big fat hoar, purely because of my age.
"Oh no, none of that for me. Work, work and more work. When I went out to pick up the Labradores, was there a call from the shipment of treats?" I was searching through the notepad we kept near the phone for calls, the curtosy was to write down any details for when I wasn't manning the phones. Carol was in charge of that when I was gone, but of course she is usually too busy giving goose faces to Michael to actually do her job. Lord knows how she gets more than me.
"Oh I don't remember. Your job is to man the phones." Thanks Carol. I nodded, sticking my head down and starting to fill out the requests for the treats. I obviously was not going to get them in so quickly.
"Hey, how were the pups yesterday?" Carol had already walked into her examination room so I was now free to speak to him.
"Adorable." I smiled, him laughing at me. It was bad because what I said wasn't a joke, but it was good because listening to him laugh was like sex.
"Why are you laughing?"
"I meant healthy. We found them dumped."
"Yer yer clean and healthy. But the runt of the litter was sucking on my finger! Oh it was fricken cute!" I stopped myself there, trying not to look like a hysterical five year old. He leant on the table, about to say something but then stopping himself and straightening up. I watched his sexy butt remain so solid as he walked into his room, myself sighing. Two other vets needed to come, then Jessie the adorable sixteen year old kid who needed some extra cash. He was basically the only person I was in charge of, which meant I wasn't the lowest on the food chain. Yes, it does feel good.
I hate the vet for many reasons. Animals pee all the time in this place. I hate little kids, and kids loving coming with their dog to get shots. Its hot in the summer and cold in the winter so there are a lot of negatives about the job. But one of the positives that seem to beat all others...we have a cage next to the desk. This is usually filled with either kittens or puppies or all other cute things.
"I'm going to name him Arnold because he's big and tough." I had pulled a tiny grey kitten that was making a nuisance of himself up on to the desk, now he was settling very comfortably on my scarf. There was a small water bowl in the cage and even though there were at least five other rascals in there with him, he was always the one to stick his paw in too hard and yank the thing over the edge.
"Isn't that right?" I stroked his tiny head, Arnold not moving as he remained settled comfortably on my silk scarf. Trying to let him sleep I pulled my drawer out carefully, reaching for a small bag of fairy floss. Fricken best snack food in the world.
"What are you still doing here? I thought you were always on time." I nearly dropped my bag, hysterically searching through the sea of shit Carol left when looking for a pen.
"Oh my God! Are you serious? I'm ten minutes late!" I started shoving things into my bag, grabbing what ever I needed. When working many jobs at once, you can't be off my three minuets let alone ten.
"Goodbye small cat." He let out a yelp as the tiny creature was brutally awaken, him getting dropped back in the cage as I ran out behind the desk towards the door.
"Why are you so set on being on time? Ten minutes is barely anything." He asked as I picked up my coat from the floor, pushing the door open with my ass since hands were overflowing with things.
"Cause that's ten minutes out of my eating time and then I have to go to the restaurant late and then I don't get to go to Hawaii." I ran out watching my bus doors close. I have never run faster in my life and just as I reached the stop the bus' engine started to turn on.
"WAIT PLEASE!" The lady driver took pity on me and opened up the doors, myself sighing with relief.
"I love you." Pretty creepy but I was very happy that I didn't miss that bus. Haven't yet and don't plan on it.
The next day sitting at the reception, I noticed times when nobody was in and then when the entire London population brought in their animals. From 10:00-11:30 I found nobody came in, not even deliveries. I took this moment to do a little research. Michael Holmes, didn't have a Twitter account. Didn't have Instagram...but he had Facebook. Oh this is good.
"What do we have on you..." I clicked around, seeing if his account was...public! Nice photo, lots of animals. Oh cute puppy! Look who has been stalking his account. When I was in college I took a couple courses in computing. You would think that's where I picked up hacking, and you would be half right. I picked up a guy named Tim, and he taught me everything he knew. Had good fingers, nice and quick.
"What are you clicking away at?" Michael asked as I jumped in my seat, watching him sit in the waiting room seats. At least he couldn't see my monitor.
"I'm just sending an email." Ridiculously fast? He didn't believe me for a second, but I tried to move on as I clicked around hysterically.
"So why are you out here with your lunch wrapped up all nice?" I peaked over my screen, watching him unfold his wrapped sandwich and pick one half up with a smile.
"Wouldn't want you to have lunch by yourself." He must be speaking about the packet of lollies I had next to me. I didn't eat that well, but since when I did eat it was all lollies I kept a pretty good weight.
"Thanks that's nice." I looked back at my screen, my hand nipping into the bag before going back to the computer. I was an amazing hacker, not many walls could stop me but I never used it for evil. I paid for my music, I barely shopped online. It was more of a past time, practising coding and things like that. Everyone needs a hobby.
"Just as I thought..." I whispered to myself, Carol had been visiting his page an awful lot for a stalker. In fact it was pretty much always open. Wouldn't it be horrible if someone redirected her search...
"You aren't sending an email are you?"
"No, but your my boss so why would I really tell you what I do on my computer?" He nodded, definitely not wanting to know what I was doing before looking back down and finishing off his sandwich.
"Have fun with your email." He walked back into his room, myself grinning. I was going out tonight, I never went out. I did still have the restaurant, but I might ring in and tell the boys I couldn't hang around for long...maybe I could call in sick.
"MICHAEL!" I called out as though I was hurt, picking up the phone and dialling. He sprinted out, stethoscope knocking his chest as he turned around swiftly.
"What did I say about doing that? One day there will be a bear." The number rang in my ear, him walking up to the desk looking pretty pissed off.
"I need to borrow you for a sec...hello is David there?" I asked trying to sound as congested as possible. There were strange noises, people calling out before the phone was picked up by none other than my other boss. Michael knew I moonlighted and he didn't have a problem with it, now I was just going to push it one step further.
"Hi David, I'm terribly sorry to bother you but I am currently sitting at the doctors now sick as a dog. Would it be a bother to take the night off?" David was a complete ass hole, if I rang saying my mother had died he would want a death certificate. Good thing I had a doctor right in front of me.
"I want to speak to your doctor this moment right now, that's not a problem is it?" He asked so positive that I was scratching my ass at home. I worked my ass off for that bloke and he still didn't trust me. Shame really.
"No, he's right here. I'll go get him for you." I added a cough before pulling the phone away from my ear, covering one end and quickly briefing Michael.
"You are my doctor and I have the flu." Before he could protest the black corded phone was pushed to his ear, him rolling his eyes. Oh this was fun.