Such a small company would certainly have its special qualities. When all the workers can hop into cars and drive off to an activity, it makes for a more fun workplace. And thus, the boss of Sigmund Corp. organized that everyone would be hiking to a stargazing sight that night.
Eva Rosalene was fond of this idea, although she wasn't sure what to expect. Certainly it would be entertaining to look at the sky with her friends. She simply hadn't done something along those lines in a long time.
The company gathered into several of the company cars then, and headed off for a drive. "It'll be great!" Roxanne, putting on a blue sweater, told Eva merrily. "We'll see the whole sky! Bonding is important for this job, y'know? The boss made a good call tonight!"
Eva nodded. She wrapped a scarf around her. It was only the beginning of Spring, and everyone was suited for the coldest case scenario. Dr. Rosalene and Winters headed into a car, which was also accompanied by Neil and Robert.
"Hello, m'lady." Neil said, scooting over to make room for his partner.
"Oh, shut up!" Eva said. She rolled her eyes as Roxanne giggled.
The sky was painted with beautiful pastel colors. Stars began to form above head. The night was growing and would be new. Eventually, the train of cars made it up out of the city, to a twisting drive up a mountain.
"We should sing a song." Robert suggest as he drove. "It's like we're on a field trip or something."
"Yea, if only you weren't tone-deaf." Neil stated matter-of-factly.
Rob grimaced. He turned on the radio, and Space Oddity was just coming on.
Roxanne turned around and grabbed Eva's arm. "Let's sing with the radio!"
Eva shook her head. "You know I don't sing!"
"Please!" Roxy said with a smile. "You totally can! And I love this song!"
Eva sighed and softly sang with her friend.
"Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills
and put your helmet on"
Neil realized then that he loved Eva's singing voice. He gathered the courage to tell her. "You…"
Then, Robert pulled the car into a mountainside parking lot. "We're here." He drove the vehicle into a space, and the other company cars (which were following close behind) came in parallel. Trees and bushes surrounded the area in a lovely photograph-friendly environment. And Roxy had a camera.
"Thanks for driving us, Bob." Neil said with a laugh as he hopped out.
"It's Robert."
"Rob."
Out of the trunk they retrieved some blankets. A minute's hike brought the company to a flat landscape near the mountainside. It was now fully nighttime; sprawled over the pitch black sky was an array of thousands if sparkling stars. Everyone "ooed" at the lovely sight. Neil laid down a blanket and casually lied down on it. Eva sat beside Roxy, who was wonderstruck at the magnificent sky.
"Amazing, ain't it?" Neil said from his nearby spot.
"Have you been here before?" Eva asked, turning towards him.
"My grandfather and I used to come hear all the time. It's when I started my caffeine addi-"
"Yea…you told me before. It was this place?" Eva said. "Wait, was it your idea for all of us to come here?"
"You kidding me?" Neil let out a seemingly genuine mock. "Why would I want to spend more time with you losers?"
Dr. Rosalene rolled her eyes for the hundredth time that day.
"But…" Neil continued.
"What?"
"It's nothing."
Eva stepped over and kneeled beside her partner. "Can't you tell me just this one thing?"
"The boss asked me where I thought a good place to go would be. So I said here. No biggie."
Eva looked around at the happy co-workers huddled on blankets stargazing. "It was a great idea."
A long moment's time passed. "Hey, Eva." Neil finally said in an uncharacteristic tone.
"What?"
"Can you keep singing?"
Eva blushed. He liked her singing? And why did she care? She felt awestruck. "Oh…okay.
"And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much
she knows"
She stopped when Dr. Watts had begun singing along. His voice wasn't amazing, but it sounded so special for some reason.
"Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit's dead,
there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?"
He stopped.
"Wow…" Eva said.
Neil chuckled, then took of his glasses. His greyish blue eyes even shown in that dark night. Eva stared into them, hypnotized at how solemn she was given the opportunity to see them.
"You really are something else, Neil Watts." She stated with a small smile.
"One could say the same about you, weird one." He lightly punched Eva's shoulder. A moment passed and then he spoke again. "It's freezing."
"Cucumbers." Eva said. "You didn't dress warm enough."
He stuck his tongue out and folded his arms tightly. Eva took off her scarf and wrapped it around his neck loosely.
Then, Miss Rosalene herself began to feel colder and shivered. Neil acted at this by wrapping the scarf around both of them. Eva blushed again. But after a minute she didn't feel so awkward.
"Can you hear me Major Tom?
Can you here me Major Tom?
Here I am I floating…"
Neil and Eva stared at the beautiful stars. Their hands interlocked, but the didn't even notice right away. Soon, they turned and stared at each other instead. Neil leaned forward and planted his lips on Eva's. He quickly leaned away in fear of getting smacked - but Eva kissed him back.
It wasn't until a bright, white camera flash from behind did they break apart. The two snapped around quickly to see Robert and Roxanne standing a little ways off. Roxanne had a camera in her hand, and she wore an expression you would see on someone who had been caught red-handed. Rob was smirking.
"$#!+!" Eva yelled.
Neil crossed his arms. "Delete that!"
"No, no. This is going in the company photo album!" Roxy said merrily.
"There's a company photo album?!"
"There will be now!"
Eva and Neil hastily bolted up. The whole rest of company was now interested in what was happening. "What's going on?" Eddie yelled above the commotion.
The black-haired doctor watched (trying not to laugh) as her co-worker chased Roxy around the site. The blonde woman eventually tripped and dropped the camera in some bushes. Neil was soon victorious after rapidly fetching it out. He walked back to Eva, looked down at the camera screen. It reflected off his glasses in a way that you couldn't read his expression. "Here." he handed Eva the camera. "You delete it. I…can't."
Eva took it and looked at the photo. She oddly couldn't bring herself to dispose of it. "Why don't we just bear with everyone seeing it."
Neil blushed.
Suddenly, Eva looked with a squint to where the camera had been dropped and received. "Oh. OH."
"What is it?"
Eva bit her lip. "It's dark…I could be wrong…"
Neil looked at her curiously, waiting for her next words.
"…That bush was poison ivy…"
Neil yelled and jumped. Eva laughed until she realized that the poison oils would have been on the camera she was holding too. She flung the heavy object in the air with a shriek.
—–
Everyone was laughing about this at work the next day, but Neil and Eva weren't amused. They both were suffering cases of itchy poison ivy.
"Yea, great trip idea." Eva told Neil in mock anger. But she realized she really had enjoyed that "field trip", and every event that had happened.