≠ One
The clatter of her boots echoes through the narrow hall as she hurries into the room, coming to an abrupt stop and looking everywhere for what she has lost.
"Have you seen my-"
The blonde hesitates, waiting for any indication that the man with his back turned is listening. She clears her throat and tries again.
"Kevin, have you seen my-"
"Nametag?"
The redhead spins around in his seat, twirling the dull pencil he holds. Its plastic loop is stuck beneath the eraser, sending the tag swinging around the pink smudge and throwing the violent glare of the fluorescent light back in the woman's face. Kevin stares at her in disinterest.
"I took it off on my lunch break," she explains quickly. "I just realized I didn't have it."
Kevin meets her wide-eyed gaze without enthusiasm. She stares at him and he twirls it around his pencil.
"Can I have it, please?"
"Oh," he utters. "Sure."
She steps toward him when it becomes apparent that he isn't going to move, and he stops swinging the nametag around with reckless abandon. She gives a brief, frazzled smile, extending a hand to take back the rectangle of plastic.
Kevin withdraws his arm and moves the tag away.
"Can I-" The frantic intensity on her face hardens, her voice reshaped with the faintest hint of irritation. "Kevin, can I please have my nametag? Now?"
"Of course," he drawls. He extends the pencil once more. Too far behind to scrutinize the redhead any more, Gina wiggles the loop until it comes free. His bored gaze burns into her face, mocking, the entire time.
"Okay." The blonde is talking more to herself than anyone. She fastens the tag over her breast pocket and straightens the wrinkles out of her apron. "Thank you."
"Mmmhmm."
Gina turns to hurry back into the kitchen, pauses, and looks back at the man twenty years her junior. Green eyes hold her gaze with silent amusement.
She blinks, shakes her head, and rushes back to work.
So I made all of the Ed Edd n' Eddy characters in The Sims, as well as myself and my mom. What do I discover after playing a different household for a few days? That my mom and Kevin are not only coworkers, but "hot and cold" romantic interests! That's not weird at all.