Elli shuffled the stack of papers on her desk and tried to look busy. No one had come in for the whole day, and it was still three hours until closing. Gill, the mayor's son, had remained alert and attentive throughout each hour, and he would be sure to scold her if it looked like she was 'shirking responsibility" by sitting in her chair and looking at the clock. So instead, she tried to remain standing and seem not bored.
She twisted her eyes at Gill for a moment. He seemed to be like a statue, as he had been for the whole day. As she remained watching, his mouth opened and the smallest yawn ever created was born.
"A-HA!" Elli shouted in the silence. Gill nearly jumped out of his clothes as her voice echoed throughout the empty hall.
"What—by the—what?!" he stammered, an unhealthy twitch developing under his left eye.
"You're bored out of your skull, too!" Elli crowed triumphantly. "Let's call it a day and go home!"
Gill tried to compose his startled features into stern ones. "We must always provide Waffle Town with the best service and must always be ready in case of—"
"Yeah, yeah, tell it to Hamilton, like he'll care. He's home, too!" Gill continued to stare stonily at her. Elli sighed and fixed him with a disbelieving stare. She thought for a bit before playing her trump card.
"Luna's not coming today. I heard from Yolanda—she's got a fever."
Gill seemed to be struggling with a blush before he finally declared, as if it had been his idea all along: "Elli, I believe we've offered the town our best services. I think it would service the town even more if we continued our, er, work, at home."
"Wahoo!" Elli cried, throwing the papers into the air in jubilation. "Thanks, Gill! By the way," she added as she raced to the door in a very unlady-like fashion, "Luna's perfectly fine."
The tingling of the door's bells as she exited blocked Gill's shout of anger, but she barely had time to feel guilty as ten minutes later, she saw Gill stealthily heading home, too.