FUNNY BUSINESS III: MIND GAMES
A/N: After Funny Business II, I had several requests for a 'trequel' - and, in fact, I had already decided to do one! This little story strand has been such fun to write. I hope you enjoy the final instalment...
Oh - and perhaps I should add a NC warning (no coffee near your computer/phone), just in case.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x
The unthinkable had happened. Adam Ross was late for work.
Blame it on the car that wouldn't start. Blame it on the train that pulled away just as he reached the platform. Blame it on the businessman whose foot was just that little bit too big and who tripped him up in the middle of the street, sending hot dog, paper, messenger bag and loose change flying everywhere.
One disaster after another. This was a very bad morning. As he hopped into the crowded elevator seconds before the doors closed, pulling his bag through in the nick of time, Adam's nerves were jangling. He took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down, earning curious looks from the office workers who were jammed in around him.
Adam, the human sardine, he thought, with a high-pitched, involuntary giggle. Curiosity turned its head and pretended not to see him any more.
"Sorry," he muttered, feeling rather foolish. Stupid sense of humour...
Reaching the 35th floor, to everyone's relief (including his), he popped out like a cork, and ran into Sheldon - literally.
"Oh - Doc! I'm so sorry..."
Sheldon grasped his arms. The lab tech was clearly distraught. "No harm done. Adam, are you okay? You look a little... flustered."
Adam straightened his face with an effort.
"I'm fine. Just running late, that's all. Bad day..." He offered up a shaky smile that was a poor reflection of Sheldon's own bright grin.
"By the way," the doctor said, "Melissa's looking for you."
"Who?"
"Melissa Snyder?" Sheldon gave a shrug. "Said it was urgent. Don't worry. I guess she'll find you."
"Um - okay..."
With a vaguely troubled expression, Adam watched the doctor set off down the corridor.
Melissa...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Time passed.
Adam was nose to screen as he battled with a rather nasty computer virus, when all at once he became aware of someone standing behind him. Someone silent.
Mac?
He turned - and jumped.
It was Danny.
"Hey, buddy. Didn't your mom ever tell you that you'd get square eyes if you stared at a screen for too long?"
"She did," Adam sighed. "But I'm not well known for my listening skills. What can I do for you, Danny?"
Holding out a flash drive, Danny looked apologetic. "Bit of an issue with this. I dropped it down the... well, let's just say there's some water damage. Can you fix it? Mac needs these files, like, yesterday..."
"I guess." The lab tech stared at the tiny device and tried to sound hopeful. "Sure. I'll see what I can do."
"Okay." Danny slapped him on the shoulder. "You're the man." On his way to the door, he paused as he remembered something. "Oh - did you know Ms. Snyder was looking for you? I hate to say it but she didn't look happy. Watch your back."
"I... Dr. Hawkes said something about it before. Who...?" Adam stuttered - but Danny had already left.
The lab tech's eyes glazed over as he delved into the deepest, darkest corners of his memory. Snyder. Melissa Snyder.
Nope.
Nothing.
What was going on?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Break time. A mug of pure caffeine and three scoops of sugar. Anything to keep him going. Adam's head was in a whirl. Crossing the room with his steaming dose of rocket fuel, he spotted Mac at an otherwise empty table, and paused.
Tricky.
What was the protocol in a situation like this?
Sit down next to the boss, uninvited? Try to hold a civilised conversation, even though he could barely string a coherent sentence together right now?
Or walk on by and pretend that he hadn't...
Oh.
Too late.
Mac looked up and smiled
"Hello, Adam. Sit here," he said with a friendly wave. "There's plenty of room."
"Thanks, boss." The lab tech's grin was fixed, and slightly manic. Why is he here? Today, of all days? The man never takes a break... "Um... taking a break, are you? That's nice..."
Chair. Grab the chair. Sit down.
There. Easy.
Adam breathed.
"You look stressed," Mac observed. "Ms. Snyder gave you a hard time, then. I'm sorry."
"No... um. I haven't exactly found her yet." Adam's eyes were wide. "She's still looking for me, is she?"
"Last I heard." Mac took a neat sip of his coffee.
"Boss..."
Who is she? Adam's brain prompted, helpfully. Go on - ask him.
"Who..."
But he got no further.
Don Flack stuck his head round the break room door and beckoned urgently across the room. "Mac, come on. We gotta go, right now! No time for coffee, okay?"
Mac gave a weighty sigh and turned to Adam. He set his mug down on the table top. It was still half-full. "You'll clear this away for me, won't you?" he said, as he hurried from the room.
"Yes, boss," Adam whispered to the empty space beside him.
A sudden wave of panic rose up and threatened to choke him but he squashed it down.
Why wouldn't someone tell him what was going on?
Was he in trouble?
That must be it, he thought. A hard time, Mac had said. Hard time about what? What did I do...?
Try as he might, Adam couldn't remember.
Taking the two mugs back to the sink, he rinsed them carefully and put them to drain on the side. Then he stumbled back to work, keeping both eyes peeled for the dreadful Ms. Snyder.
He rather hoped that he could avoid her.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When Adam returned to the AV lab, he found one of Jo's post-it notes stuck firmly to the frame of his computer screen. A message was scrawled on the yellow square in her bold and messy writing.
Somehow, before he even looked, he knew. What else could it be, on this crazy, mixed-up day?
With a sigh, he detached the note and read it.
'Melissa Snyder,' Jo had written. 'Mac's room. 1pm. Don't be late.'
Oh God...
Is she going to fire me?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
By the time that 1 o' clock arrived, Adam was quaking in his beloved Converse sneakers. Sure by now that his job was on the line, or that he was in for the ear-bending of the decade, he forced himself to walk down the corridor to Mac's office. Next stop, firing squad. Out of the corner of his eye, he measured the distance to the elevator. Just in case.
Call it a back-up plan.
Peering through the glass, he saw that someone was sitting in Mac's chair - and it wasn't the boss.
Adam blinked and rubbed his eyes.
He tapped on the door and entered.
"Adam. There you are," said a cheerful voice. Lindsay folded her arms and grinned at him smugly.
Wheels were turning in Adam's head. Suddenly, he felt extremely stupid.
Melissa Snyder.
Lindsay Messer.
Tricked by an anagram. The shame was intense.
"You're kidding me, right?" he groaned, as the rest of the team filed into the room through the opposite door. Every one of them was smiling at him. Even Mac's eyes twinkled. As for Danny, he rubbed his hands with glee at their victory.
Adam ducked his head - but a smile had begun to dance on his lips too.
"Yes," Lindsay giggled, "I am. And this time - I win!"
Game over.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first two stories in this series. And thank you to Myriad-13 and the Guest who asked for more.
This story is part of the Prank Challenge (Guys v. Girls). At last - a point for the girls ;D