Monday. Yes, there was definitely something different about Monday this week. A change in typeface perhaps, or a few appointments moved around? No. No, that wasn't it...
Colias Palaeno scanned down the sheet of paper that had been newly pinned on his noticeboard- following last week's catastrophe with the diplomat from Borginia and the subsequent angry this-would-not-have-happened-if-you'd-just-checked-your-damn-schedule-Colias scolding he'd been treated to by Manny, the ambassador had resolved to check his appointments every morning. And what better day to start than Monday, a fresh start in all senses of the word?
Then it struck him. Quite how he'd failed to notice the absence of the day's most important ritual, Colias wasn't sure and surely it had to be a mere oversight on Manny's part, this glaring omission. Deciding, as he always did, to give his secretary the benefit of the doubt, he heaved himself up from his swivel chair (a good investment if ever there was one- much better than all that stock market nonsense Manny was so fond of and comfortable too) and knocked on the door of the office that adjoined his. Being technically the one in charge, knocking was not of course necessary, but Colias had always got the feeling that it was his secretary, not himself, who was really in charge of the Babahlese embassy and barging in without knocking just seemed so...impolite.
"Come in!" came the familiar voice, just as he'd known it would and Colias pushed open the door and entered the room.
"Did you get the new schedule?" the other man inquired, rubbing his eyes.
Manny really doesn't get enough sleep.....
"Uhh, yes, I did, but there was something I wanted to ask....." Colias trailed off, feeling almost a little guilty for picking faults in something Manny had spent a long time making.
"What did you want to ask?"
"Where's Snacktime, Manny? I looked all over the schedule and...Snacktime isn't on there any more."
"Are you....being serious? This is work, Colias, snack on your own time!"
To see the look on Colias Palaeno's face at that moment in time, one would have thought his house had burned down or maybe he'd just been served divorce papers. No Snacktime? It was unimaginable. Though it wasn't so much the idea of Snacktime as...
As having someone to spend Snacktime with?
For the most part, his office was empty throughout the day- Manny tended to spend the day in the adjoining room and while talking with representatives from other countries might be interesting, they were hardly friendly conversationalists. They didn't keep his office tidy or tell him off for making said office untidy or sit on the edge of his desk and chat to him over tea... No, they certainly didn't do that. Snacktime was really the only time he didn't spend alone, if you didn't count all those fascinating diplomats.
And so, possessing as little subtlety as Colias did in facial expressions, it was fair to say that he looked pretty much near heartbroken. And not being made of stone, it was also fair to say that Manny Coachen felt more than a little guilty.
"Okay, I'm sorry, I'll-I'll shift some things around and see if I can fit it back on. Happy now?" he offered up, clumsily reaching for his boss's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Manny wasn't prepared for the whirlwind of Happy Hurricane Colias that descended upon him at these words and in between the worrying thoughts that he might very well end up with broken ribs from such a bone-crushingly affectionate hug, was the more worrying one that actually it was kind of nice. The worrying part being that it was definitely the "we should do this way more often" kind of nice.....
Releasing his grip on his secretary, the ambassador stepped back, noting with concern he seemed to be having difficulty breathing.
"How about Snacktime now? You look as though you could do with a drink!"
"Or a new ribcage... Why are you so mad on Snacktime anyway? I didn't think you even liked snacks all that much." Manny remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't really. But that's not what I like about Snacktime." Colias smiled, that huge Disneyfied smile that was much too big for his face.
"What I like about Snacktime is spending it with you."