Angela had very strong opinions. Not many people knew very much about her, but everyone knew that. Her personal frame of morality was pretty cast-iron too, if a little difficult to predict.
If you asked her co-workers (at any rate those that were unfortunate enough to have regular dealings with her), they would put it like this: one-third Christianity, one-third conservatism and one-third whatever gets her her own way the fastest.
If you asked the one person who really knew her, he would put it like this: She's wonderful. But she drives me crazy.
Angela's opinion of office romances: vulgar, inappropriate. Angela's opinion of pre-marital sex: tawdry and whorish. Movie Monday? A waste of everyone's time. Euthanasia of sick animals? A good way to preclude entry into Cat Heaven.
All of these of had vexed her to a greater or lesser degree over the past two years, although most could be easily dealt with when your personal worldview is "do as I say, not as I do".
Angela's opinion of extra-marital pregnancy? Something she really wished she didn't have to deal with right now.
Especially not while driving.
Unfortunately, distracting herself with thoughts of other things didn't automatically mean thinking about something pleasant.
Promiscuity!
Angela yanked on the steering wheel, muttering to herself.
That stupid man at Phyllis' wedding!
Neglected to mention your promiscuity! Idiot.
She hammered the horn at the driver in front.
How dare anyone accuse Angela Martin of promiscuity? Was it promiscuity to stick by someone through thick and thin, despite his (many!) failings and weaknesses? To protect their secret and keep their business private for two whole years? To trust him with one simple task...
Distraction or no, best not to follow that thought. There were things to be said and done this evening, at her destination. No sense in going into it boiling mad and spitting with rage.
No indeed. Angela Martin was much, much better at anger than that.
Like at Phyllis' wedding. She hadn't bitten that stupid man's head off. She hadn't chewed Phyllis out for her terrible taste in friends.
She'd simply quietly and calmly funnelled her outrage into her everyday dealings with Mrs Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration.
Frankly she didn't even know why she was thinking about that know-nothing veterinarian anyway.
The narrow-minded fool.