A/N: They're back in the office, complete silliness ensues. Tee hee. I'm so fourteen years old today, I can't stop giggling. Ermahgerd, me love dese goobers.
Happy unofficial last day of summer to my fellow Americans! It's 91 degrees Fahrenheit and HUUUMID in the Midwest. For everyone else, I'm sorry today was a regular Monday.
Anna's phone buzzed as she was walking into the building at 7:42 am. She grinned at the picture of Poppy in her Elsa costume, sitting at the kitchen table. Daddy made pancakes for breakfast!
She shifted her purse to reach for the key to the front door. The lobby lights were off, but a gleam from the file room meant someone was already there. Thomas or Andy, she guessed.
"Good morning, Anna – it is Anna, isn't it? Anna Bates?" She turned around, recognizing the tall figure of Richard Carlisle waiting for the elevator.
"Yes, yes it is," she said. She knew that John had met him at various functions, but it felt strange for him to speak to her. "Good morning," she said awkwardly, not wanting to be rude.
"Is it true, the rumor I heard over the weekend? That Charles Carson and his office manager Elsie Hughes are engaged?"
She could not read his expression at all. "Yes, it is true. They got engaged on Christmas Eve."
"How romantic," he said, sounding the opposite. They both turned when the double doors to the outside opened and Phyllis and Joe came inside, clutching large coffees. "Give them my congratulations, please?"
"Of course," she said. The elevator doors opened and he entered. She fished out the key and opened the front door, letting the others in.
"Thanks," Joe said. "What did Carlisle want?" He set his drink down on the receptionist desk and took his gloves off.
"Wanted to know if the rumor about Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes was true," Anna set her purse down on her chair and turned on the lobby lights. She took the cup from Phyllis with a grateful sigh. "You're a godsend, Phil, I know I shouldn't have caffeine, but I really need some this morning." She took a long sip, eyes closed. "Nectar of the gods, that." Madge wandered down the stairs towards them, saying hello.
"Half-caf, just like you ordered," Phyllis said with a grin. She glanced out at the lobby, a smile playing on her lips as she removed her scarf. "He didn't look too happy, did he? Joe and I were talking about that on our way in."
Joe leaned against the desk as Thomas and Andy came out of the file room. "He tried to ask her out years ago. She turned him down flat," he laughed. "As if she'd go out with him."
"Really?" Andy asked, his mouth dropping open. "Carlisle asked Mrs. Hughes out? Who all has she gone out with?" He looked at Madge, but she shrugged.
"Only Mr. Carson for the past year. Or so I've heard," Thomas said, reaching for Anna's drink. She slapped him on the wrist.
"Get your own! This is mine!"
"Oooh, someone's hormones are out of whack. You must be pregnant," He pretended to be hurt, but leaned over and yanked on her braid.
"Children, behave," Phil mock-scolded. The phone rang, an inside call.
"All of you, shut up," Anna picked up the phone, frowning. "Carson, Crawley & Bates."
"We got back at fucking eleven o'clock last night, or I would have called you! Oh my God, you'd better have details," the distinctive tone of Gwen Dawson-Lee rang over the line. Anna laughed.
"Is it Gwen?" Thomas asked. "Ask her if Jimmy's in yet, he was still home when I left-"
"Is that Thomas? What a coincidence, I've got Jimmy sitting in a chair, feet up on my desk. And Jane and Ivy just walked in," Gwen explained. "So spill, since I've got an audience." Her voice sounded distant. Anna knew she'd just put her desk phone on speaker.
"I've got an audience here, as well. And yes," she said in an undertone to Thomas, "Jimmy's in Gwen's office right now."
"Let me talk to him," Thomas said, grabbing at the phone. "I was still half-asleep when I left this morning, didn't have enough brain cells to tell my man I loved him-"
"First of all," Anna said, blocking him, "If you want to tell Jimmy you love him, call him from your desk phone, not mine, or better yet, call from your cell. You know how Mr. Carson hates personal calls from the office phones-"
"Ha! As if we all don't hear you telling your man you love him every day-"
"Would both of you shut up about your men and tell us about the proposal!" Gwen yelled.
"Hey, I'm right here!" Jimmy said, sounding offended. Anna could hear giggling in the background from Ivy.
"They went out to dinner on Christmas Eve, then walked by the city park, where that gigantic Christmas tree is," Anna began. Everyone crowded around her desk until her view to the main lobby was totally obscured. The front door clicked shut as Alfred came in.
"What's going on?" he said to Phyllis.
"Anna's telling us about the proposal," Madge whispered, leaning on her elbow.
"Oh yeah, I want to hear about this," he said, a grin breaking over his face. Anna continued.
"She said they weren't talking about anything much. He joked about going ice skating with her-"a titter ran through the group, thinking about Mr. Carson skating-"and she said they'd better not, that she'd fall and break her neck, and then he'd be stuck with her." Anna stopped, smiling at everyone.
"Then what?" chorused several voices on the phone.
"She said he stopped and took her hand. Then he said, and I quote, 'But that's the point. I DO want to be stuck with you'."
A soft awwwwwwww came from over the phone and in the lobby.
"That doesn't sound very romantic," Andy said under his breath. Thomas elbowed him in the side.
"And then he pulled out the ring from his pocket and asked her to marry him. And she said yes, of course she'd marry him," Anna finished.
"That's lovely!" Jane said over the phone.
"Good for them," Alfred said as he and Joe grinned.
"It sounds like him," said Phyllis. "Formal and adorable all at once."
"Are you calling Mr. Carson adorable? Mr. Molesley will be jealous…" Thomas said.
"Who's adorable?" A curious voice with a Scottish accent said behind Alfred.
Everyone turned around so fast Elsie almost laughed, but she caught herself just in time.
"Anna? Are you there?" Gwen asked.
"I have to let you go," Anna said quietly. "I'll call you back later." She hung up as everyone stood around the desk, looking like deer in headlights.
"Well, I hope you all had a pleasant Christmas," Elsie began, taking off her gloves. "I know it's a quiet week, but don't you all have work to do? It's eight o'clock."
Everyone scattered. Thomas and Andy went back into the file room. Joe, Phyllis, Madge and Alfred went upstairs.
"It must be a busy morning," Elsie said, her eyes twinkling in amusement. Anna bit back a smile.
"Yes, very busy," she agreed.
Out of the corner of her eye, Elsie could see Nathan Spratt and Gladys Denker attempting to eavesdrop from the mail room. Across the hall, the door to the file room was open, no doubt with two men waiting with baited breath. She could barely make out the top of Alfred's head as he casually leaned against the upstairs rail, Madge and Joe next to him. If they want a show, I'll give them one.
"Anna," she began, her voice louder than usual, "I have an appointment at 8:45 today, so my door will be closed."
"An appointment?" Anna asked in confusion, paging through the docket. "8:45? With who?"
"Mr. Carson. I'm planning on making wild, passionate love to him for approximately an hour and a half," Elsie said loudly. There was a loud thump from the mail room as Spratt dropped a box.
"I see," Anna said evenly, as she fought a smile. "Do you have any other appointments today?"
"Yes," the office manager continued, her voice raised. "At 10:30, I have an appointment with the managing partner, in his office. He's going to bang me like a gong until noon-"
A loud ring came from upstairs as Alfred smashed his knee into the metal rail. Behind Anna, Thomas slammed the file room door shut. Elsie lowered her voice.
"I might as well have some fun with the rumor mill. I'm going upstairs."
"See you later," Anna said, choking down the rest of her espresso past her tears of repressed laughter. Even though he was spending a welcome day with their daughter, John would be sorry he missed this.
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Elsie dropped her purse onto one of the chairs before turning on her computer. She glanced out the window, where she could clearly see Charles's car, running, in his usual parking space by the front doors. She pulled out her phone.
Elsie Hughes to Charles Carson, December 28th, 8:04 am
Don't tell me you're going to sit in your car all day
Charles Carson to Elsie Hughes, 8:04
I'm just boosting my courage
EH to CC, 8:04
Are you waiting for little Charlie to calm down?
EH to CC, 8:04
Sorry, I shouldn't make fun of you
CC to EH, 8:05
What are you wearing?
EH to CC, 8:05
Why do you want to know?
CC to EH, 8:05
If I know what you're wearing, I'll be more prepared. If you're wearing that black skirt, I may as well go home
EH to CC, 8:06
I'm wearing jeans, a white shirt and my lavender cardigan
CC to EH, 8:07
Jeans!? What possessed you to wear jeans to the office?
EH to CC, 8:08
The dress code's casual for the staff this week, business casual for the attorneys. YOU made sure to tell everyone that before Christmas
CC to EH, 8:08
At your suggestion
EH to CC, 8:08
A suggestion which you were wise enough to put into policy
CC to EH, 8:09
I brought you coffee
EH to CC, 8:09
Thank you, darling. Why are you still in the car? It'll get cold.
CC to EH, 8:09
I told you, working up my courage
EH to CC, 8:09
Dinner's at my place tonight, I'll work you up. My fingers need a workout…
CC to EH, 8:10
You're not helping
EH to CC, 8:10
Me straddling you while you sit in that oversize chair. Moving sloowly over your groin area. Speaking of oversized…
EH to CC, 8:11
I told the staff you'd be banging me in your office
CC to EH, 8:11
WHAT!?
CC to EH, 8:11
I am speechless
EH to CC, 8:11
I'm sure you won't stay speechless for long
EH to CC, 8:12
Really, love, come inside. Give me my coffee and a nice sweet kiss on the cheek. We can save the banging for later.
CC to EH, 8:13
Imagine me kissing you, my lips on your *favorite place*
CC to EH, 8:13
My hands on your perfect breasts
EH to CC, 8:14
Stop. How am I supposed to get any work done?
CC to EH, 8:14
My mouth on yours, tongue inside, me undoing my belt…
EH to CC, 8:14
STOP IT, CHARLES CARSON.
CC to EH, 8:15
You started it. You and your banging…
EH to CC, 8:15
It's hot in here
CC to EH, 8:15
Good. Now we're even. I'll be in in a minute.
He strode into the building, deciding to go up the stairs in front of the front desk instead of the stairs from the main lobby.
"Good morning, Anna," he said. Someone peeked from the file room. It looked like Andrew.
He climbed the stairs, saying good morning to anyone he saw. Phyllis stepped out of her office, to the left of his corner one, as he approached.
"Good morning, Mr. Carson," she said, smiling. He stopped for a moment to chat.
"Hello, Phyllis. Did you have a good holiday? How did the skiing go?"
"Yes, it was lovely. Skiing was fun." He raised an eyebrow.
"How did Mr. Molesley do, skiing? It was his first time, wasn't it?"
She nodded. "He did all right. By the end of the weekend, he wasn't falling as much." She clasped her hands together. "If I may, Mr. Carson, congratulations on your engagement. I'm very happy for you."
"Thank you." He smiled warmly. "We haven't made any plans yet."
"I'm sure I'll hear about it when you do." She turned and went back into her office. He walked into the office to the right of his.
"Good morning, Mrs. Hughes." She was sitting, staring at her computer. Her hands were on her keyboard, but they were not moving. She looked decidedly flushed. He put her coffee down on her desk and leaned over. She tilted her head for him to kiss her cheek, but at the last second he moved and slid his mouth over hers. He pulled away slowly, feeling her bottom lip between his teeth.
"G-good morning, Mr. Carson," she said, her voice shaking. Pleased, he marched into his office and turned on his laptop. His phone buzzed.
You'll pay for that later, Mr. Carson.
He replied with a huge grin on his face.
I look forward to it, Mrs. Hughes.