A Different Kind of Jinks

Before I walked away, I asked each of my five co-workers and my boss if they needed anything.

"Batteries, if you don't mind," said one.

I took one last look around before taking the long way up to the front desk, key card in hand, to grab a mini-notepad. Walking quickly past the sales team on the other side of the office, I stopped for a brief chat with Charles, the sponsorship sales kid, before hurrying along my way to the front.

When I got there, the head of human resources, a large, jovial man, was maneuvring his way around two large boxes while a pretty young woman was stooped over behind the desk, changing into her heels.

"Hello, how are you?" he asked me as he worked his way to one side of the boxes.

"I'm great," I said. "I just need a notebook."

"You know where it is...help yourself." He began talking to the pretty woman who was now hanging her coat as I reached into one of the closets behind the desk to grab a small notepad. I began to walk away and did an immediate about face.

"Oops! I forgot batteries!" The head of human resources pulled a packet out of a drawer and handed them to me. I looked at the girl as she prepared to sit at the desk.

"New hire?" I asked.

"No," he said. "All of our team is out sick today so I called a service, she is just here for the day."

When got back to my desk, I looked at the other two co-workers in my pod who have NOT been out sick for several days with the flu in the recent weeks.

"Guys, the whole human resources team is out sick today-crazy right?" I said.

As though we had practiced it a million times before, we each reached for our mini hand sanitizer bottles. Like a synchronized swimming team, we popped open the lids, shook some liquid into our hands, set the bottles down, and rubbed our hands together while shaking our heads.

Maybe, just maybe, it will pass us by. One can always hope, right?