Company BBQ

Odd flashes of orange and wisps of red in broad daylight should’ve told Anna everything she needed to know before she stepped out of her old, beat-up car. However, she was too busy psyching herself up for the next awful day at the office. Well, not awful, but certainly boring. The only thing she could classify as awful was her boss’s voice echoing in her ears for coming into work an hour late again. In the back of her head, she wishes to tell him that that's what two jobs do to a person.

Unsealing her eyes, she stepped out of the car, astounded by the new sight. In front of her, the building she’d interned and eventually worked at was up in flames. And not just that, her colleagues were watching the fire burn the building to ashes and smoke right in front of her, some lurking closer to the spectacle than others. 

“I thought you weren’t coming to work today,” Bill said, body leaning against his car with a lackluster expression on his face. 

Just like usual he looked too…professional for the situation, his hair still slicked to the side, his khakis still ironed, and his squeaky clean 2019 Buick Cascada still sat in the designated "employee of the month" parking space. The only thing that confused her was how he wasn't bowing before the remains of the building whilst sobbing in typical goody-two-shoes fashion. 

“Well, you were wrong,” Anna replied dryly, mouth slightly agape. 

“I feel terrible for saying this, but part of me feels relieved,” Bill murmured. 

“Relieved?” She understood now, that the apparent blankness of his face wasn't blankness at all, it was the realization that the weight of his job had just melted off his shoulders like butter. 

“Yes, Anna, relieved. It may not seem like it, but I actually like my outside life more than my job.” And at that, Anna had to nod her agreement. 

"You know what this reminds me of?" Anna began. 

"What?" 

"That company barbeque we were supposed to have a few months ago," 

At that, and Anna's quickly diminishing shock, Bill laughed. 

Andrew, one of Anna’s younger colleagues, appeared beside the pair, scratching his head in confusion. “Uhm, guys? Shouldn’t we call the fire department?” He said anxiously. 

“Wait!” Anna and Bill said in unison while Bill continued.

“Let’s enjoy this for a while,” Anna said. “No one's getting hurt anyway.” 

And, although concerned, Andrew silently watched the flames along with them.