A Lunch

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I took quick steps to the break room, knowing one my coworker would catch up if I was too slow. 

"Headin' to the fridge?" one asked as I opened the fridge door.

"Yeah," I said, grabbing my lunchbox. The fridge smelled like deviled eggs and sandwich meats. I took my time, but my coworkers waited by the elevators.

"Oh y'all could've gone down," I said. 

"We wouldn't leave without you," they replied. I grimaced.

All of our microwaves take three minutes. Three fucking minutes. Even with napkins I can't hardly touch my glass tupperware without burning a fingertip. Damn thin napkins.

The lunch conversation dragged. I tried to pick it up with an off-color joke. It was met with discomfort, but I managed a pained smile.

"But what do you guys think about Hiroshima?" a coworker asked. 

I remained silent, my pained smile becoming more painful. 

"I think it made the Japanese think twice," said another. 

I piled my grease-stained napkins on a tray to leave. Then my boss sat down. 

"Now y'all have to stay here 'til I'm done," he said. It might have been a joke. No one left.

"This request to get a customer set up at a new plant has been tough," said one, switching the conversation from politics to work. I imagine he thought the boss would like that.

"Oh," muttered the boss, not bothering to look up from his Freebirds taco salad. "What are y'all up to this afternoon."

"I'm going to get this situation fixed," continued the coworker. "I think it'll be done by end of day."

Then the boss sighed, snapping a plastic lid shut on his half-eaten lunch. He raised his eyes to the ceiling and tucked his chair beneath the table, limbs moving stiffly.

"I'll be working on this buyback issue I'm having with one of my customers," I said. I thought he might like that.

"Stay out of harm's way," he said with a small laugh. I laughed too—though I didn't get the joke. 

Our elevator stopped at floor two on the way back up, where another manager waited to enter.

"I'd have to report myself if I let you in," joked the boss, noting the elevator was at max capacity by Covid-guidelines. "Covid would know if one more boarded." They both laughed.

I tongued chicken from between my teeth and wandered back to my desk to see if there were more e-mails. 

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