- Vol. 06
- Chapter 03
Dissatisfaction
it’s Monday
M for meeting
and Mandy
who'll be looking smug
the lift button still doesn’t work
Doors opening
twenty minutes late
tight smiles all round
look down
and frown in the fuss of
unzippingbags and throwingmycoatoverthechair
switch on
sit down
breathe—
tea
mug teabag milk spoon
rinse
Mandy is telling Adam
how her cake raised thousands
stir
Adam gasps indulgently
he has a laugh like money
stir
they would make a good couple I need
to speak to him about the report only
one day until the deadline
Dissatisfaction
ten thirty am right
let’s get this done
whatsapp
Doors opening
spotify
sip
‘Annual Report 2018’
sip
page 12
(Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, Mozart)
look up
out of the window
and into next door’s shadows
two guys are carrying whiteboards
as though they’re dancing
one of the
in front other
they go round once
again and again
what are they doing
bright lights meeting
with Adam in an hour
need to call bakery about
birthday cake
Dissatisfaction
Doors openinglunchtime
Meera has Wasabi again
Doors opening
the microwave melts our plastic-box meals
there’s a queue
Google search
calling bakery
why don’t they ever answer
there’s no milk
the office manager sighs
Doors opening
five to three
tea no milk
the door clicks
closed
Adam and I
he has a stain on his shirt
I explain the difficulties of the report
there’s not enough data
he says budget is tight
the format didn’t work last year
he says this year it might
a train passes underground
we schedule a meeting next week
Dissatisfaction
the guys are still wrapped
around whiteboards
dancing
I adjust the levers on my chair
Doors opening
whatsapp
Doors opening