Catherine Barbieri was not a quitter. Even though she had hated college, was bored to tears by her classes, she had gotten her associate’s degree and moved out of her parents’ house. Even when she couldn’t pay her rent on her measly salary from the deli, she had gone right out and gotten a position with a temp agency. She was a hard worker, so she never had a problem being placed.
As luck would have it, one of her temp jobs turned into a permanent position. It wasn’t the most exciting place to be, a fluorescent-lit paper company, but it paid the bills. Catherine helped with payroll, and that was dull but consistent. She entertained herself by rating the men of the office. She liked older men, so she ignored Jim. He was too floppy haired, too Hugh-Grant-in-the-‘90s for her. Kevin was a little too ribald for her- she liked a challenge, and it would be too easy to just wink right back. Creed was her go-to guy for herbal refreshment, and she couldn’t think of him in any other way. Dwight was a freak, Stanley was boring, Devon was even more boring, Tom was just plain weird, and Toby was an emotional minefield since his divorce proceedings had begun. That left Michael, and as luck would have it, Michael intrigued her.
From her first day on, she was so curious about this man-child who bounded up to her and acted just plain awkward. He was handsome and had a certain joie-de-vivre that the rest of the men lacked. She almost scolded herself for being fascinated by this man. Once he intrigue began, it seemed to come out in inverse proportions. For every bad joke he made, she’d notice that he always pressed his suits carefully, that his eyes were so many shades of brown, that he opened the door for anyone. He certainly livened up the work day. Catherine’s drive to succeed kept her there, and only once did he catch what was going on in her head, which was really the beginning of the end.
Just like every other day, he would hold the door open as she left the office to go toward the elevator. This day in particular, she dropped a folder, and he picked it up, all the while propping the door open with his foot so it wouldn’t close on her. The gesture was so sweet that she impulsively leaned down and kissed him right on the soft lips. He looked shocked, like a little boy given a big piece of candy without even asking for it.
Afraid of what might happen next, what she might do to him, she fled as fast as the elevator would take her. She knew she was being forward and breaking every HR rule in the book, but what was she supposed to do with that sexy man-child there every day, boring her to tears with his dumb jokes, as though challenging her to see the man underneath.
When she got home, though, everything changed. She innocuously picked up her mail and took it up to her apartment. She had a Christmas card from her Aunt Lois, whom she hadn’t heard from in a year or so. She had last seen her at the family reunion three years ago, Aunt Lois had been there with her husband, but her son was at camp, so Catherine hadn’t met her little cousin.
While she slid open the envelope, her thoughts swirled MichaelMichaelMichael through her head, and she tried to banish it. It wouldn’t be professional- this was the thought that was racing through her mind as she flipped open the card and saw the picture of Aunt Lois, Uncle Jeff and Michael Gary Scott.
Her lips tingled, her mind whirled, and just like that, Catherine Barbieri became a quitter, just as fast as she could dial Toby’s extension.
