“Would you like some dessert or coffee?” The waiter smoothly offered us our options as he removed various lunch dishes with practiced efficiency. With a shake of my head, I declined his suggestion while I tried to keep my immense relief that our marathon lunch had finally ended from guiding my response. Even though I had resisted the urge to glance at my iphone while we ate, I knew that a significant amount of time had passed since we left the office. Sighing deeply, I considered the pile of work awaiting my return. At this rate, I wouldn’t be leaving the office in time to pick the kids up from day care. Mentally, I added calling my hubby to obtain his assistance to my growing list of tasks.
Suddenly from my left, the new employee joyfully announced, “I definitely want some cream puffs!” The air rushed out of my lungs at her announcement. Seriously? In disbelief, I turned to look at her. To my right, our lovely trainer chimed in with a request for a cup of coffee. Helplessly, I glanced across the table at my only ally. The look on her face confirmed that she also found their announcements rather unbelievable. Despite being of one accord, we were powerless to influence the situation. Clearly, our departure had been delayed yet again.
“And you, miss? Would you like some dessert or coffee?” I turned to face the waiter and then glanced back at the tray of delicacies he generously displayed before me. With the battle already lost, the desserts urged me to give in. “I’ll take that one,” I confessed. Glancing back across the table, my ally’s eyes clearly expressed, “Et too, Brutus?” (Shakespeare’s Caesar) I raised my eyebrows in return and shrugged my shoulders in an attempt to communicate, “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Unlike me, she refused to give in to the temptation. How I wish I had her will power!
The waiter returned to the kitchen and our new employee announced that she needed to find the ladies room. However, instead of making her way to the back of the restaurant, she wove her way around the crowded tables and headed right out the front doors into the sunshine. My silent question found an answer in the cigarette she pulled from her purse as she passed beyond my view. Mentally, I added this unexpected action to the growing list of unusual behavior displayed by the newest member of our staff.
A bit eccentric, our new employee sported bright red hair cut short and spiked high. With a petite frame and spunky attitude, she reminded me of a fiery pixie. While our office is a rather progressive, eccentric doesn’t describe the employee base. Generally, our staff tends to be rather young, energetic, and trendy. We seem to lack the normal office fixtures such as the odd smelling cat lady or the strange silent recluse. Hmmm…now that I think about it, maybe I’m the funny smelling and rather unconventional cat lady and instead of cats, I collect children. I giggled at the thought causing the others to look up at me in surprise.
As we waited for our desserts and coffee to be delivered and for the fiery pixie to return, we discussed the rather unusual journey that had brought us to this restaurant so far from the office. Our adventure had been doomed from the beginning. Confusion over our destination, inaccurate directions, and multiple u-turns had elongated our simple attempt for a quick lunch. The trainer assured us that the ride back would be more direct and less eventful. I clung to that hope.
Thankfully, the sugar did much to soothe my agitation. However, when the trainer asked for a second cup of coffee, my ally could no longer remain silent. Stopping the waiter by placing a hand on his outstretched arm, she firmly requested the check and didn’t let go until he agreed. Her insistence made me chuckle, which earned me a stern look for my response. However, even she couldn’t deny how absurd the situation had become. Despite her best efforts, a smile escaped and she rolled her eyes.
Eventually, we did leave the restaurant and return to the office. Happily, the ride back went smoothly as promised and we chatted pleasantly about the experience. In the end, our lunchtime exceeded 2 ½ hours!
While we had originally expected to grab a quick bite to eat, God had other plans for us that day. The initial frustration and anxiety transformed into humor and a shared experience that helped to build our relationships much faster and deeper than they may have developed on their own. The other day, an employee stopped me and my ally in the hallway and asked if we would like to go to lunch with the new employee. Our unified and quick rejection caused him to take a step back. We laughed at our response and at his expression.
It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade. Mark 5:34 (NIV)
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