*
Word that Colleen had been fired spread all over GSTS before lunch, and everyone was being especially quiet. The phones still rang, the machines still buzzed in the basement, and the printers still printed, but the employees wisely kept out of Nicole's sight and mind.
Maggie's coworkers were an interesting collection of people. Half were natives of other countries, and it was anyone's guess if they were there legally or illegally. A few of them still struggled to speak and understand English, but most were hard workers. Some were a great asset when it came to handling foreign customer service calls. There were, of course, several multilingual people on the nightshift as well as in tech support.
With her back to the isle that ran between the row of cubicles, Maggie had a small mirror on her wall, strategically placed so she could see who was behind her. Nicole walked past Maggie's cubical at least once every hour to go outside for a smoke, but she didn't stop to say anything.
As soon as Nicole came back and Jim tapped on her wall, Maggie grabbed her lunch sack and went outside. She rounded the corner, and went to the picnic table along the side of the building that sat in the shade of a big oak tree. Since they were taking a late lunch, no one else was there.
"Nicole changed her hair color again, I see," said Jim, sitting down on the bench next to Maggie.
"I know. It's hard to get used to when she goes from blonde to jet black. Why does she do that?" Maggie asked.
"She says it's to keep the man in her life interested."
"Oh. She can't keep him interested any other way?"
Jim sighed, opened his sack, and pulled out an apple. "I guess not."
"Does Hanna keep you interested?"
"See, there's the difference. I love Hanna and she doesn't have to work at keeping me interested. There is nothing better in the world than when Hanna curls up in my arms at night. I never get tired of it and I doubt I ever will."
Maggie sighed. "I hope to be in love like that someday."
"Okay, but only if I approve of the guy first."
"Very well, I shall have you meet every man I fancy until you find the right one."
"Deal."
Maggie opened her store-bought salad, added the dressing, found the plastic fork, and took a bite. She glanced around to make certain no one could hear, and then asked, "Did you find out why Colleen got fired?"
"They fired her for not going to the company picnic Friday."