He sits down at the desk where they keep the family computer and powers it up.
His wife, loading dishes in the dishwasher, catches what he is doing and calls to him from across the kitchen, yelling over the music she has playing. “I know you’re not about to do more work right now.”
He smiles in response, not looking up from the screen, the glow illuminating his face with pale light while reflecting off his glasses. “Promotions are given for a reason dearest. I can’t slack off now.”
“Mmmhmm,” she mumbles disapprovingly. “Just don’t be too long. You’ve spent many a long night working towards this thing. Now that you’ve got it your little girl needs some of your time.”
“Chelsea’s not so little anymore darling.”
“Exactly. And don’t tell me what I already know. I’m the one dealing with her while you’re in cyberland or spreadsheet circus or wherever it is that you go when you’re on that thing.”
As if on cue he opens his latest spreadsheet. He smirks again at her playful banter. “Just a few minutes, promise. I need to have these financials ready for tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, but you promised her you’d help with her Chemistry studying too.”
“I will, I will…” he says but his clacking of keystrokes is already overcoming her clanging of dishes. He updates a few cells when a Direct Messenger window pops up. “What the…okay what’d I do now?”
“Hmmm?” Kim asks from the kitchen. “You say something hun?”
“No, it’s okay, just something of Chelsea’s she probably left running in the background. I must’ve hit a key that opened it is all.” He moves his mouse towards the top of the window, noticing that the name is Jamie Tellers. Probably a homework collaboration. Jamie and Chelsea are in the same grade, and the Tellers live just a few doors down. He works with Jamie’s father, although sparingly given their different departments. The families had known each other for years on account of the girls, even had each other over from time to time. He is about to close out the window when a new message pops up, and then several after it.
Can’t help feeling it’s just another Affirmative Action thing.
Seriously, you should have gotten that promotion, but given the choice.
They’re scared about that whole Charlottesville thing that happened. That’s why they gave it to Dave. Old bastards.
