Rabbit Hole on Mars - Day 11 (Nov 11) 742 words

Chapter 11

After the coffee meeting, Scott was alone in the control room checking all downloaded files from Frankie the rabbit for viruses.

In walked Donna, “Any luck?”

“Yeah, every file sent over had tiny virus bit torrents or tiny files and when we downloaded them all, we were hacked.”

“I've never heard of one of those,” Donna said taking a seat on the edge of Scott's desk.

“It's fascinating,” Scott said sarcastically, “Shouldn't you be at dinner with the boyfriend?”

“He's already at dinner, just not with me.”

“Yeah, late nights here.”

“That's part of it.”

“Part of what?” Scott asked.

“Working late here.”

“What did he break up with you or something?” Scott was staring at the screen, looking for abnormalities in the code.

“Yeah, he did.”

Scott stopped what he was doing and looked back at Donna, “I'm sorry.”

He's looking at me, Donna thought to herself. Actual eye contact.

Scott watched Donna's face scrunch, “You gotta sneeze?”

“No.”

“Good,” He went back to looking at code on the screen, “I've cut off Frankie's ability to ease drop on the room anymore.

“You're such a smart guy,” Donna said picking up the R2D2 figure from Scott's desk.

“You really know your pop culture. Donnie Darko? I'm impressed.”

A compliment? A man who knows how to make direct eye contact and gives compliments? Donna was floored. She had to start dropping some hints that she'd like to go out with him.

“No chance of getting back together with the guy?”

“Not anymore.”

“Well, good luck finding the next guy. You're kind of tall so it wouldn't work out between you and me.”

Sabotage. He was clearly sabotaging any chance to ask her out. Donna didn't understand how smart guys can act so dumb sometimes.

“I would never date someone like you,” Scott said.

Donna told herself to stay calm as he continued to wreck whatever was happening between them, “Oh yeah. Why's that?”

“We're about the same height.”

“That's okay.”

“No Donna,” Scott said, “I refuse to wear heels.”

Donna's cracked as smile. Her head was tipping down as she looked at him, “You're funny.”

“Hilarious. Some of us as destined to be single for a lifetime.”

Donna thought of anything to keep the conversation going, “You know what really pissed me off?”

“What's that?” Scott asked as he deleted several files.

“I bought tickets to see Taylor Swift with him.”

“You spent money on concert tickets for Taylor Swift?”

“Yeah and they're damn good tickets.”

“Hopefully you can find someone to go with you. Aren't all of her songs about her cats?”

“No, but I'm impressed you know she's a cat person.”

“I have a niece.”

“Oh, so you already know all the Taylor Swift songs?”

“Over and over.”

“You know I've got an extra ticket?”

“Very funny, Donna.”

Donna realized that all this chatting was very innocent and playful, but now she had to go in for the kill.

“Come with me the concert,” Donna said.

Scott stopped everything he was doing, “You're serious?”

Donna could see him contemplate whether to agree or not.

“If you're free in like two weeks, we should go. I'm sure you can sing along with some of the songs.”

“If I go, I'm not singing along to anything,” Scott said.

“Um, okay, well, I'm gonna go home,” Donna said stumbling backwards as she stepped away from Scott's desk.

“Okay.”

Donna cleared her throat, “I think you're a good guy, Scott. Brian and the group are lucky you are here.”

“You are a good woman, Donna. Now go home.”

“Yes...you're really going to go to the concert?”

“As long as you're not a psycho outside of work.”

“Nope nope.”

“Good night, Donna.”

“Good night, Scott.”

Scott closed out some screens. About another hour's worth of work before heading home. He found a mash up song of Nine Inch Nails' 'Perfect Drug' and Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off.' Right before he hit play to blast the speakers in the control room, he smiled and said to himself, “I kind of left out the part that my niece was just born.”