Friends With Benefits

- Dane Barrie

GUESS what? Awful Annie is emigrating with her family to live in America in three months’ time,” I told my friend Busi as we sipped our after work margaritas.

“I sat behind her on the bus home yesterday and she was on her cellphone telling a friend she was leaving. I didn’t intend to eavesdrop but she has such a loud voice people two seats away would’ve heard her.

“I certainly won’t miss her,” I continued.“In fact, when it’s officially announced that she’s leaving the company and the position is vacant I might just apply for her job.”

Annie was the personal assistant to our boss, Mike Redstone, the youngest of the three partners in the advertising agency Redstone, Tiffle & Badger, where Busi and I worked. If a person could be summed up in one word, then “attitude”would be the word to describe Annie. She was bossy, rude and sarcastic to the staff but flattering to clients.

“Why don’t you try for it?” Busi asked, “I’m sure you know enough to do her job, you like Mike and he seems to like you, and you’re so much nicer than Awful Annie.”

“Don’t you want to try for it?” I asked her, “You’ve been at the company longer than I have and are more experienced.”

“Not for me thanks, Thabile,” Busi replied. “I have far too full a life without taking on a job that involves so much overtime, thanks very much.”

My friend Busi has the sort of face and figure that make men turn their heads and walk into lampposts when they pass her in the street. She’s drop-dead gorgeous. She’s never without a boyfriend and has a very hectic social life.