Daring to be noticed for the first time in her life, she pushed her chair back and stood up. Channeling Renee Zelwegger in Jerry Maguire she said "I'm with you."
Nobody heard her mouselike voice. Clearing her throat, she repeated herself. "I'm with you."
James looked at her, "Oh um...anyone else?" he scanned the office hopefully. Everyone remained seated. "Oh um, great then. Thank you...who are you?"
"Sarah." she prompted, ignoring the disapointment on his face.
"Yes, Sarah. That's it you're in accounts, right?"
"Actually I'm one of the PAs." she was starting to feel a little disgruntled. She was the one who spent a full day searching the internet for his girlfriend's Valentines gift. He didn;t even know who she was. It was insluting, to be honest.
"Oh yes that's it. Sandy, the PA. Of course."
"It's Sarah."
He looked around. "What?"
"My name, it's Sarah."
"Yeah, thats what I said."
"You said Sandy." her cheeks were flushing with colour.
"Oh did I?"
she nodded meekly.
"Anyone else with me?" he changed the subject quickly.
Everyone remained seated still, though one man at the back had brought out some crisps, obviously enjoying the floor show.
"Really?" James said, somewhat angrily, "I'm doing this on my own. So much for solidarity huh?"
"I said I was with you." Sarah called out, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her.
"Oh yes, so it's just me and Susan?"
"Sarah."
"Yes, Sarah. Just us? I worked for this company for the past decade. I've put my blood, sweat and tears into this place and for what? Pushing me out for a younger model, huh?"
Anger boiling up beneath her skin, Sarah interupted him.
"Talk about self obsessed...."
"Sasha, I was speaking."
"It is SARAH!" she cried, her anger getting the better of her, "I am Sarah; and you are a pompous, stupid, arrogant, chauvenistic, lousy excuse of a man and I for one am glad they fired you. In fact if you ask me, it came about ten years too late."
"Sophie......"
The entire office erupted into applause, drowning out James.
"Hear, hear!" called one man.
"Couldn't have said it better myself!" said another.
James' face reddened with a mixture of shame and anger as he began to pack away his desk.
"Stupid Shannon." he mumbled as he made his way out.