Characters

• Marie: main character, female
• Justin: main character's husband, male
• Lacy: main character's co-worker/best friend, female
• Zack: Office Manager at Marie's job, male
• misc. office workers

Fire Drill

*Marie sitting at desk, bored, pretending to do work, watching the clock*

*fire alarm siren goes off, Marie looks up in alert, everyone standing up looking confused*

Office Manager: Listen up, everyone! Unfortunately, your day has been cut short due to some issues down in the basement. We need all of you to evacuate the building. Hopefully, tomorrow we can resume work as normal as long as the electricians can resolve the problem. Fortunately, you all will be paid for the remainder of the day, however if the office is closed any day after today you will not be compensated for those days. Therefore, everyone cross your fingers and pray that these electricians get the job done! Pay attention to your e-mails, for that is how you will be notified of when the office is back open. Drive home safely and enjoy the rest of your day. You all are now dismissed.

Marie: [Thank goodness! I don't know if I could have survived another minute in this chair, looking at this screen, without pounding my head into the desk.] *saves progress, exit out of all windows, and shut off computer. locks desk drawer with key on key ring after grabbing purse and phone and turns around to leave.*

Zack: *standing at the door, saying good-byes to office workers as they exit the building.*

[Here comes this beauty queen. I can't wait until she walks pass with the aroma of Bright Crystal.*

Marie: *walking towards the door, locks eyes with Zack, puts on a work-friendly smile, being polite as she exits.*

Zack: *touches Marie's shoulder as she's walking out*

Marie: *turns around, startled by the random touch*

Zack: Hey, Marie... I just wanted to let you know that I have been watching the numbers from the back office and you're doing a great job this month so far. We're not even half way through the 30-day period and you're making fantastic progress. Maybe, there's a higher up position for you somewhere.

Marie: *grinning with joy* I really appreciate the acknowledgement, I have been working hard and keeping my focus. I am only here to get better, and I use my time wisely here to make an impact.

Zack: *speaking in sort of a whisper* Well, it's about time that you get what you truly deserve. How about we talk this over a lunch or dinner, and I could possibly make that recommendation for your promotion, and before you can ask yes a pay raise is included. *winks*

Marie: *nervous, but being professional* *polite laugh* Well, that sounds amazing, right, except that every promotion that I have gotten since 3 years working with this company came in an e-mail first, then announced at a company meeting... I'm not too fond of the informal "promotions" *as she said with air quotations* *she did a slight smirk then a smile to make everything seem cool* Enjoy your night, Mr. Zack. *Marie turns and walks away. [What was he thinking?!]

*Zack watches Marie walk away for a couple of seconds, then checks the office to lock up as usual*

--------------------------------------------------------------

Drive Home

*Marie can feel Zack's eyes on her back before she walks out of the main door. She smirks as she walked through the parking lot to her car, thinking in her head, "I still got it." She clicks the unlock button on her car's keypad as she is approaching the driver door, opening it and getting in the car, closing the door. She smiles as she remembers her husband is cozy and snuggled in bed, and she's going to shower and join him. Taking her phone from her purse and tossing the purse in the passenger seat, she glances at the time and decides to surprise Justin with his favorite meal for dinner and a sweet treat for dessert. Marie connects her phone and car blue tooth and turns on her Vibe Out Playlist, in the best mood she's been in after what seems like dozens of hard days, one after the other. She releases a sigh, looks through the rear view mirror and smile, feeling like she can finally breathe again, as she rides down Hines Road to the 24 Freeway to head home.*

[about 20 minutes later]

*Marie pulls into her and her husbands double driveway. Grabs her things and hurries to the front door to surprise Justin. In such a daze, missing all of the signs that something may have been wrong, things that will all come to her recollection once she gets smacked in the face by the shock, heart break, and then rage once the blindfold is snatched from her eyes and she wakes up to what actually have been going down in their sacred home every Wednesday for the past couple of months.*

Marie: *unlocks door and steps in with a big smile on her face, fixing her lips to call out to her baby, when she spots the trail of clothes upstairs, through the hallway, to the master bedroom. A pair of sheer pink tights here, a Nike men's sock there, her best-loved pair of Justin's boxers that hugged him nicely in that area, giving her something to look at as they lounge around the house that took so much to become their home... Marie felt the tears building up in the corners of her eye sockets and she knew that her face was turning pale with sorrow. The moment when she finally advanced toward their bedroom door and she saw the purple thong lying on the threshold, she knew that Justin had been kissing, touching, fondling, courting with this mystery woman, at this epiphany Marie exploded with anger!*

[Justin and Lacy giggling and kissing, enjoying their new-found lust, no care in the world. Marie was nowhere in their minds as they disrespectfully contaminated her satin sheets with their disloyalty and disgusting sweat. The Bedroom Playlist blasted loudly out of the speakers, playing on the TV displaying the intimate and sensational videos, keeping the mood wet and sexy. The two were in complete oblivion when the covers were pulled, revealing their naked bodies and dirty secrets.]

Marie: