Agent Nick Robins Meets Heidi June
Nick’s office occupied a dark, dank corner on the second floor. There was no source of natural light illuminating his office, making the overhead tube lights look all the more gloomy and dull. It was difficult to say whether his office was messier than his desk or the other way round. The cleaning staff had strict instructions not to clean his office if he was not there. The desk always covered with official papers and science fiction magazines. Anyone in the office could just walk in and pick up a magazine to read. Often, they did.
Today, Nick’s head was buried deep into the reports he was trying to complete. He really detested paperwork and the only way he could complete it was to clench his teeth and swear aloud whenever he came to a point where he could not readily remember a detail, forcing him to stop and look up the information.
Two of his colleagues entered his office. “Care for a smoke?” one of them asked. Nick declined the offer, saying, “Later. Let me finish with this report first, or you know James will have my head. You carry on, spook.” His colleagues joked about his dedication to finally getting the paperwork done. They were even amazed that he actually knew how to do it. They laughed on and off for a few minutes and then left his office. Uttering another swear, Nick turned his attention back to his report. He was looking forward to spending time with Susan in Philadelphia.
Evening had slipped into night but Nick was more determined than ever to finish his report. Suddenly, he heard a knock at his door. He looked up and saw a young woman with red hair standing inside his doorway. “Agent Nick Robins,” she said, “I’m Heidi June.”
All at once, the frustration of having to complete his report, the dark dankness of his office, and the stressful nature of his job disappeared, and Nick suddenly felt invigorated. He rose from his chair, straightening his tie, smiled, and said, “Well, hello there, little lady. What can I do for you?” Nick noted that, as a forty-year-old, the phrase little lady sounded funny and awkward coming from his lips, but it was too late to do anything about it.