“That is the last thing I’m going to do!”

Every person sitting in the waiting room heard the slam of the receiver. “Janice, get in here. Now!” The voice inside the office shouted, startling two of the three people in the waiting room. A plumber wearing bib overalls scrubbed his five-o’clock stubble. If Don Johnson made it look sexy, the overweight, short man did the opposite. He sat beside a woman wearing a pinstriped dress with a big black bow. She looked like a banker or lawyer. Neither would’ve surprised the plumber. The nametag on his overalls read, James. The third person waiting in the reception area looked like a hungover frat boy, with a trucker’s hat sitting high on his head, sunglasses that looked more like a one-piece visor, and a pair of America Eagle shorts that came down to his knees, with a plain, bleached-white t-shirt with not a single coffee or beer stain to be seen. His mom did his laundry, or he had a few sorority girls doing his whites for him. Not that it mattered to him. The Frat boy was nodding off, which didn’t surprise the professional woman. The plumber couldn’t care less about the kid. The only difference between the two men, besides their lack of hygiene, was their age. Frat boy smelled like a brewery. So did the plumber. Thirty years his senior, the plumber was a frat boy. Once upon a time.

“Didn’t you hear me?” he said, sticking his head into the reception area. “Janice? Where the hell is she?”

“I think she stepped out into the hallway for a moment,” the businesswoman answered.

“Oh. Well, then. Thank you, Samantha.” He started to close the door, then changed his mind. “James. James Bracken? Come on, James. I don’t have all day.” He ushered him inside. “Samantha? I’ll be with you in a few minutes.” The frat boy started sliding off his chair. “Stan, wake the heck up!” He slammed the door to his office shut, rattling a few framed pictures hanging precariously on the walls.

Janice walked back into the reception area, sitting behind a small desk wide enough to hold a typewriter, an office phone, pictures of her cat, and a vase of fresh-cut flowers. That’s where she was, filling up the vase in the bathroom at the end of the hallway. She saw Samantha and Stan in the waiting room. “Where’d James go?” She wasn’t asking the clients. She was asking herself, almost as if she misplaced the big plumber.

“Dana came out and got him,” Samantha said, standing up and straightening her dress. “He told me I was next.”

“I suppose you could be,” Janice answered in a sing-song tone. “Then again, Stan, here,” she thumbed at the young man who took off the visor and scrubbed his eyes, “should be next because it’ll take Dana five minutes to clarify his case.” Janice straightened the flowers, ensuring they faced the right way, and began flipping through her day planner. Quickly scanning the calendar, she found what she was looking for. “Yes, Samantha. He’s free next Tuesday. Didn’t you say Tuesdays worked best for you?”

Samantha nodded. “Yes, they do. Thank you.”

Dana opened the door of his office and ushered in Samantha. “Come on, Samantha. Let’s get this rolling.” Janice shook her head no, Samantha unable to see her. “On second thought,” he looked back into his office, “Stan!” Stan jumped out of the chair, almost knocking himself out cold on the picture hanging above his head. “I’m sorry, Samantha. If you wouldn’t mind waiting, it’ll be just a few minutes longer.”

Stan staggered into Dana’s office. “Dude. What’s up?” The door clicked closed.

Samantha impatiently glanced at her watch. “No, Dana.” She sat back in her seat, crossing her legs and swinging her right foot.

Dana’s office was the only one in the five-story building with an exterior exit leading out to the fire escape. Janice told him it was once used as a therapist’s office, which explained the exit door. Sometimes, patients were too upset to leave through the front door. The back exit afforded them privacy and avoided embarrassment. As Janice mentioned to Samantha earlier, it wouldn’t take Dana long to meet with Stan. “Samantha? Please. Come in.” With a flourish, he waved her inside.

Janice primped her flowers for a moment, smiling. “This should be interesting,” she said aloud, not caring if anyone heard her.