Overheard In The Conference Room At Lunch

Hey, Lisa.

Hey, Kathleen.

Mind if I sit down?

No, please, go right ahead.

That looks good. Is that a salad?

Yeah, it’s a salad. I’m in a salad phase.

That’s great. That’s healthy.

Did you eat lunch?

No, I’m in like a starving myself phase.

Ha! Good for you.

I’m not even trying to lose weight, I’m just like crazily stressed. And drinking too much coffee.

Why are you so stressed?

Same old shit. Too many projects. Too many deadlines.

Yeah, I hear that.

Pause.

At the same time: So what are you working on? // I was just listening to NPR –

Sorry. Go ahead.

No – you go.

No – I was just gonna talk about boring work stuff. You go. NPR?

Yeah, All Things Considered. And there was this piece about the Chicago airport.

O’Hare?

Yeah. O’Hare.

Okay.

And I don’t even know why it caught my attention, because I’ve never been to Chicago, and I don’t care about it at all, but for some reason it was interesting to me.

Okay.

It was about the O’Hare Modernization Program. Have you heard about this?

Shrugs.

Okay, well it’s like this multi-phase, multi-billion dollar expansion plan for the airport that was started in like 2004 or something, before the economy tanked, and it had the full support of the airlines or whatever, but now the two biggest airlines, United and American, are suing the city of Chicago to stop them from going forward into the completion phase of the project. Because the airlines say that now that the economy is shitty, they can’t afford to put up the money for the project. But the city is like, no, this is the time when we should go ahead with the project, because we need jobs, and construction costs are low, and anyway this was the plan and we should go ahead with the plan. But the airlines are suing them. So now it’s gonna get all tied up in court.

Pause.

Huh.

Like I said, I don’t know why this was interesting to me. But it was. For some reason.

Long pause.

Are you gonna eat that beet?

What?

That beet.

Oh – no. I hate beets.

Can I have it?

Sure. But – I’m sick.

You’re sick?

I have a cold. I’m getting over it but I still have it.

Do you think I’ll get sick if I eat your beet?

Probably, if you use my fork.

Okay, I won’t use your fork.

Okay then – help yourself.

Thanks.

Chewing.

Well, I gotta get back to my desk.

Me too – ugh.

Nice chatting with you, Kathleen.

You too, Lisa.

At the door.

Are you coming?

Uh – yeah – I think I’m just gonna space out here for a minute.

Okay.

Gotta take a break. Clear my head a little.

Sure.

Think about airports.

Ha. Okay – see ya.

Later.