Lifeguard Off Duty: Chapter 1

Written by: gainingfiction 

He wasn’t going to go soft just because of an office job.

That’s what Bradley told himself as he ran a comb through his hair, getting ready for his first day at city hall. He was wearing a slim-fitting blue dress shirt and a pair of fitted navy dress pants. He had chosen an outfit that would be especially flattering, one that showed off his perfectly chiseled figure. That was how he had asserted dominance at the beach: a quick flex let everyone know who was boss.

He hadn’t really known what to expect when he arrived at the office, but it wasn’t what he found. His “office” at the beach had been chaotic, a squat shack full of lost-and-found items mingled with years-old paperwork. The recreation department at city hall had all the energy of a dentist’s office at 3:30 PM.

The man seated at the reception desk glanced up at Bradley, who shot the seated receptionist a confident look. “Bradley Parker, I’m starting here today,” he said.

“Right,” the man said. He was middle-aged, with dark skin and broad, handsome features. He seemed laid-back, if not particularly impressed. Bradley noticed that he was a bit overweight, with a definite gut visible through his patterned sweater. “I’m Malcolm, we’ve spoken on the phone before. I’ll take you to Wanda’s office and she’ll get you set up.”

Not deterred by the lukewarm welcome, Bradley followed Malcolm through the office. It was quiet: a few people sat at their desks, and a few other desks sat empty. When they got to the office of the director, Malcolm knocked twice before opening the door.

“Hi there,” the director said. She stood and extended a hand. “Good to see you again, Bradley.”

“Likewise.” Bradley shook her hand. He glanced around the office, which was tiny but well-appointed. Amid other awards, Bradley spotted a plaque: Wanda Chao, 2013 Department Head of the Year. 

“Thanks, Malcolm,” Wanda said, as the receptionist turned and headed back to his desk.

Wanda emerged from behind her desk and came around. “Things are probably a bit quieter here than at the beach,” she said. “But I really think you’ll find it’s a good fit. And you left things in good hands with Christian.”

Bradley nodded. He followed Wanda as she led him through the office, introducing him to co-workers and pointing out important things to keep in mind. Bradley’s desk was near the corner, beside a filing cabinet, next to a window that looked out over the parking lot and the burger restaurant next door.

“This is Eric, he’s our accounting genius. You’re gonna be desk neighbours,” Wanda said, when they reached Bradley’s new workspace.

Bradley wanted to roll his eyes. Eric was even fatter than Malcolm. Thick love handles pressed against the sides of his shirt, while his chunky thighs bulged over the sides of his office chair. He had a nice enough face, with an easygoing smile, and his brown hair was neatly cut. He couldn’t have been more than 30. “Nice to meet you, Bradley,” Eric said, extending a porky hand.

Bradley shook it. “You too,” he managed. 

Wanda finished up Bradley’s tour of the office and left him to get settled in. He fired up his computer and waited for it to load.

As he looked at the loading screen, Bradley heard a distinct crunching sound. He looked over to Eric, who was munching on something from a white “Muffin Tops” box, totally unbothered by Bradley’s presence. After a moment Eric looked in Bradley’s direction. “Want some?” he asked, tilting the box forward to reveal what looked like peanut brittle.

“I think I’m good,” Bradley said. Peanut brittle used to be his favourite when he was growing up. He glanced over again, before being pulled back to reality by his computer. He was there for a reason, and it wasn’t to go soft.

The rest of his first day went by slowly. Bradley expected that by 5 o’clock he’d be so full of pent-up energy from sitting around all day that he’d have to work out for hours. And yet, as he wandered to his car, he was surprised to find he didn’t feel that way at all. If anything, he felt lazy, like he had done enough for one day.

As he slid into the driver’s seat of his car, Bradley decided that he could justify one night off from the gym. Hell, maybe he’d even earned a beer.