Observing the placard on the front desk, you sidle up to the receptionist and lean in close.
“Hey,” you whisper.
The receptionist looks up from her desk and gives you a smile that tries to hide her surprised and confused eyes. “Can I help you, sir?” she asks professionally.
“It’s been a while,” you explain, “I just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m…fine?” she says, no longer sparing the effort to mask her bewilderment.
“That’s good, real good. I’ve been doing the same old thing, you know? Working and not much else, you know how it is!” You punctate your inane small talk with a forced belly laugh.
“Well, sir, thank you for checking in. You can go on up.”
“Thanks, mom. I’ll catch you on the way out. I love you.”