I walked into the breakroom to get some hot chocolate. I hadn’t been at work that long, so it was to early for anyone to be taking a break. The only other person in the breakroom was the temporary employee. She spent half of her day cleaning parts and the other half cleaning the breakroom and office area of the plant. When I walked into the breakroom, we didn’t speak because she was immersed in her work. I was at the vending machine with my back to her. I had no idea what she was doing.
Suddenly I hear her exclaim, “I need a screw!” My body tensed up. I had no idea what she was talking about. And I didn’t really know her that well so I didn’t know how forward she might be. My mind raced. What kind of screw is she talking about? THAT kind of screw? She was a big lady and a no-nonsense kind of person. If she wanted THAT type of screw, she might just be the type of person who would take the initiative to just TAKE it.
I turned around slowly, afraid of what I might see. I saw her with a table turned upside down. She was working on it to try to get it level. It was missing one of the adjustment screws at the bottom of the leg. I was relieved. I quickly took my hot chocolate back to my desk.