Scott - The Bad Twin

J ust a minuteI know its in here Abby Levesque twisted her body to reach deep inside of her threadbare fringed hobo bag and searched for change. Im sure I had it before I left the house.

On the other side of a yellowing linoleum counter, a utilities clerk responded with a look that was equal parts exasperation and boredom.

Im really sorry about this. My sister promised me that she was going to pay the water bill last week. She must have forgotten, and I didnt realize it until this morning when I tried to take a shower. I also didnt realize that there was going to be a processing fee in addition to the reconnection fee Abby was babbling to cover her embarrassment. Her quick trip to get the water turned back on was rapidly devolving into a fiasco. Her problems started with a payments line that snaked all the way out of the office door. Now, she was faced with an extra eight-dollar charge that she hadnt counted on. For most people, eight dollars wouldnt be a big deal.

Abby was not most people.

Maam, the New York Department of Environmental Protection will not re-establish a waterline connection until all outstanding fees and costs have been paid, the woman spoke the words in a robotic tone that signaled they were often repeated. If you are unable to pay in person, you may settle the charges by phone, or by logging on to our website at www.nyc1

Cmon already! The man behind Abby snapped in frustration. Some of us have places to be.

Go back to the end of the line! another voice called, while a third person coughed loudly.

Just a second! Abby squeaked, pressing her eyelids shut to hold back tears. She knew that she had at least ten more dollars. Abby kept eagle eyes on her budget. She wouldnt just lose that amount. Relief surged through her body when her fingers brushed against a small paper cylinder at the bottom of her purse. A roll of quarters. She remembered now that she had picked them up to use at the laundromat. Here! she exclaimed in triumph and handed them across the counter.

The clerk sighed and ripped open the wrapper. Silver coins showered onto the counter. The customers in the line made a collective moan, but the worker was unperturbed. She ignored the sounds of protest and began counting the quarters one by one.

Abby glanced at the clock and winced.

Could you go a little faster? she asked, Im on my lunch break.

Are you even serious right now? the woman snapped. Then, perhaps out of spite, she started counting again from the beginning.

Abby held her tongue until the coins and the handful of crumpled bills that she had surrendered earlier were totaled up and the clerk offered her a receipt. She snatched it out of the clerks fingers and bolted toward the door. She ran all the way back to her office, but it wasnt any use. She had still overshot her lunch hour by nearly forty-five minutes.

She sneaked into the offices of RSL industries with as little fanfare as possible. She was grateful, for a change, that she worked in such a boring field. RSL was a medical billing company. Their business was translating scribbled doctors notes into procedure codes that were submitted to health insurance companies for payment. It was mind-numbing work that required squinting at pages full of illegible writing and inputting numbers on a computer screen. They were paid by the page. Most days, it was soul-crushing. Now, however, Abby was grateful that the other employees were too busy staring into their glowing screens to pay her any mind. She slipped back into her cubicle and clicked her computer on without drawing any attention- almost.

Did you get it taken care of? A whisper floated through the flimsy cubicle wall. Through a narrow slit where the partitions came together, Abby could make out a sliver of her favorite co-workers eye. Abby wouldnt call the woman her friend, exactly, but they had started the same day and covered for each other from time to time.

Yeah. It took longer than I thought.

Always does.

Abby wasnt sure if that remark was directed at her, or at the efficiency of government services. Either way, she flashed a sheepish grin.

Did anyone notice that I was gone?

No. The boss is in the front office.

Still?

Hasnt come out all morning.

You dont think they changed their mind, do you? Abby bit her lip, worried. For the past two months, rumors had swirled that RSL was going to close. According to the chatter, the company lost its contract with one of the citys largest hospitals and they didnt have enough money to continue operations. Abby didnt love her job, but at least it paid the bills. She was panicked by the thought of the business closing.

Luckily, RSL had caught a break. Just a few days earlier, Human Resources circulated an e-mail announcing that the company had been purchased by an investor and would be merged into one of its competitors. Operations were expected to continue. Abby was still skittish though.

Abbys grand-mre, Bette Levesque, always said that a person should never borrow trouble. When the time comes, there will always be more than enough to go around, she liked to say. Sometimes the old woman preferred to scold in her native French: Qui vivra verra. The future will tell. Abby soothed herself with the proverb and forced herself back to work. She picked up a folder from the fifteen-inch stack on the corner of her desk and tried to focus on how much Empire Dermatology Associates could bill for a mole removal.

She had just started to relax when footsteps behind her chair caused her to jump

Ms. Levesque, may I have a word?

Abby cringed when she recognized her supervisors voice. She thought that she had gotten away with her midday absence scot-free. Had someone ratted her out?

She turned around slowly and swallowed hard.

Yes, sir. She avoided looking into his eyes.

Abby followed the man into his office. It was actually a cubicle the same size as the one that she inhabited, but with dividers that went almost all the way up to the ceiling and a fourth wall with an opening where a door would be, offering a slight illusion of privacy.

Is it about the report on the Pediatric Associates account? she asked, twisting her fingers anxiously as she was directed to take a seat. I double-checked all of the billing codes before we turned them in. Oceanic Insurance has made some recent changes and

Im sure that your numbers are accurate, Ms. Levesque. He lifted his hand to cut her off. Thats not what I need to talk about. I would like to discuss your future with RSL.

Sir?

Abbys heart skipped a beat. The e-mail about RSLs merger mentioned personnel changes. Abby was the newest member on her team, but also the most productive. Were they considering her for a promotion? She wasnt wild about the idea of extra stress, but her mind was immediately spinning with ideas about how to spend the money. The house that she shared with her sister was cozy but falling apart. The second-floor banister was getting wobbly, and the plaster in the dining room was cracked. They could use a new refrigerator too. The one they had made an ominous noise if they kept the freezer door open too long.

How long have you been with us, Ms. Levesque?

A little over a year.

Thats right, you came to us from a bookkeeping office, isnt that right?

Abby nodded her head. Yes. Before that, I worked at a florist. Before that Stop talking, she told herself harshly and let her voice trail off.

Yes, yes. You were very qualified, and youve done excellent work. Im going to give you my highest reference.