“Alright then, Jeff. Hope you enjoyed your first day. See you Monday”, Rick announced, grabbing his briefcase from beside his desk and straightening his suit.

Jeff, the new guy, paused in the middle of getting ready to leave, only one arm through the armhole of his jacket.

“Monday? That’s three days from now. What about tomorrow?”, he asked with a frown.

Now it was Ricks turn to frown, confusion pulling at his features.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday”, Rick replied.

“…okay, and? It’s still another day”

Rick shook his head, placing the briefcase back on the ground.

“It’s not just any day. It’s a weekend”

“An ending of a week? What are you talking about? The week doesn’t end. The days just repeat themselves”, Jeff said, slipping the second arm into the jacket. His face reflected Ricks same confused one, though it was for a different reason.

“I mean, yeah, you’re kinda right. But on Saturday and Sunday there’s no work. The office is closed so we have those days off”, Rick explained. Rick knew it was Jeff’s first day at work, but he had to have had other jobs before, right? There’s no way he hadn’t heard about weekends before .

“What? I’m so confused. So you mean to tell me that we don’t come to work for the next two days?”, Jeff pressed, hands on his hips.

“Did you look at the employee contract, Jeff?”

“Yeah, I read the thing front to back”

“Okay, but do you understand the concept of weekends? They’re like rest days where you don’t need to come in”

Jeff cocked his head to the side, as if Ricks words were totally preposterous and impossible to wrap his head around.

“Why would I need rest days? I don’t want to take a break. I love it here!”, Jeff explained, his voice rising excitedly as he spoke.

Rick could practically feel the giddy enjoyment spilling off of Jeff. His eyes were wide and glimmering with glee and his cheeks were flushed with a mirthful youth that Rick hadn’t seen in before in the office. In comparison to the new guy, everyone else, with their dead eyes and waxy sun-lacked skin, were walking shadows beside Jeff’s sunny rays.

Rick sighed and picked up his briefcase again. He tossed Jeff one last smile, half pitying and half polite.

“You’ll change your mind soon enough, trust me. Eventually you’ll look forward to weekends. See ya, Jeff”, Rick said, turning around and exiting his cubical.

Once he was close to the doors, he heard Jeff’s voice from behind his shoulder.

“Well what am I suppose to do for two whole days?”

Rick shook his head, prepared to step foot outside the sliding doors when a thought occurred to him. It was a cruel and selfish thought, but nevertheless he found himself asking the question before the could think to stop himself.

“Well, I have an unfinished expense report and some spreadsheets I was planning to start on Monday. Did you want to do them this weekend?”, Rick asked, turning around to address Jeff.

Immediately Jeff’s eyes lit up and he clapped his hands together in glee.

“Are you sure? Because I’d love to. It would give me something to do over the…”, Jeff paused as if trying to remember something, “the ending of the weeks”, he finished.

Rick grinned, pleased that his backhanded suggestion had worked. In all truthfulness, he was hoping the new guy would be eager enough to take some tasks off his load. Rick now looked forward to a much lighter Monday than before. Maybe he’d even be able to sneak off for an extended bathroom break and watch the game on his phone.

“Perfect! I’ll send you my stuff later. Bye!”

With that said Rick turned on his heel and walked out the building, eager to get away before the new guy changed his mind.