“Knock knock,” Kristy announced as she peered through the open door. “When can I talk to you?”
“Not now, I’m busy,” Caleb answered without looking up.
“Right, I can see that.”
“Then don’t interrupt.”
“But if I interrupt for 30 seconds to ask when I can talk to you, I can avoid interrupting you until then.” Kristy walked up to the desk and stood immediately behind the monitor so Caleb had to look at her. “Let’s just get out your planner if we have to and write me in somewhere.”
“It’s already been more than 30 seconds,” Caleb answered.
“Only because you refuse to answer the question.” Kristy waved both of her hands in front of the monitor to interrupt his view. “When? Now you’re wasting MY time.”
Caleb rolled his eyes. “Fine. Two weeks from Wednesday.”
“What?” Kristy was louder than she had planned to be and quickly dropped her volume. “I was looking for a time, Caleb, not a date.”
“And I was looking for more time, but, they won’t let me have more than 24 hours in a day.” Caleb sat back and crossed his arms. “So unless we can petition to change that, I have three deadlines in close succession and the last one has to be turned in two weeks from Wednesday, so if I take zero time for myself I can talk to you right after I hand it in.” He started to turn towards the computer, but turned back. “Scratch that—I will go to the bathroom after I hand it in, and then I can talk to you.” He returned his eyes to the screen.
Kristy watched him work for a few seconds. “You are scheduling bathroom breaks now?”
“I scheduled that one because I know when I see the light at the end of the tunnel I won’t take a break until it’s finished.”
“For two weeks? You’re not going to use the bathroom for two weeks?”
“Oh, ha ha. Like you’ve never held it during the home stretch. I’ve personally watched you do the pee-pee dance while sending the notification that you’ve finished something.” Caleb continued to work. “Is there anything else I can do for you, now that you’ve had your thirty seconds, several times over?”
Kristy stared at him, then sagged. “Two weeks from last Wednesday or two weeks from next Wednesday?”
“Next. Two and a half weeks.” Caleb’s eyes never left his work. “Until then, unless it has something to do with one of the three projects I’m trying to finish, I’m not here.”