Mischief on the Job: A Lighthearted Story

Regarding jobs, I like to have as much fun as possible with my coworkers. Their smiles are why I say most of the ridiculousness I say. Yesterday was a prime example of my preposterous nature pushing through.

After lunch, I got into position on the assembly line—ready to inspect some solder—when one thing became apparent. The magnifying glass I used for inspection had been moved and was now perched above my head. In my defense, I could have adjusted the fixture and returned to work, but that seemed too easy, and quite frankly, I had a couple of minutes to spare on mischief. Glancing at the guy next to me, I silently measured his height and concluded that despite being the last one to use the magnifier, there was no way he was 3 inches (10 cm) taller than me.

“There’s no way,” I said in confident disbelief.

My coworker stopped what he was doing to raise a brow at my words. “Did something happen?”

“See this?” I pointed to the adjustable magnifying glass. “There’s no way you’re this tall.”

Confusion clouded his expression as he unconsciously stood a little taller. “What?”

“We’re about the same height!” I clarified in phony annoyance.

A moment of silence wove between us until realization lit his eyes. “Sure,” he said, looking—not at—over me. The implied mental measuring got me.
Perching a hand on each hip, I tilted my head back and let my inner cocky curve my lips. “I am five-six for all essential purposes and your information,” I said, giving or taking three inches.

That did it. My fellow associate turned around to pick up a part, but all the noise in the plant couldn’t disguise his chuckled snort.

That took my pride down several inches. Can’t a woman dream?