3. Aspire

The junior assistant stood over the photocopier, his face illuminated by its green glow. The copy room was overheated. Moisture pooled under his arms and stained his shirt. The drone of the machine made him drowsy.

He had been trapped in this broom closet for the past hour, supervising the machine as it copied, collated and stapled. Was his boss looking for him, he wondered, or did his long absence go unnoticed?

The room was littered with anachronisms: binders overflowing with paperwork from an age before electronic filing; shelves lined with unopened white-out bottles; photo albums of long-ago office celebrations; stacks of envelopes and letterhead sporting an out-of-date brand. He felt new in comparison.

Idly he flipped through a fresh stack of copies, still warm from the machine: biographies of the company’s directors. Onto their self assured smiles, he projected vintage car collections and ski holidays in the Alps. Once upon a time they had, all of them, taken their turn in front of a copier.

Through the doorway, he saw the easy swagger of his boss strolling past, and smiled to himself.

4. Lust

Entering the gym—festooned with streamers and mood lighting—the teenager surveyed the room, self consciously smoothing her skirt. A single glance toward the dance floor confirmed her outfit passé, the hours of preparation a waste. Billowy was out; skin tight was in. All well and good for girls with stick figures, but less flattering for those carrying 25 extra pounds. Thirty on an honest day.

“There you are!” A pretty girl appeared at her side. Like their classmates, she had adhered to the dress code, a stunner in figure hugging satin and loose curls.

Touching her up-do—another misstep—the teenager felt deflated. The one person for whom she had expended the effort would never notice.

Her friend nudged her. “He’s here!”

No need to ask who he was. Tall, dark and dimpled. The best looking boy in the class. They watched as he made his way through the dance floor, his blue eyes scanning the room. Spying the duo, his face broke into a wide smile. His stride grew purposeful. He was headed their way and his choice was obvious.

The teenager’s heart sank. As the dance floor parted to admit the couple, she leaned against the wall for comfort. Watching them enviously, she imagined herself in his place, arms around the goddess in satin.