Trespassing

My old workplace had a gym in the basement. I’d go down at least once a day, often twice a day, to walk on the treadmill or do calisthenics or lift some weights. It wasn’t heavy workouts, but it was good for me, and it was regular exercise. My new workplace has no such convenience.

But I discovered that the building, being new, is not fully finished, yet. The third floor (out of 6) is completely open. The center of the level is walled — inside the walls are the stairwell, the elevators, and the restrooms — but everything else is empty. The walls are unpainted, the floor is uncarpeted, and there’s nothing blocking the views through all the windows.

It’s a great indoor “track” for walking. So I’ve visited that floor three or four times since I discovered it early last week. I walk for around ten minutes to get the blood flowing, and then go back to my office.

Yesterday, in mid walk, I had to use the restroom. I went in the room on that floor and did my quick business. (The restrooms are fully complete.) When I came out of the restroom, I saw a man in a suit standing on the floor looking out the window. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw other folks in suits walking slowly. It was rather obvious that they were looking the place over to consider it for their offices.

After the two seconds it took me to take all this in, I decided to just walk away as quickly — without looking rushed — as I could. I walked in the opposite direction, turned the corner where the elevators are located, and went around the wall to the stairwell.

I had my telephone headset in my ears, playing music, so if anyone said anything, I couldn’t hear it. I went into the stairwell and hustled up the stairs back to my office.

Afterward, the absurdity of it struck me. Here’s a 41 year old professional man coming out of a restroom on a vacant building floor, and he hustles away like a teenager caught trespassing on Old Man Johnson’s land.

I’d love to know what the suits thought when they saw some guy walking away from the restroom and disappear around the corner. And I really hope no one moves onto that floor soon — I don’t want to loose my walking track.

Bullgrit