break from a stressful day

My office phone rings.

"This is Raymond, from so-and-so development."

It's one of my obtuse clients.

"Yes, Raymond?" I asked politely. He's been me and my colleague headaches from his being a lousy client.

"Do you know what date we met with the representatives of URA?" (The government agency we need to get a planning permission from.)

"I'll check for you," I told him.

Apparently that wasn't an enough answer for him.

"It's in your diary?"

"I'll check my records," I explained, "then I'll get back to you." I was in the middle of stressing over the design I was working on. I don't have time for your twenty questions!

"Okay," he finally agreed, after dictating his telephone number. Hello, I've called him several times already before.

But I don't blame him. URA didn't approve our design so we had to submit again.

After checking our computer system, I found the day we met with URA. It was late July.

I called their office number. His secretary answered.

"May I speak with Raymond," I said, after introducing myself.

"He's on the line," the secretary said.

Not wanting to call again, I decided to leave the message with the secretary. That's what secretaries are for anyway right?

"Okay, can you just tell him," I started. "'Cos Raymond asked me for a date."

It took me a split second to realize how funny that must have sounded. Asking for a date? Hahahaha.

So I quickly recovered. "He asked me what date we met with URA." Then I told her the exact day.

Oh geez. I've always been bad with impromptu monologues. I should be careful with the things I say. Good thing no one noticed it but myself.