The Night Operator

“Tech services department, my name is Maggie. How can I assist you?”

“Hey Maggie,” he murmured.

“You again,” she responded, annoyance creeping into her voice as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “What do you want this time?”

“Darling, that’s no way to talk to a customer,” he chided, a hint of mockery lacing his words. “Remember, we’re being recorded. Let’s keep it professional.”

“We’re both on tape, you creep. If you call one more time, I’ll be the one reporting you. Not the other way around,” she hissed under her breath, ready to end the call.

“Hold on. I’m genuinely having issues this time,” he protested.

“Yeah, right. I’m not sure I want to hear about it.”

“But you’re supposed to help people with technical problems.”

“That’s true,” she admitted reluctantly.

“And I’m having trouble getting my equipment to function. I really need your help.”

“Fine then, sir. How can I assist you?” she asked, her teeth clenched in frustration.

“Just keep talking, darling, and the problem will sort itself out,” he suggested in a husky voice.

“Go to hell!” she spat out before abruptly ending the call.

That was it. She was reporting him tomorrow.

Three months ago, she’d been transferred from reception to tech services.

To say she despised her new position would be putting it mildly. She absolutely detested it, and for good reason:

Issue 1: She knew zilch about troubleshooting, computing, or electronics.

Issue 2 (which was directly linked to the first issue): She hadn’t been trained for the job. They’d just tossed a manual her way, and she’d been using it like a lifeline ever since.

Issue 3: She was working shifts. Well, one shift. The night shift. Permanently.

The only reason she hadn’t quit on the spot was because she desperately needed the money…and she didn’t have any real qualifications for anything else.

Reception didn’t pay much, and tech services wasn’t much better, but the night shift was the game changer. She was earning more.

So she tried to convince herself that it was okay that she no longer had a social life.

While others her age were out enjoying their nights, she was stuck wearing headphones, waiting for customer calls until dawn.

Then she’d head home and collapse until it was time to go back to work.

When she’d first moved here eight years ago, she never imagined her life would turn out to be so monotonous. But she was determined not to go back, no matter what.

Not that there was anything to go back to. She had no one, not even friends, in the small country town she’d left behind.

She hadn’t made much progress here either. She was very guarded around people. It wasn’t that she was unfriendly, but she was hard to get close to.

At least, that was the excuse her last two boyfriends had used to break up with her.

She acted indifferent about it, but deep down she was hurt. She knew she needed intimacy; she just didn’t know how to handle it when it was thrust upon her.

All she could do was try not to scare away the few people who were brave enough to stick around: Mr. and Mrs. Kim from the apartment next door, and Celia from work.

Celia was a recent addition, also working the night shift.

She was the only one who’d actually bothered to help her adjust, so Maggie decided to show her gratitude by being more polite and engaging in small talk with her occasionally.

“Hey Maggie, I’m going to grab some coffee. Want me to get you one?” Celia asked.

It was another typical night at work, but at least having Celia there most of the time made it more bearable.

“No, thanks. I’ve got my mint tea right here,” she replied, gesturing to her steaming mug.

“You and your mint, Granny Maggie,” Celia teased, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation.

That was their routine. Celia would offer her coffee as a conversation starter, and Maggie would politely decline while Celia teased her about her old-fashioned habits.

Eventually, Celia would return with some sort of snack that they’d share between calls.

Sometimes Maggie would be the one to bring treats, or Brad from IT. He and Celia had a love-hate relationship.

Their playful banter was the cutest thing Maggie had ever seen, and Brad was always very kind to her as well. Maybe he was trying to get close to her in his own laid-back way.

He’d even started calling her sugarplum. Strange, really.

The night shift had five operators. Three guys and two girls. At first, Maggie thought it was too many, but she was surprised by the number of calls each of them received every night.

Oddly, it comforted her to know she wasn’t the only lonely soul in the city.

On the other hand, how desperate must one be to stress over computers and such in the middle of the night? Why lose sleep over something like that?

“For fuck’s sake, Maggie,” Ethan suddenly snapped at her.

Ethan was the least friendly person in the department, and Maggie had taken an immediate dislike to him. She soon found out she wasn’t the only one who had a low opinion of him.

But since she had to work with him most nights, she tried to be cordial and professional. Not that it was particularly hard for her. She knew how to keep her distance.

Most of the time.

“What’s the problem?” she asked, frowning.

“Your incoming has been beeping for the last two minutes! That’s the problem.”

“And why is that your concern?”

“It’s fucking annoying,” he hissed. “You’re not paid to daydream.”

“Move to another booth, Ethan. The floor is empty. And maybe I should remind you that you’re not the one signing my checks,” she retorted coolly as she picked up her call.

“Tech services department, my name is Maggie. How can I assist you?”