I’ll Stop Reading The Book If You Start Reading The Room

I am scheduled for a project that was about to start, but kept getting postponed, so until the project started, I had nothing.

Boss: “Looks like the project needs approval from the CFO, so one more week.”

Me: “Cool! So… what do I do until then?”

Boss: “I’ll send you something.”

After lunchtime:

Me: “So… [Boss], I’ve reorganized my desk twice now. Can you send me some tasks?”

Boss: “Ask me later! I’m too busy!”

Me: “If you’re so busy, maybe I can help?”

Boss: “Ask me later!”

Cue a few days of this. So… I just started reading a book.

After two days of this:

Boss: “We’re getting complaints that you’re reading a book during work hours.”

Me: “Yes, those complaints were my goal!”

Boss: *Confused look.*

Me: “I wanted to show the entire department that I’m out of work, which I’ve told you for a few days already. If that’s a problem: give me work to do, because I dislike sitting here for nothing just as much as you do!”

Two hours later, he got some small tasks for me, which I completed way too quickly, but at least that was something…