Yet my first plunge into the waters of new and interesting had me wanting to tuck my tail between my legs and hurry home to Mommy.
Maybe it had to do with my overpriced apartment—sorry,flat— with the leaky roof and mildewed carpet. Or it could have something to do with Thad, my lecherous neighbor, who liked to hang around in the hallway until I came out in the morning.
Or it could be that as hard as I tried, I couldn’t stop feeling like a stranger.
“Here you go.” Hayley walked back to my tiny desk shoved into the corner of the large community working space and handed me a steaming mug.
“Thanks for the cuppa,” I said awkwardly, trying out the vernacular in the most American way possible. I sounded like a moron.
Hayley grinned. “You’ll get the hang of all of our quirky sayings. And if not, we’ll tut under our collective breaths and silently judge you.” We both laughed and I felt a little lighter.
I took a sip of my tea and instantly scalded my tongue. “Damn, that’s hot. I think I lost the top layer of skin in my mouth.”
“Amateur,” Hayley teased, carefully sipping her beverage. “Have you started on the report for the QA meeting on Monday? We have to have everything together by end of business. I’m procrastinating per usual.”
“I’m almost done. These graphs look like crap though.” I clicked on my screen, showing her the work I had been agonizing over all week.
“Not bad,” Hayley said after a few minutes. I glanced up at her, noting her expression didn’t quite match her words.
“It sucks. I can tell by your face, you’re just too nice to say anything,” I groaned, minimizing the chart.
“Well, I think you’re just struggling with the format we need to submit. I’m sure it will be fine.” Her polite insincerity belied her statement.
I blew out a noisy breath and chanced another scalding drink of tea. “I’ll tweak it a bit. Thanks.”
Hayley hesitated before leaving my office. “A bunch of us are planning to piss off early this afternoon and head to the pub? Would you like to come?”
I brightened. This was the first time I had been asked to tag along. I knew that a lot of the people in the office went to the pub after work, but I had yet to be invited. I hadn’t been allowed into that inner social circle.
“Yeah, that sounds great. But can we do that?” I asked.
Hayley frowned. “Can we do what?”
“Leave early? The office doesn’t close until five.”
Hayley shrugged. “It’s Friday. The bosses leave before we do,” she chuckled.
I think that was one English tradition I could get on board with.
IWAS SHOVEDinto the back corner of a too small booth. Someone handed me a pint of beer that I hadn’t asked for, but I took dutifully.
I couldn’t believe how packed the pub was for four in the afternoon. Our group took up a place at the only available booth in the back of the bar. Seven of us squeezed around the tiny table and I struggled to shrug out of my coat.
I took a sip of the beer and tried not to make a face.
“Let me guess, the yank is a Cosmo kind of girl,” the man sat across from me laughed. Mark Bates worked as a project manager. Our interactions so far had consisted of emails and half smiles in the breakroom. He appeared a bit older than me, with teeth that didn’t quite fit inside his mouth and ears too big for his head. He was someone who never seemed to know what to do with his hands.
“Yeah, I’m not big into beer. But you know what they say, when in Rome.” I took another drink and was proud of myself when I didn’t gag.
Hayley laughed and nudged the good-looking man beside her with her elbow. “Get Morgan a mixed drink. Don’t force this swill on her.”
Phil Wickenham got to his feet. “Of course. What does the lady prefer?” he asked with a grin. Phil was that special sort of guy who was good looking and knew he was good looking. And he wanted everyone else around him to be aware of it as well. He wore his shirts too tight, his hair too slicked. His smiles were practiced and his laugh a little insincere.
But gauging by the women around the table, it worked for him.
“I’ll have a strawberry daiquiri. But I can get it,” I told him, trying to get to my feet. It was difficult considering I was wedged between the wall and Hayley. Phil held his hand out and shook his head with a laugh.
“You’ll do no such thing. What sort of man would I be if I allowed a pretty woman to buy her own drinks?” He gave me a wink and I refrained from rolling my eyes.
