Choose (A Choose Your Own Story Adventure)

20. Go to Work Early

Mia drives straight to work. She figures that it's worth sacrificing a cup of coffee to set up and start working early. She can go home earlier this way, and she saves some extra money. That's always a plus.

Surprisingly, quite a few other people come to work early, too. The secretaries Cameron and Jess are already printing papers and gossiping about who-knows-what. Her friend who sits in front of her, a trans gendered woman named Therese, is starting her computer. She takes a long swig from her coffee cup. She looks up from her cup and at Mia. Therese leans back in surprise and laughs.

"Mia Summers is early today?" She shakes her head. "That's a first."

"Hey." Mia laughs and sits down. "I'm usually not late."

Therese snorts. "Usually." 

"Good morning, Mia."

Mia's shoulders tense. Therese doesn't hide her annoyance. Mia turns to see a thin man with blonde hair and large glasses. He's fiddling with the loops of his beige pants.

Mia forces a smile. "Hi, Terry."

Terry's the one person in the workplace that no one likes. He butts into conversations, doesn't refill the water in the coffee machine, and reports to HR about the silliest things. Not to mention, he is incredibly closed-minded. Most people just ignore him, but Mia feels bad when she does. Maybe that's why he always goes and talks to her instead of someone else.

"I'm just about to get a coffee, would you like one?" he asks. He doesn't offer Therese one. She snorts and looks back at her computer.

"Sure, thanks." Coffee wouldn't hurt. Especially since she didn't get one at the coffee shop. It's also better to send Terry off before he can strike up a conversation.

"Great!" He smiles brightly. His excitement makes Mia nervous. I hope he doesn't think this gives him permission to bother me all day, she thinks.

"Do you like your coffee black or with cream and sugar?"

Black ... Chapter 21

Cream and Sugar ... Chapter 22