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On Monday morning, he starts work at the Stamford branch. He arrives forty-five minutes early and is the third person in the office. He tells himself that he wants to make a good impression but the truth is he's spent eight days all alone in his brand new apartment and he's never felt so lonely in all his life.
His first day is awful. First days always are.
He spends the first two hours of his workday holed up in the tiny conference room with the HR rep. He slowly fills out one form after another. Change of address form. Direct deposit information form. Change of medical insurance form. Emergency contact information form. A small stack of documents that inform corporate about every single pertinent fact of his life as an employee. A small collection of facts that mean absolutely nothing.
He spends the next hour and a half watching a series of training videos. Somehow the videos are even more bland than their titles. Business Ethics in the Modern Work Environment. How to Maintain Respectful Relationships in the Workplace. Sexual Harassment: How to Protect Your Co-Workers and Yourself. Effective Time Management Strategies. A plethora of badly lit corporate films that should have been titled Don't Embezzle, Don't Steal Someone's Lunch, and Don't Grab Someone's Ass.
And don't fell in love with the amazingly beautiful, wickedly funny, completely unavailable receptionist, Jim mentally adds to the list. He wishes there had been a video warning him about that on his first day at the Scranton branch. He could have saved himself several wasted years and one perfectly good heart.
Well...if he had listened. Which he probably wouldn't have.
Shortly before lunch, the HR rep drops him off at his new desk and disappears before he even has a chance to sit down.
The man who sits in front of him is wearing a bright yellow sports jacket and a navy blue sweater vest. He introduces himself in an overly chipper voice and immediately informs Jim that he is the number five salesmen at the branch. So, he best watch his back. He finishes with a pulled punch to Jim's shoulder and insists that he's only kidding. Jim raises his eyebrows in exasperation but forces himself to be polite.
Every office has one.
Maybe he'll be lucky and this office will only have one.
He nods politely to the brunette sitting behind him but she glances him over dismissively and continues her phone conversation.
His computer is newer and faster than the one he had in Scranton but his chair squeaks when he moves and the entire office reeks of pricey air fresheners.
The break room is nice. The vending machine stocks name brand sodas and the microwave is kept clean. The refrigerator is stainless steel and bigger than the one in his apartment but he notices the same assortment of paper-bagged lunches and old leftovers that are housed in every office refrigerator.
He scans the choices in the vending machine and passes by his favorite ham and cheese. Against his better judgment, he chooses a tuna fish sandwich. Today is about making changes. It's a small step forward but these days every step matters. The bread is old, there's too much mayonnaise and the pickles are dill...not sweet like he prefers.
The annoying co-worker that sits in front of him plops down at his table uninvited and prattles on about his acapella group for the better part of an hour. He only listens to half the conversation but tries to appear interested.
He manages to eat half of the awful sandwich and his co-worker walks away smiling. He considers both to be victories.
He doesn't have a single thing to do after lunch so he sets up his new email account. All of his Scranton clients have been re-assigned but a few have sent him emails thanking him for his service and wishing him well. He barely knows any of these people but it's nice to know that he'll be missed.
He sees her name while he's scrolling through his contacts. In just two short weeks, it will change. She'll be wearing his name. For the rest of her life.
His stomach twists with nausea and he quickly closes his email.
An hour later, he meets with his new manager for the first time. Josh welcomes him to the branch with a genuine smile but doesn't seem big on small talk. Which Jim appreciates. Josh hands him a thin manila envelope and explains that he will be taking over the former sales associates' accounts. Jim knows that the choicest clients have already been handed off to senior members of the sales staff but he doesn't care. It doesn't matter that he's already spent several years at Dunder Mifflin or that he's the ninth highest ranking salesmen in the company. He's the new guy here. And he's going to have to prove himself all over again. Before he leaves, Josh hands him a list of potential clients to cold call. Josh doesn't apologize for the drudge work and Jim doesn't complain.
It's not like he has anything else to do.
By five thirty, people begin to slowly filter out of the office. He has re-filled two client orders and set up a lunch meeting for Thursday. He slowly fills out the order forms and logs the sales into his computer. By six thirty, the office is almost completely empty and he has nothing else to keep him busy.
He gathers his things, turns off his desk lamp and slowly makes his way home to an empty apartment.
His first day is awful. First days always are.
But he survives.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I was really nervous to post this story. I wasn't sure if it was any good. But your sweet words and amazing reviews have done wonders for my writers block. And for that, I thank you.
Same disclaimers apply.
Same disclaimers apply.
TunaEveryNight is the author of 2 other stories.
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