“Hi, Tyler,” Scott said. “Hey, guys.”
The rest of the team all gave him a cheery hello. He couldn’t be too bad if they all liked him. He might have only been there a day, but already Tyler was perfectly happy with his team. Even Amanda.
He closed his laptop and stuffed it into his bag. Instantly, pain flared up in his shoulder, making him wince.
“Oh dear,” Scott said. “I hear you had a day in the warehouse. Come on, little one. We’ll buy you something to deaden the pain.”
Tyler followed them out of the building. He could almost taste the pint he’d be ordering in the pub.
“How did you find it?” Scott asked.
“Good eye candy,” Tyler replied.
“That’s a fair point,” Eddie added. “As long as you don’t mean old Stan.”
Tyler blushed. “Me and Stan got very close very quickly thanks to a dildo.”
“Is he still doing that?” Scott asked. “Never sit down without checking that man’s hands.”
The pub was obviously the unofficial Pleasure Seekers hangout. He scanned the crowd outside but didn’t see Danny. This was more disappointing to Tyler that he felt ready to admit to.
“Let’s sit outside,” Eddie said. “I’ll get them in. Pints?”
“Too right,” Scott replied.
They settled at a table in the pub garden. Tyler shoved some used plates to the far side with a grimace.
“It’s busy today,” he said.
“The sun’s out and we’re spending it next to a main road on astroturf. Keeping it classy, then.”
It wasn’t the most glamourous of locations. Being on his own with Scott made Tyler a little uncomfortable. Still, he had never been shy. He had no intention of starting now.
“How long have you been at Pleasure Seekers?” he asked.
“A few years. It’s good fun. You should hear some of the shit we have to get involved in. It’s not your usual HR job, put it that way.”
Tyler’s mind boggled.
“Plus,” Scott said. “When guys find out where you work, they love it. I guess they think we’re all sexual deviants.”
“You could consider it fair warning, I suppose.”
Scott regarded him for a second. “I can see why they hired you. Christine loves a wisecrack. I’ll tell you now, Amanda doesn’t.”
Tyler looked around. He didn’t want any of his new charges to overhear him giving out opinions on their colleagues on his second day. The coast seemed to be clear.
“What is with her?” he asked. “Any tips would be helpful.”
Scott leant forward. “Rumour is she had an affair and it all went tits up. With someone from work. We’ve never found out who.”
In all offices, gossip was rife. He had been the victim of itbefore and had no intention of getting too involved in rumours at Pleasure Seekers.
“Oh well, I’m sure if she wanted people to know, she’d tell them,” Tyler said.
“You’re right. My boss is always banging on at me for chatting shit. Not a good look in HR.”
Tyler shrugged. “No one’s perfect. At least you didn’t sit on a dildo in front of a ton of people today.”
