Amusing Employee Encounter Fiction
Budget: €12 – €18 EUR
Maya’s first clue that the day was going badly was when her coffee tried to leave without her.
One second it was safely perched on the roof of her car. The next, it was performing a graceful swan dive onto the parking lot of her office building.
“No, no, no—”
Too late.
The cup exploded dramatically.
A nearby man winced. “Well. On the bright side, gravity appears to be functioning normally.”
Maya looked up.
The speaker was tall, annoyingly handsome, and carrying two perfectly intact coffees.
Of course he was.
“Thank goodness,” she said. “I was worried physics had chosen today to quit.”
He nodded solemnly. “That would explain my student loans.”
Against her will, she laughed.
The stranger held out one of his coffees. “Peace offering from the universe.”
“I can’t take your coffee.”
“You can. I accidentally ordered two.”
“Who accidentally orders two coffees?”
“The kind of person who shouldn’t be trusted with important decisions.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
“It’s honest.”
Maya eyed the cup suspiciously.
“What’s in it?”
“A latte.”
“Any chance it’s poisoned?”
“If it is, we’re both in trouble. I drank the matching one.”
She accepted it.
“Thank you, Random Coffee Samaritan.”
“You’re welcome, Parking Lot Disaster.”
“That’s a little rude.”
“Sorry. Parking Lot Disaster Survivor.”
“Better.”
He smiled.
Unfortunately, it was the sort of smile that suggested years of practice being charming.
Maya distrusted it immediately.
“My name’s Maya, by the way.”
“Ben.”
They shook hands.
At that exact moment, a car rolled through a puddle and splashed muddy water across the front of Ben’s shirt.
Maya stared.
Ben stared.
The puddle dripped.
Then Maya burst out laughing.
Ben looked down at himself.
“I suppose,” he said carefully, “that means we’re even.”
“You bought me coffee.”
“And the universe threw mud at me. Balance has been restored.”
Maya laughed harder.
A few employees entering the building glanced over.
One of them called, “Morning, Ben.”
Maya blinked.
“You work here?”
Ben pointed at the building.
“Third floor.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
She groaned.
“So after witnessing my coffee tragedy, you’re also going to be my coworker?”
“Looks that way.”
“That’s embarrassing.”
“I don’t know. You handled the coffee loss bravely.”
“I made a noise that sounded like a wounded seagull.”
“It was a courageous wounded seagull.”
Maya shook her head.
Then she noticed he still hadn’t stopped smiling.
“What?”
Ben hesitated.
“Nothing.”
“What?”
“I was just thinking.”
“Dangerous.”
“Very.”
He lifted his coffee cup.
“But statistically speaking, if our first meeting involved airborne beverages, public humiliation, and property damage, things can only improve from here.”
Maya considered this.
Then she smiled.
A feeling she couldn’t quite name settled warmly in her chest.
“Or,” she said, “we’re about to become the world’s most entertaining HR case.”
Ben grinned.
“Honestly? I’d be happy with either outcome.”
One second it was safely perched on the roof of her car. The next, it was performing a graceful swan dive onto the parking lot of her office building.
“No, no, no—”
Too late.
The cup exploded dramatically.
A nearby man winced. “Well. On the bright side, gravity appears to be functioning normally.”
Maya looked up.
The speaker was tall, annoyingly handsome, and carrying two perfectly intact coffees.
Of course he was.
“Thank goodness,” she said. “I was worried physics had chosen today to quit.”
He nodded solemnly. “That would explain my student loans.”
Against her will, she laughed.
The stranger held out one of his coffees. “Peace offering from the universe.”
“I can’t take your coffee.”
“You can. I accidentally ordered two.”
“Who accidentally orders two coffees?”
“The kind of person who shouldn’t be trusted with important decisions.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
“It’s honest.”
Maya eyed the cup suspiciously.
“What’s in it?”
“A latte.”
“Any chance it’s poisoned?”
“If it is, we’re both in trouble. I drank the matching one.”
She accepted it.
“Thank you, Random Coffee Samaritan.”
“You’re welcome, Parking Lot Disaster.”
“That’s a little rude.”
“Sorry. Parking Lot Disaster Survivor.”
“Better.”
He smiled.
Unfortunately, it was the sort of smile that suggested years of practice being charming.
Maya distrusted it immediately.
“My name’s Maya, by the way.”
“Ben.”
They shook hands.
At that exact moment, a car rolled through a puddle and splashed muddy water across the front of Ben’s shirt.
Maya stared.
Ben stared.
The puddle dripped.
Then Maya burst out laughing.
Ben looked down at himself.
“I suppose,” he said carefully, “that means we’re even.”
“You bought me coffee.”
“And the universe threw mud at me. Balance has been restored.”
Maya laughed harder.
A few employees entering the building glanced over.
One of them called, “Morning, Ben.”
Maya blinked.
“You work here?”
Ben pointed at the building.
“Third floor.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
She groaned.
“So after witnessing my coffee tragedy, you’re also going to be my coworker?”
“Looks that way.”
“That’s embarrassing.”
“I don’t know. You handled the coffee loss bravely.”
“I made a noise that sounded like a wounded seagull.”
“It was a courageous wounded seagull.”
Maya shook her head.
Then she noticed he still hadn’t stopped smiling.
“What?”
Ben hesitated.
“Nothing.”
“What?”
“I was just thinking.”
“Dangerous.”
“Very.”
He lifted his coffee cup.
“But statistically speaking, if our first meeting involved airborne beverages, public humiliation, and property damage, things can only improve from here.”
Maya considered this.
Then she smiled.
A feeling she couldn’t quite name settled warmly in her chest.
“Or,” she said, “we’re about to become the world’s most entertaining HR case.”
Ben grinned.
“Honestly? I’d be happy with either outcome.”
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