Page 138 of Unspoken Rules

Buzzing with energy, I pull out my phone and start a list of everything I’ll need to order as I walk through the apartment aimlessly. From furniture to spices; decorations and necessities, I note down as much as I can think of.

There are hardwood floors throughout the apartment, minus the kitchen and bathroom which are tile, so I’ll need a few rugs. Oh, and a vacuum, because I hate sweeping. By the time I’m done, my list is a mile long. Who would have known you need so many damn things when you first move into a place? And I’m sure I missed a ton too.

What I’m most eager about is decorating. I want every inch of this place to be comfortable and calm. I want my room dark, but the rest of the house bright.

I don’t bother unpacking my things but pull out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to change into. There is a pack of sheets and a blanket for the cot, so I quickly make the bed, plug in my phone, and get my tablet so I can start ordering stuff from my list. I don’t need anything expensive or fancy, just enough to get by. I choose a simple bed frame, but get a high-quality mattress. Soft sheets so I’ll be comfortable. Fluffy pillows. Before I know it, it’s been two hours and I’ve hardly gotten through a quarter of the list. There are way too many options online, and I wonder if I’d have been better off going to a store so there is less to choose from. There’s an ache forming behind my eyes. Between the stress of flying and being tired, I’m getting a headache. So I put my tablet aside, make sure my alarm is set for eight so I don’t waste the day, and go to sleep.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Bryson

One month later…

“So what you do is click over here on New File and the first thing you want to do is save it in the format listed here.” I point to the cheat sheet I made up. “This way you don’t risk a chance of losing it if the program crashes. It doesn’t happen often, but it has happened. All the files are automatically placed in the shared folder, so you don’t have to worry about changing the location.”

“This seems simple enough,” Eloise says.

She’s the newest hire I’m training and learns quickly, which is great and common, thankfully. You don’t get into graphic design and not know your way around design programs or technology in general. The training is pretty basic, and I find myself answering simple questions more than anything else.

“It really is. Why don’t you familiarize yourself with this for a bit? Come up with a logo for yourself, and I’ll be back shortly.”

She smiles and nods, then scoots to the center of the desk when I get up and roll the chair back to the empty desk a short way away. I head to the back room to check on a few other recent hires who are already working on projects.

Charles wasn’t kidding when he said this place took off. Apparently, there was another ad agency in the city that floundered, and all the local businesses flocked to this one out of desperation. Our employees have increased by 30% in just the last month and that isn’t including the group of us who came from Beaumonte. Of course, this is overall and not just the marketing department, but it’s still impressive. Especially since things are still growing. I’m both proud and excited to be part of the agency’s growth.

“Hey, Bryson. You still coming out with us tonight?” Westley asks as I pass by his desk. He’s hanging his phone up on the receiver, and he gets to his feet.

He’s one of the guys who migrated over from Oregon. The ten of us seem to have a sort of kinship to one another. We aren’t close, but there’s an understanding that we’re all in the same situation, and that helps. We’ve gotten acclimated quickly, and we are friendly with everyone who has been here, but since it hasn’t been long, the place is still somewhat divided. Those who were here first seem to be a little butt hurt that newbies came over to train new hires in their location. I’m sure they’ll get over it soon. If not, then that’s on them.

“Planned on it,” I answer.

It’s the first time the ten of us are planning on going out together. We’re celebrating our first successful month here in Boston.

“We’re meeting in the lobby at seven.”

I give him an acknowledging head nod and move to Michael’s desk to see how he’s fairing. He got stuck with a difficult client who still thinks lingerie should be marketed toward men since they’re the ones who look at it. The guy doesn’t understand that times have changed, and it makes more sense to market these items as sexy and comfortable to the women wearing them. He’s older, definitely a different generation, and way too traditional. But he’s a client, so we’re doing our best to give him what he wants while making sure it’ll be successful. It’s not easy, but Michael is doing a great job trying to incorporate what the client wants while staying true to what he’s marketing.

“Any luck?”

“I think I got it,” he says. “At least mostly.”

He pulls up the file, showing me a classic-looking ad but with the minor details we’ve been adamant on. Like the men not looking like savage pigs and the woman seeming happy and not lifeless. “This is good.”

“It’s the best I can do with what I’m given,” he answers, scratching his head.

“Stay confident in the meeting and we may actually get somewhere. Good job.” I pat him on the shoulder.

“Thanks, Mr. Montgomery.” He grins at me.

I go back to my desk to check my emails, and when I’m done, I pop over to Eloise, who summed up her entire personality in the glittery and robotic ring she designed with her name etched into the band. I love seeing people work on projects when they have free rein. It really shows off their style. It’s also great to push people and give them perimeters because they have to think outside the box. Sometimes they learn they’re capable of things they didn’t think they would be.

I still can’t believe I was given this opportunity here. Everything with work is going perfectly. My apartment is coming together. I have friends here. I keep in touch with my friends from home too. They’re all doing well. I haven’t talked to Chris, but Mila gives me updates when she gets them through Tabitha, since Chris won’t talk to anyone. Mila says she calls Tabitha once a week to check in on him. He’s lucky to have someone like her who isn’t willing to give up on him. She’s a better person than me.

Last I spoke to Mila, she told me Chris lost his job and has been spiraling hardcore. I hate that I can’t be there for him. Hate even more that even if I was, it wouldn’t matter.

I haven’t talked to Cole once since I’ve been here, which does nothing to help the gaping hole in my chest. He hasn’t reached out to me, and I haven’t reached out to him. Mila has no information on him whatsoever, but why would she?

All I know is that this hurts a lot. It doesn’t seem to be getting better. The way Cole is still constantly on my mind is concerning. How long does it take to get over someone? It’s been long enough. So many times I’ve considered reaching out to him under the guise of asking about Chris, but I realize how shitty that is, so I don’t. What’s the point? What would I even say to him? Just ask about Chris, then say bye? For what? Just to hear his voice and think about it for days on end? I already know the only thing he and I will ever end in is pain. If he hasn’t reached out to me, it’s because he doesn’t want to. Meaning I am not going to chase him. My heart can’t take begging someone to be in my life. I’ve done it enough with my father. I won’t beg anyone else to want me around, especially since I’m making progress here. Both in my life and with my issues. So yeah, this pain sucks, but I also know it could be worse. So I stay away because the road I’m on leads to a fully healed Bryson.

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