Page 1 of First Time

ONE

Brent

“I

s it always so rainy?”

I look over my shoulder at Felix, one of my coworkers that I’ve only just met even though we’ve worked together for two years. We’ve had a lot of video chats and meetings, but never a face-to-face until now.

“Yeah,” Felix says with a sigh.

I stare out the window at the gray skyline, the fog dense enough to cover the tops of buildings, making me wonder what it’s like to work on the top floor of one of those. More often than not, I’m stuck in the basement or in a windowless room due to the damage the sun can do to our equipment.

I drag myself away from the window and go back to my computer. The program code runs across the screen, moving faster than my eyes can read. I’m good with computers. Sometimes better than good. But if coding gets messed up, it can throw everything off. Most of the time I won’t know until everything is done, or the shit starts lagging.

“What are you doing tonight?” Felix asks.

I type away on my computer and shrug. “Going to my hotel room.”

It’s the same thing I’ve done since I arrived a few days ago. I flew to Portland from Texas as part of my new job requirement. Little did I know when I accepted the promotion that I would have to travel.

“We’re having a shindig at a club tonight if you want to come.”

The loser invite.

“Thanks for the offer.”

It’s all I can think of to say instead of an outright no. I get it. Technically, I’m their boss. No one wants to hang out with the manager who comes to town every now and again to make sure everything’s running the way it should be.

Felix walks around to the front of my desk and stands there until I look up at him. “Seriously,” he says, his expression genuine. “You should come. It’ll be fun and it’s probably the best club in town.”

I take another look at the gloomy sky while I think about Felix’s offer and sigh. “Are we celebrating something?”

“It’s Clayton’s birthday,” he tells me, his smile spreading wider. “He works in the finance department.”

I nod even though I have no idea who Clayton is, which is probably why I didn’t get an invite. “Sure,” I say with a shrug.

It’ll be nice to go out and hang with the guys. In Texas, I do that often, especially during football season. We meet at the bar on Monday nights, watch some football, and laugh at the big burly dudes trying to one-up each other with who is the better team: Dallas or the Texans. I have no pony in the race, so I don’t really care. I just go to hang out, have a beer, and wonder what the hell I’m doing with my life.

My life . . . isn’t where I thought it would be at the ripe age of twenty-eight. I thought for sure I’d be married with at least two kids, own a four-to-five-thousand square-foot home, and driving some macho car. But here I am, single. More single than I care to admit.

It’s one thing to be single because you’re not ready to settle down, but I am. The dating pool sucks. I’ve tried so many avenues, from church groups to dating apps to sitting at a bar. I get to the third date stage and that’s when everything goes haywire. Telling the woman you’re on a date with that you’re saving yourself for the right person, while she’s grinding on your crotch, is a buzzkill. I’m not smooth with words and despite my mind telling me not to say anything, I undoubtedly blurt out the dumbest shit.

Pushing my glasses up my nose, I stare at the screen and watch the sequence compute. It’s going to take the rest of the day to finish, which means I should stay and make sure it’s right, but when I see Felix move over to the coat rack and put his on, I figure I should do the same. The work day is over according to the clock.

“Where’s this place at?” I ask, grabbing my cell off the desk and slipping it into my coat pocket.

Felix grins as if there’s something he knows that I don’t. “It’s here, downtown,” he says. “There’ll be free drinks and we have a VIP area.”

That surprises me. “Oh, wow. Red carpet treatment, huh?”

Felix laughs. “Yeah, something like that.”

There’s a hint of mischievousness to his tone which solidifies my previous thought. I’m starting to wonder what I’ve gotten myself into. Nevertheless, I’m curious to see what the night entails.

We meet up with the others in the lobby and head out. Felix introduced me to all five of the guys, but by the time we leave the building I’ve already forgotten their names. When we start walking, I don’t say anything, assuming the bar is nearby. I’m not sure if the others drive to work. Luckily, I don’t have to because my hotel isn’t far from the office.

As we’re walking, Felix and the others joke around, reminding me of the camaraderie I have with the guys I work with back in Texas. It makes me wish some of them had come on this trip. We could’ve had a great time.

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