Did you hear?

`"Did you hear?”

“Of course I heard, who told you?”

“Janice, in accounts.”

“Big mouth on Janice.”

“Huge mouth on Janice.”

“Who told her?”

“Apparently she was there.”

“What?! When he-”

“Yup.”

“But why on Earth would she be there?”

“No idea.”

“Gosh.”

“I know.”

“Shocking, but sort of…”

“Not?”

“Well you don’t like to imply things.”

“No, of course not.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t want anyone to think that I thought that he, well… you know?”

“Perish the thought.”

“But he was, I mean as much as anyone can be-”

“The sort?”

“Don’t you think?”

“People like that always are. Sensitive.”

“Has anyone gone to see him?”

“No, no I don’t think so. It would be hard, really. Like picking sides.”

“I’m on his side.”

“As am I, but all the same. I like this job, I get childcare discounts.”

“Angie, you can’t choose discounts over a person.”

“I very much can, childcare is daylight robbery.”

“Okay, fine, but at least pretend to feel bad about it.”

“Oh, I do. Somewhat. I mean I’m glad someone finally reacted. It was a long time coming.”

“Shame it was him, he was so nice. And he’ll probably leave now.”

“I would, you’d have to.”

“Unless they sack her.”

“I hope they sack her, I’m shocked she’d lasted this long.”

“I was thinking though…”

“Yes?”

“Well, and I mean entirely warranted really, maybe a bit of an overreaction in the moment, but it wasn’t the first time, I only mean that-”

“Spit it out.”

“Do you think something else was going on?”

“What, like a mental health thing?”

“Oh, maybe. That would make sense I suppose…course if it was a mental health thing they’ll

make us have a meeting.”

“So what were you thinking?”

“Sorry?”

“If not a mental health thing, what were you thinking it was?”

“Oh, just that maybe there was something else going on. Personal stuff, or… something?”

“Personal stuff?”

“Yeah, you know… like, family stuff, or love life stuff?”

“Love life stuff?”

“Like dating.”

“I don’t need you to define love life for me…You heard something didn’t you?”

“I’m not meant to say.”

“Okay, but you have said.”

“Well, not really.”

“Who told you? Janice?”

“No, God no, bloody Janice. No, Paula.”

“Oh, you can trust Paula.”

“I know.”

“Head screwed on right, has Paula.”

“Well that’s why I thought it seemed reasonable.”

“You have to tell me now.”

“Fine, but it goes no further.”

“Promise.”

“Promise, promise, not like your usual.”

“Cross my heart et cetera.”

“Paula overheard something, at the last staff drinks. Lucas was talking to, what’s his name. In Ventures, tall, beardy, dark hair… God, something modern isn’t it?.”

“Hail.”

“Yes! Yes, Lucas was talking to Hail at the last staff drinks, kinda tense apparently. Paula thought maybe it was just some work thing they hadn’t resolved, cause Lucas was working on the comms pack for that new theme park. Anyway, she chalks it up to work stuff and booze, only a few weeks later she hears Lucas talking to Meera, you know from asset management? Anyway, it seems like she, Lucas, and Hail were in some kind of triangle.”

“A love triangle?”

“Yep, all very scandalous really. I mean who even gets in that position in real life.”

“I don’t understand though, when you say love triangle, who was competing for who? I assumed Lucas was gay, honestly, because he joined the pride network, and he never checks any of the girls out. Not even Vicki.”

“Vicky in Marketing?”

“No, pretty Vicki, in children’s”

“She is very pretty.”

“It’s the eyes.”

“I can never do liner.”

“No me neither, looks great on her though, very sultry.”

“Very. Anyway, I don’t know. I assumed that they must both be after Hail, he’s something of a catch.”

“Meera as well, wasn’t she on it with that Australian? She was telling everyone about him at the summer thing, with the cocktails.”

“When you got sunstroke?”

“No, no, the July, the one legal came to, you’re thinking of the August family thing, she wasn’t at that one.”

“On the balcony? That was nice. Now you mention it, she definitely told me about her man from Oz. Must’ve split.”

“You don’t think she dumped Oz for Hail in Ventures?”

“I don’t know, he does have that Clarke Kent thing going, now he has specs, there are worse choices.”

“Well, not if he’s into Lucas.”

“Unclear, and, I suppose, the triangle could have been that they were both in Lucas, and no one’s after Hail at all?”

“Lucas is a cutey, with his ringlets. And he’s always so nice to everyone.”

“Course, if they were both in Lucas, I don’t know why Hail would have been arguing with him at the Christmas drinks.”

“Maybe he was jealous, Meera might have been pulling ahead. Or like, the same but vice versa, if Lucas was chasing Hail.”

“Is he in today?”

“Oh, let’s check.”

“You check the Teams, I’m gonna message Michael.”

“Is Michael in Ventures now?”

“No, but his office is right near the lifts, and they’re on the same floor as brand.”

“Teams has him offline. Presence unknown.”

“Michael says he hasn’t been in since it happened.”

“That’s pretty romantic.”

“You’re telling me if you kicked off at work, to such a degree that you might get sacked, and Johnny didn’t go in, possibly putting his job in jeopardy, that would be romantic?”

“Don’t be silly, Johnny doesn’t work here, one, and two we’re married with kids, it’s different. Buuuttt if my boss reduced me to tears, and then pushed me so far I finally snapped and told the bitch to do one, I guess I’d want my partner to at least consider not working there anymore.”

“So you won’t take sides in case you lose the childcare, but you think Hail should quit if Lucas gets the sack?”

“Only if they’re together, otherwise it’s weird.”

“Oh Michael sent another message.”

“What is it?”

“It’s juicy.”

“Well I’m thirsty.”

“That is definitely not how you use that word.”

“Tell me the goss, Serena.”

“Fine, fine, the goss… oooohhhh, apparently Raj in Ventures walked in on Lucas and Hail, having a very close convo last week, and told Temi that he thought they were a thing.”

“Meera lost out.”

“Looks like, oh and- shit, Philip is coming over here. I have to go.”

“No, Serena.”

“See you later, babe!”