It May Rain

Chapter Five

Another uneventful day, and another coffee needed to fuel me through it.

It's January 5th and I realise I haven't made any new year's resolutions, and if there's anyone who should, it's me; there's a lot I want to change about my life right now. First on the agenda is obviously getting a new job, second is to move house and preferably one with housemates who have similar interests, third is to make new friends.

The kettle clicks before I have a chance to mull over any other options. I pour the boiling liquid into the cup and watch the cheap coffee granules morph into a muddy drink. Screw it, the fourth resolution will be to treat myself to good coffee now and again, because putting up with this sludge everyday is getting me down.

So at lunchtime I decide to treat myself and walk to the local retail park where there's an upmarket coffee shop. The Christmas menu is still up and all the festive snacks immediately entice me, so before I know it I'm eyeing up the chocolate orange mince pies, which I've never heard of before but sound scrumptious.

"What can I get you, love?"

"I'll have a large flat white and one of the chocolate orange mince pies, please."

The barista goes off to make my drink and I go and wait at the end of the counter.

"Bold choice getting that mince pie. And probably not the right one," a man's voice comments.

"Excuse me?" I swivel around to see what kind of person thinks it's ok to make passing comments on a complete stranger's order.

"What...What are you doing here, Hugo?"

"Well, like most people I frequent coffee shops to get coffee," he smiles mischievously.

I roll my eyes, remembering how much he loves to use sarcasm.

"That's not what I meant."

"I know, I'm just messing with you. I'm spending the afternoon at your office and I just came to grab a coffee and a bite for lunch."

"Why are you working from our office when you're based in the west London office?" I ask with a confused look on my face.

"I got summoned here by your boss. Apparently your operations manager is out on sick leave, something to do with a broken arm? So they sent me over to help out with anything that needs seeing to in person. The rest can be covered remotely by head office."

"Oh I see. We weren't told you were coming over."

I'd honestly forgotten all about him, and could have quite happily never have come face to face with him ever again. I'm not sure how I feel about his reappearance, but I know I'm not exactly jumping for joy over it.

"Why, if you'd known I was coming, would you have gotten me one of those atrocious mince pies too?" he teases.

My eyebrows furrow themselves at his overly forward opinions. "What have you got against mince pies?"

"I've got nothing against them. In fact I love them, but mixing chocolate, orange and mincemeat sounds like a recipe for disaster. I thought you had better taste than that."

"Maybe you don't know me that well, then," I scowl.

***

Ever since Hugo entered the office it's like a switch has been flicked.

Jacko seems elated to have another minion to do his dirty work, and of course someone to fill Susan's operations-shaped hole. Chantelle seems to have applied a third coat of mascara and has been sneaking in flirtatious glances at him when she thinks no one else is looking. Greg and Jeremy have been going over constantly to check he's got everything he needs, and they've already initiated him into their mid-afternoon coffee break.