Soulful (TayNew)

part-31

Author Pov:-

It was New's first day at his new job, and as he stepped into the sleek, modern office building, a mix of excitement and nervousness fluttered in his chest. He had prepared for this moment, wanting to make a great first impression, but nothing could quite prepare him for the whirlwind of personalities he was about to encounter.

The office was buzzing with activity. Phones rang, keyboards clattered, and colleagues clustered around desks, talking in low voices. New took a deep breath, plastered on a polite smile, and made his way to the reception desk, where a friendly-looking woman greeted him.

"Hi, you must be New!" she said brightly, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "I’m Amara, one of the senior managers here. I’ll show you around today."

New relaxed slightly at her warm welcome and followed her as she gave him a tour of the office, introducing him to the team.

First, they approached a group of three colleagues gathered around a desk. They glanced up as Amara introduced New.

"This is New, everyone. He’ll be working in the marketing department."

Two of them smiled warmly and shook his hand. One, a tall guy named Mike, clapped him on the shoulder. "Welcome aboard, New! You’re going to fit right in," he said with a grin.

Beside him, a woman named Sara gave him a genuine smile. "If you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to ask."

New felt his nerves ease even more. So far, things seemed to be going well. But as they moved further into the office, the atmosphere shifted.

Amara introduced him to a small group near the corner of the office. One of the men, named Chris, barely looked up from his computer. His greeting was curt, a mumbled “hey,” before his attention was back on his screen. Next to him, a woman named Nina gave him a once-over, her expression unreadable, and simply nodded.

New could feel the tension in the air. Not everyone was going to welcome him with open arms.

As Amara led him away, she gave him an encouraging smile. "Don’t worry about Chris and Nina," she whispered. "They’re like that with everyone. Just give them time."

New nodded, but a knot of unease settled in his stomach. He wanted to make a good impression on everyone, but it seemed like some people had already made up their minds about him.

The day went by in a blur of meetings, paperwork, and small talk with his new colleagues. Some, like Mike and Sara, went out of their way to include him in conversations, making him feel like part of the team. Others, like Chris and Nina, kept their distance, their gazes cool and indifferent.

By lunchtime, New found himself sitting in the break room, quietly eating his meal when Mike and Sara came in.

"Mind if we join you?" Sara asked, already sliding into a seat next to him. Mike followed, plopping down with a grin. "So, how’s the first day treating you?"

New smiled, grateful for the company. "It’s been good so far. A bit overwhelming, but I guess that’s normal on the first day."

"Yeah, don’t sweat it," Mike said between bites of his sandwich. "Some people here are a bit... hard to warm up, but you’ll win them over eventually."

Sara nodded. "And some people are just set in their ways. Don’t take it personally."

New appreciated their support, but a small part of him still couldn’t shake the feeling of unease from the cool reception he’d received from a few colleagues.