My First Work Drinks
I started on Monday and today there was work drinks, my first, and our story had, obviously, got out.
Ben had a girlfriend. And then Ben had a boyfriend, and the boyfriend was the new guy, which is me.
I was what superseded Amy, it seemed everyone was fascinated with that.
A straight boy with a gay boyfriend was endless hours of intrigue and questions. The bar was open and everybody seemed to get, if not drunk, certainly socially oiled. And while I might be a little reserved in my private life, I’m not usually reserved at work. I’m not really sure why? I’ve always thought it was because I am good at my job, even if I can be somewhat disinterred at times, and that gives me a kind of work confidence.
All the secretaries who always fancied Ben wanted to know the gory details, I was a little shocked.
“Hi, I’m Mary-Lou, you’re Josh, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I said. “The new guy.”
Stacey, one of the other secretary’s joined us.
Gabriel’s Secretary, Kitty was with Mary-Lou, they both had a rather full glass of white wine each. “So, tell me, Josh,” said Mary-Lou, “Did you know anyone at Gertrude’s before you started?”
I had a sense they knew exactly who I knew before I started and they just wanted me to say it. “Ben Harper,” I said. “I knew Ben Harper.
“Ben Harper?” quizzed Mary-Lou.
“Brad Pitt in Taxation,” said Stacey. “How do you know Ben?”
I had a feeling Stacey didn’t know.”
“Brad Pitt,” I asked.
“He’s as good looking as Brad Pitt,” slurred Stacey. She clearly wasn’t on her first wine. “All the girls think so.”
I laughed. “He’s my partner.”
“Ben isn’t a part…ner… oh.” Stacey blushed. “Your partner?”
“Yes.”
“So, Ben is…”
“Very much,” I said. Maybe I’d had enough red wine too.
“All the good ones,” said Mar-Lou.
“Oh, please don’t tell him about Brad Pitt,” said Stacey suddenly realising.
“Your secret is safe with me,” I said. I’m sleeping with Brad Pitt, I thought to myself. “Actually, there is an American actor who I think really does look like Ben.”
“Really? Who,” said Mary-Lou.
“Tell us,” said Stacey.
“You probably wouldn’t have heard of him,” I said. “But his name is Justin Deeley.”
Mary-Lou got her phone out straight away. Stacey got her phone out too as soon as Mary-Lou did.
“Oh,” said Mary-Lou. “He does.”
“Yes, yes he does,” said Stacey.
“We’ll have to call him Justin from now on.”
“It won’t be so obvious,” said Stacey.
Ben had a girlfriend. And then Ben had a boyfriend, and the boyfriend was the new guy, which is me.
I was what superseded Amy, it seemed everyone was fascinated with that.
A straight boy with a gay boyfriend was endless hours of intrigue and questions. The bar was open and everybody seemed to get, if not drunk, certainly socially oiled. And while I might be a little reserved in my private life, I’m not usually reserved at work. I’m not really sure why? I’ve always thought it was because I am good at my job, even if I can be somewhat disinterred at times, and that gives me a kind of work confidence.
All the secretaries who always fancied Ben wanted to know the gory details, I was a little shocked.
“Hi, I’m Mary-Lou, you’re Josh, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I said. “The new guy.”
Stacey, one of the other secretary’s joined us.
Gabriel’s Secretary, Kitty was with Mary-Lou, they both had a rather full glass of white wine each. “So, tell me, Josh,” said Mary-Lou, “Did you know anyone at Gertrude’s before you started?”
I had a sense they knew exactly who I knew before I started and they just wanted me to say it. “Ben Harper,” I said. “I knew Ben Harper.
“Ben Harper?” quizzed Mary-Lou.
“Brad Pitt in Taxation,” said Stacey. “How do you know Ben?”
I had a feeling Stacey didn’t know.”
“Brad Pitt,” I asked.
“He’s as good looking as Brad Pitt,” slurred Stacey. She clearly wasn’t on her first wine. “All the girls think so.”
I laughed. “He’s my partner.”
“Ben isn’t a part…ner… oh.” Stacey blushed. “Your partner?”
“Yes.”
“So, Ben is…”
“Very much,” I said. Maybe I’d had enough red wine too.
“All the good ones,” said Mar-Lou.
“Oh, please don’t tell him about Brad Pitt,” said Stacey suddenly realising.
“Your secret is safe with me,” I said. I’m sleeping with Brad Pitt, I thought to myself. “Actually, there is an American actor who I think really does look like Ben.”
“Really? Who,” said Mary-Lou.
“Tell us,” said Stacey.
“You probably wouldn’t have heard of him,” I said. “But his name is Justin Deeley.”
Mary-Lou got her phone out straight away. Stacey got her phone out too as soon as Mary-Lou did.
“Oh,” said Mary-Lou. “He does.”
“Yes, yes he does,” said Stacey.
“We’ll have to call him Justin from now on.”
“It won’t be so obvious,” said Stacey.
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