My fingers stumble across the screen. You people? What the fuck? I’m hoping he means millennials. He has to mean that. Right? I tap the information into my notes, keeping my thoughts to myself, sure I’m turning his words into something they’re not.

“Got it,” I say when I’m finished. “When the nondisclosure is ready for me to sign, please let me know and I’ll take care of that so we can get started planning immediately.”

“Oh yes, very good.” Mr. Mahler stands behind his oak desk, the corners of his mouth tilting up in a way that’s anything but comforting. He’s always reminded me a bit of a Disney villain, but even more so now as he reaches his hand across the table to shake my hand. “I’m looking forward to working with you.”

I want to remind him that we already work together. Literally. He’s my boss. But I don’t.

“So am I.” I stand from my seat and return his firm handshake. “Thank you for this opportunity.”

“Oh, the pleasure is all mine.” The smile on his face tenses a little bit as his fingers tighten around my hand. “I assure you.”

I offer him my kindest smile before spinning on my heel and leaving his plush office.

“Bye, Gemma.” I wave to the receptionist, who seems to have forgiven me from earlier. “Have a good evening.”

“You too,” she says, her normally warm smile back on her face.

I push open the heavy glass door and head into the window-lined hallway leading away from his office. When I’m at work, I tend to rush through everything. I don’t tend to be seen as someone who can’t keep up with the pace, so I move so quickly that I forget to slow down and breathe. But now that the halls are quiet and the parking lot is almost empty, I take this moment to stop and take in the view sprawling out in front of me. With everything that has happened in this last year, sometimes it’s easy for me to ignore things like this. It’s easy for me to forget that as bad as life has been, I still got my dream job. I did that. Even with the shit storm that has swirled around me.