Crackle

It took him a second for his brain to click into gear. He began sharing his screen with a groan. The headache still pounding and the glass of water now empty. He would have to wing it. He opened the whiteboard app and began talking as he drew, as if it was all part of a rehearsed presentation. He’d done this before a million times but never so hung over, usually a few drinks deep in fact. As he talked the notification popup showed a new message from Clair. “You didn’t prepare anything did you?” Finn was glad the notifications didn’t show when sharing his screen. As he finished talking a moment of silence hung there demanding to be acknowledged like a pregnant woman at a bar. “Any questions?. “ He asked, hoping there wouldn’t be any so he could go and vomit. After a moment of further silence the meeting chair said “Then I think we’ll end it there thank’s guys.” Finn shivered at the corporate jargon, wanting to heave even more. He opened the message app again to a flood of messages “You nailed that” “Great job man” “Awesome incites.” Only Clair had seen through his little performance. She has started working with him as a data analyst only a few years earlier, and after a few wild nights after work drinks had become fast friends.

Clair: “Wonder boy does it again.”
Finn: “Shut up.”
Clair: “So what did you get up to? Why wasn’t I invited?”
Finn: “Listening to music and drinking. It’s a thing all men do sometimes.”
Clair: “Men are fascinating. It’s like a nature documentary.”

Finn closed the message app. He’d need a lot of coffee to make it through the day and in the recesses of his mind a little ember burned. He had gotten into one of the world’s biggest companies last night and tonight he intended to take a stroll around and see the sites.