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Not porn? Well done, Milly. Well done.
Brendon laughed. “Of course not! Was it a job site?”
I cringed. Caught red-handed.
Since my meeting with Neil Kingston, I had been browsing job sites and submitting applications both off and on the clock, around the clock. If what Neil had said was true, fifty percent of my team was going to lose their jobs, and with just three months’ experience under my belt, I didn’t like my odds of surviving the cut. I needed to secure another job offer, stat. Even if it was just as a backup for peace of mind.
Brendon loomed over my shoulder, awaiting an answer. Lying at this point was futile, so I confessed my transgression and brought the tab back up. The job search page listed all the communications roles in Auckland, sorted from newest to oldest listing. “Sorry. I’ve just been so anxious about the restructure. It’s hard to stay focused. I feel the need to keep checking for new job listings.”
Brendon sighed. “I don’t blame you. I’ve had the odd peek as well.”
“You’re worried about losing your job too?”
“Of course. Neil made it abundantly clear that no one was safe.”
“Damn. If you’re not confident you’ll make it through, what chance do I have? I have the least experience out of everyone on this floor.”
“For what it’s worth, I’ve put in a good word for you. I can’t promise it will have much impact, though.”
“Thanks, Brendon. That means a lot to me.”
“Right then, I’ll leave you to it,” he said with a wink.
A few days later, Mike casually dropped a bombshell on us.
“You did WHAT?” Specks of coffee went flying from Brooke’s mouth.
“Are you that surprised?” Mike asked.
“He did mention it before,” I chimed in.
The three of us sat around a table in the staff cafeteria on the ground floor, beverages of choice in front of us—a cappuccino for me, an iced latte for Brooke, and a flat white for Mike. The coffee break was a much-needed reprieve from the ongoing agony of the pending restructure results, which could arrive any day now.
“So, let me get this straight,” Brooke said. “You weren’t joking when you said you might quit and become a full-time gamer living in your parents’ basement?”
“I don’t joke, B. I’ve already started my channel and got my first few subscribers.”
Wild as it was, I was glad one of us could turn the situation into something positive and follow our dreams.
“Good for you, Mike,” I said. “Sounds like you know what you’re doing. I’ll definitely follow your channel.”
“Thanks, Milly. I knew you’d support me.”
“I’ll follow your stupid channel too,” Brooke said.
“Uh, thanks.”
With Mike confirmed to be leaving the company, that left me and Brooke. Was I going to make it? The question had plagued me for weeks now. The only positive to come out of the situation was that I had stopped dwelling on the former CEO’s demise. But was that really a positive? The worry about losing my job was just as consuming.
Mike gulped his coffee. “I don’t envy you two right now. The uncertainty would be killing me.”
Brooke tucked a thick strand of her brown hair behind her ear. “I’m pretty confident I’ll make it through unscathed.”
Her assuredness made sense, given her uncle would do everything in his power to ensure her role was safe. I didn’t resent her for it. I’d use my connections too, if I had any.
“What about you, Milly?” Mike asked.
“I’m preparing for the worst. Then it won’t be a nasty shock if I lose my job, and it will be a pleasant surprise if I don’t.”
