Chapter Five: Becca
Welcome to Chapter Five of Xexie’s serialised office romance. Click here if you need to catch up on Chapter Four, where Becca and Jack go out for coffee. Enjoy the read, and let us know your thoughts in the comment section!
Ever since that meeting with Jack Cohen in the foyer of our office building, things have been a little off between us. Or should I say, I've just become more awkward around him. Whenever he walks past my desk with Richie Parkinson in tow and smiles and waves at me, I don't know how to respond without looking like a bumbling idiot. I'm neurotic at the best of times but now, do I acknowledge him with a nod? A smile? Or do I awkwardly wave back and hope I don't accidentally knock over my glass of water?
Just as this self-consciousness enters my head, he appears out of nowhere on our side of the office with Richie and asks our little work hub if we want any coffee.
Contrary to popular culture, the personal assistants and interns here don't grab their superiors coffee in this workplace. And lately, one could argue that it's the other way around. Jack Cohen and his senior executive friends often do the rounds for morning tea runs, which is taking this millennial, horizontal organisational structure one step too far.
“Anything for you, Becca? Lou?” Jack asks from ten feet away.
“Nothing from me, thank you.” I reply.
While Lou writes her order on a post-it note for Jack, I think to myself that perhaps moving beyond common apathy for each other was a mistake. Now that we're working together, we’ve officially moved into civil and friendly territory, talking about things that aren't work-related. We even remember each other’s coffee orders. For instance, I’ve since discovered that in the afternoons, Jack switches his oat lattes for espressos. A part of me just abhors that I know this - it was bad enough that I remembered how he takes his morning coffee after that first time we met.
And I can’t forget the personal questions he throws my way sometimes. I find this incredibly difficult because if I wanted unwanted questions directed at me, I need not go outside my own team for that. I get enough from Lou as it is. Fortunately for me, Lou and I only share the Mondays together these days.
"How's it been working on the tiger team?" She pries this morning.
"It's been great, actually." I give her the most politically correct response. I can sense elicitation of office gossip a mile off.
Suspecting that my answer was unsatisfactory, I add, "I wasn't sure in the beginning, but I'm learning a lot." Which is the truth. My professional development working with Jack has grown exponentially.
At first, I was apprehensive about it because he seemed overly cocky and confident. And with that combination comes the other personality trait to make it the perfect trifecta to deal with - demanding with unrealistic expectations. But after working closely with him over the last month, I've come to learn that if an ego is backed up with credentials and competence, it becomes slightly more forgiving and tolerable. And his requests have been reasonable and justified. Being on the tiger team has really given me greater oversight into the broader organisational picture. The reports I put together for Jack's analyses are much larger in scope than my usual reporting on individual products and projects. I’ve been suggesting to Lexi to broaden our analyses for months but that’s just not what management has asked us to do. And yet, here we are.
“What do you think they’ll do with all this company reporting? Do you think there’ll be layoffs?”
“I really don’t know. I’m not sure what their plan is.” This is the truth. Jack Cohen does not share this level of detail with me, but my gut feeling is that he’s trying to look for ways to avoid this. He’s not in this for the wrong reasons. His work standards are high, he wants to help Social Maps, to help his brother.
At that moment, Nigel Clayfield, the new chief financial officer walks towards me and asks, “Becca? Have you got a second?”
“Yes.” I reply. Even if I didn’t, I’d make time.
“Can you run through these reports you prepared for Jack last week?” Nigel asks waving a bunch of files in his hand.
“Sure.” I reply.
“Great. Let’s walk and talk.” Nigel suggests.
Sensing that he’s in a bit of a hurry, I get up and walk with him. I follow Nigel blindly not knowing his plans to leave the office floor. When we get into the lift, he asks me to explain the sales mix and concentration reports from the previous three quarters.
I do my best to explain my notes and analyses as we manoeuvre towards Chi Chi’s situated on the ground floor of the building. Didn’t Jack and Richie offer to do a coffee run? Luckily, there’s no one in the line.

“Regular flat white, thanks.” He says to the Indonesian barista, Budi, standing behind the bar. Nigel turns towards me and asks, “Becca, anything?”
Budi glances at me and tells Nigel, “She drinks Americanos.”
Nigel responds with “Thanks, an Americano as well.”
As we stand around waiting for our coffees, I continue explaining the approach I took on those reports. The conversation is easy and flowing with none of the awkwardness that I tend to exhibit around Jack Cohen. It might be that he’s not physically standing over me for starters. While both classed as attractive men, Nigel is slightly above average height and has a smaller build than Jack. He dresses in smart attire, wears thick framed glasses, and has dark brown, medium-length wavy hair. On balance, he’s a classically handsome, introverted sort of guy and few would disagree with my objective assessment. I never considered how old he must be, but he couldn’t be older than forty.
After Budi makes our coffees, we turn back towards the lift together. After we reach our floor, we give each other mutual thanks - he thanks me for my time, and I thank him for the coffee. We part ways and that’s the end of my impromptu meeting with Nigel Clayfield.
I head back to my desk and Lou gives me an inquisitive look, but I ignore her. As I sip my Americano, I notice that she's sipping her large cappuccino that Jack and Richie brought back from Georgie Boy.

I check my phone and notice a text message from Viv.
We're going out tonight.
How can she even think about going out? She’s been out two nights in a row! I reply back, It’s a week night...
That’s WHY we’re going out. Come on! Lucy needs cocktails and eye candy.
I completely forgot. Our good friend Lucy recently broke up with her boyfriend Felix and is staying with us for a few nights while her ex moves out of their shared apartment. I can be so wrapped up in my own life that sometimes I forget to support the people around me. Given Vivian’s state of unemployment, she’s been the more supportive friend.
I reflect on my own recent break up with Elliot and how I felt about it. I guess it’s not comparable. Lucy and Felix had a lot of history. And a girl does not have five years to wait on someone who was never going to commit. I guess I’d want someone who would be completely devoted to me. Not string me along for years thinking that there’s something better around the corner. Then really find something better around the corner. Someone who doesn’t make me feel like a second fiddle and who will put me first. I can’t say that I fully comprehend the hurt Lucy’s going through and the loss of leaving behind such a long relationship. But I do know this. In time, she will get better. And for now, if she needs cocktails and eye candy, I will be there.
Count me in.