Friday 14th June 2024 in 2024

The aftertaste of yesterday’s meeting still lingers. Shadowing Ms. Davies at that corporate takeover was exhilarating. Seeing the intricate dance of negotiation play out firsthand - the polite jabs disguised as compliments, the strategic pauses followed by calculated concessions - it was a masterclass. But it’s also given me a lot to think about. There’s a ruthlessness to this game, a coldness beneath the civility, that I wasn’t quite expecting. Is that the inevitable cost of doing business at this level? There’s always a human cost to these financial maneuvers, but witnessing it so directly is a sobering thought.
Today was a mess of emails, reports, and conference calls. The usual Friday pre-weekend scramble. Thankfully, I managed to tie everything up efficiently, and by eight o’clock, I was practically sprinting out the office door.
“Thank goodness it’s Friday, Anna!” Sharon declared with a grin, already halfway down the street. We usually grab Friday night drinks after work to decompress. Tonight, we decided on TCC - a popular haunt for the finance crowd, known for its stylish atmosphere and fantastic cocktails.
The bar was buzzing as usual. We snagged two stools and ordered French Martinis. As we sipped our drinks, Shaz launched into the latest office gossip. Apparently, there’s a rumour floating around that Mr. Jones from Marketing might be getting poached by a competitor. It wouldn’t be a surprise, considering the whispers about budget cuts and dwindling resources in his department. I’d imagine he’s not averse to pulling the exit cord.
“Ugh, it’s not easy surviving these corporate swings and roundabouts,” Shaz sighed. “But hey, at least we lived through another week!”
We raised our glasses in a toast, the clinking of glass a comforting sound. Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the chatter.
“Anna and Sharon? Fancy seeing you here!”
We turned to see Daniel, a former colleague who moved to another firm last year, waving at us from across the room. We hadn’t seen each other in ages, and a spark of surprise lit up our faces. He manoeuvred through the crowd and joined us at the bar.
“How have you both been?” he laughed, his smile warm and genuine.
The conversation flowed effortlessly between us. We talked about work, our travels, and shared the latest office gossip. He even mentioned that yesterday’s takeover news (the one I’d been privy to) had piqued his interest, and he was curious to learn more about the industry from a different perspective. The evening seemed to melt away as we delved deeper into our conversation and the bar started slowly emptying around us.
By the time the last call for drinks rang out, we were still deep in conversation.
“Well, this has been lovely,” Daniel said, standing up. “I wouldn’t want to keep you any longer, but maybe we could continue this conversation another time?”
A smile bloomed on my face. “I’d like that,” I replied, the thrill of the unexpected adding a delightful punctuation mark to a week already brimming with new experiences. With a happy goodbye, we parted ways, heading off into the London night. This week has felt like the start of something new, and the excitement thrummed under my skin as I made my way home, the city lights twinkling around me.