Heavy tension lingered among my team long after the PMs had returned to their stations. I paid no heed to the exchange of their confused and wary glances as I refocused my attention solely on work.
Their confusion was understandable. No one had ever witnessed me speaking down to a colleague with such blatant disrespect, let alone a seemingly harmless PM on her very first day. I might have argued, even snapped at my colleagues, but those heated exchanges typically occurred in private. My open reproach could earn her more belittlement from her peers, as I had experienced myself as a newcomer; yet, their disdainful side-eyes, hushed whispers, and disapproving scowls were directed at me instead. To them, I had no right to address her in that manner. She was just an innocent little lamb, bitten by the big bad wolf. Little did they know that I had saved them all by cutting off a snake, not lamb.
After an hour of their intense scrutiny, I rose from my chair and peered over the sea of desks and monitors to locate Jack. I still had yet to discuss the issue with the lens. He was sitting at his desk next to Prisha. I strolled over, taking the long way around to avoid the PM section. Once I reached Jack’s table, I dropped into the seat across from him, where I occasionally sat to fulfill the vacant CTO role.
Jack lowered his laptop and arched a brow. He already knew something was on my mind, and it wasn’t the lens. “Disappointed?” he asked knowingly.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Entry-level. No experience. Quick to learn, she claimed.”
He huffed out a bemused scoff. “Of course. Aren’t they all?”
“Aren’t they all what?” Prisha inquired curiously over her laptop.
“Just some girl,” Jack answered dismissively before addressing me again. “Don’t know why you’re disappointed seeing how you were expecting it.”
“Yeah, but we’re at work. I was just hoping she’d be different,” I grumbled, not even bothering to conceal my sulk.
“You fancy someone at work?” Prisha asked me, her round eyes growing rounder in astonishment.