Page 21 of Love, Luck & Clusterf*ck

She smirked at him, then turned back around and brought up her e-mail. He went down to his desk inside the circle. The other higher-ups hadn’t showed yet.

“Is this company always so, um… casual?” I wasn’t sure how else to describe it. I’d never worked in a place where staff and supervisors interacted like that.

“Just this department. It’s an HR nightmare, really, but so far there’s been no trouble. We’re like one big dysfunctional family, and no one takes anything personally.”

Okay, I could handle that. It was a bit unexpected in this day and age with everyone overly touchy about saying and doing the wrong thing, but yeah, it’d be good. At least I didn’t have to worry about getting in trouble for accidentally shooting off my mouth once in a while.

“And we all try to go out every Thursday after work and get blindly drunk. It doesn’t always work out, but when it does, it makes for an interesting Friday.”

“I think I’ll need to learn my job a little better before coming in hungover.”

“Good idea. Just don’t ever come in still drunk. They really frown on that. Multimillion-dollar systems and all.”

“Thanks, I’ll remember that.”

She stood up. “Hey, do you want a soda or something?”

“God, I’d love one. Sprite if they have it.” My throat still felt like I’d swallowed school paste.

Kate headed towards a small fridge at the back of the room when my line rang.Oh shit. “Um, Kate. My phone,” I called out.

“Just answer. You’ll be fine. I’ll be back in a sec.”

Nothing to freak about. They gave us training for a reason. “FiTech, this is Perry speaking.”

“Yes, hi. The ATM on the corner of Fifth and Mitchell ate my debit card. Can you please spit it back out for me?”

“I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll need to contact your financial institution.”

“But your number’s listed right here. I’m calling you.”

“Sir, we don’t deal with individual cardholders. You’ll need tocontact your financial institution.” I really hoped I was giving him the correct information.

“Then why is your number on the machine? Surely there’s something you can do for me.”

“Can you hold, please?”

Kate came back, handing me a bottle. “Thanks.” Maybe it was poor employee etiquette, but I couldn’t wait. I chugged half of it immediately, then set it down by my purse. “This guy on the phone wants me to give him back his debit card.”

She rolled her eyes. “This happens all the time. He needs to call his bank.”

“That’s what I told him, but he said our number’s on the machine.”

“That’s only because we handle the servicing contract. We don’t deal with bank customers. Unless he decides to take a sledgehammer to the thing, there’s nothing we can do.”

I sighed, unmuting the line. “Sir, once again I’m sorry, but I just confirmed that there isn’t anything we can do and—”

“Please. My wife is going to kill me.” Was he crying? “I’m not even supposed to be using the card, and I’m already on her bad side as it is. If I don’t have it back before she gets off of work, I’ll… she’ll…” He choked on a sob.

Shit, now what?I really hoped I wouldn’t tune into the news later and hear about some man taken to the hospital for frying pan–shaped imprints in his skull.

“Transfer it to Adam,” Kate mouthed.

I scanned the sheet of extensions posted by my computer. “Sir? Are you there?”

“I’m here.”

“I’m going to transfer you to my supervisor, okay?”

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