The First Time I Saw Her…

 

Hey guys! This is Black Banter, and welcome back to my blog. See what I did there? Haha! I’m thinking about changing my intro, so you’ll probably be reading weirder intros moving forward. Speaking of something new, I’m again on the hunt for new songs for my playlist, “Emotional Banana”. Please don’t ask about the name – it is what it is and I love it.

I haven’t talked to you guys in a while. How are you? What have you guys been up to? I hope y’all are doing well. As for me, well, still moving on from heartbreak, as you all know. After being almost a mom to my kids and almost four years of being together, she decided to end our journey. Time doesn’t make a person the right one for you, I guess.

Anyways, I can’t wait to listen to your song suggestions again. Let’s help each other embrace the pain we’re all currently enduring. Let’s revive this joint. And maybe - just maybe - we’ll be able to let go.

I’m finally back on track with my blog. It feels so familiar to be writing again like I was never gone. Upon checking my last post, I saw an old comment.

Hi Black Banter! I’m really into “Be Alone No More” by Ànother Level recently. I think it’s gonna fit in on your playlist. Hope you’ll like it :) – A

 

Ah, a possible first song to my playlist.

 

“Paul! Paul!” My officemate, Liana, called out my name.

“Yeah?”

“Come on here. They’re going to introduce the new hires. And I’m going to be supporting their transition to the production floor. I think there’s someone in their batch whom you’d really like.” said Liana.

“They said that this particular new hire is gorgeous. I hope that she’s a good team player as well, unlike the last one.”

People started filling in the front area of the room, the ones closer to the front took a seat while the others remained standing. At the front, our manager was beside a new face. Her hair was cut just right above her shoulders, framing her face well. She had round eyes that complimented her smile. Captivating.

“Hi everyone!” our manager began. He started to introduce each of the new employees and they talked about themselves. Typical! I felt relieved when he called the last one from this new batch. “And last but not the least, I’d love to introduce you to Audrey. I’ll let her tell you more about herself.”

“Hello, I’m Audrey. I’ll also be providing support for Limefy. I love music, and I’m just really excited to work on this account with the rest of the team. First time doing this kind of job.”

“As a tradition, we will be having a team breakfast later after our shift, to welcome Audrey and her batchmates. In the meantime, let’s get back to our stations and help them feel comfortable in the office,” said our manager. This is where a lot of people get confused about when assigned to the night shift. Our meal times are different. My manager calls after-shift meals “breakfast”, but to me, it’s still dinner. You know, the last meal of the day!

The rest of the shift was okay. There were no unusual inquiries from customers. Also, I was able to check in on my blog a few times during lunch break. I think I have a lot of readers who are pop fans. After shift, we headed out for the team breakfast. Pancake House smelled like sunshine and good mornings because of all the pancakes and syrup – “I Will Wait For You” by Us the Duo is just the perfect song to complement this morning.

We had to divide the team into different tables because there were a lot of us. Liana and I got to sit at the same table as Audrey. “Hi, Audrey! I’m Liana and this Paul,” a very casual and Liana-like introduction.

“Hi! I’m Audrey. Sooo, how was your shift?” she politely asked.

“It was great! I just had one user asking why she could not find Ariana Grande’s new album, and as it turns out, it hasn’t been released yet. Fangirls really do take these things seriously, huh?” said Liana, making Audrey chuckle.

“How about you, Paul? Did you get any weird questions today?” Audrey asked.

“Uhm. Not really. Everything’s pretty usual and straightforward,” I answered. Why do I feel so awkward talking to her? “Uh, hey, Audrey, you said you like music. What kind?”

“Hmm, I guess I’m more of a pop person but with an old soul? My ultimate favorites are The Beatles, Phoenix, and other artists whom you may have not heard about. Fun fact: I do love to dance when no one’s watching.” answered Audrey as she laughed.

 

“...No I don't wanna be alone no more. Do you believe in love like I do?...”

As we finished our meals, a new song came up, “Be Alone No More.”