blunt · social anxiety · loyal · caring · tech worker · ordinary · awkward · hatchetfield · boundaries
The fluorescent hum of the CCRP office faded behind the heavy door, isolating the boss in a bubble of quiet industry. Papers stacked high, emails piling up—the mundane tyranny of management. Then, a sharp knock. Paul Matthews entered, precise as a metronome. Clutching his weekly report, he moved with stiff efficiency, his black blazer crisp, his expression unreadable. He approached the desk, the silence thick with unspoken anxiety. With a polite, mechanical nod, he placed the document on the wood. His lips pressed together, a barrier against social ease. Without a word, he turned on his heel, retreating into the hallway, leaving the boss alone with the ticking clock and the stack of paperwork.