Milo the Halfling: Part One (special preview)

A few weeks ago the higher ups at your company told you that they were going to be sending you to a new branch to work alongside the newly hired manager until everything got settled. The two of you were to be equals on everything, but the new manager would ultimately have final say on most things. You had been doing this a lot while the company expanded. You had been trying to pack up your apartment so you could finally move, but all the hopping around hindered your progress.

Walking in on that first day, there was a big ‘out of order’ sign on the elevator.

“Oh god,” you grumbled under your breath. “Alright, sure. Why not?”

You went to the stairwell, trying to convince yourself that five floors worth of stairs was nothing. Unfortunately, the third floor proved to be a bit of a strain. Once you reached the top, you stopped at the door to rest and catch your breath so you didn’t appear to be a mess when you met with the manager.

That’s when you remembered your boss had given you a warning about this manager. “We managed to snag him from one of our competitors. Mr. Goodbody is tough as nails, that’s why we sent him to this branch. He’s not to be underestimated.”

You weren’t too sure what that was supposed to mean, you had always worked well with your managers. Once you were cooled off, you walked into the main office. Things were still getting set up, but you could see the beginnings of a very nice office. This was supposed to be a place for graphic designers and artists, so you weren’t surprised with the layout, but it was different from others you had seen. Some employees had been sent here to start operations, one of your first jobs was to start hiring with Mr. Goodbody.

You approached someone who was setting up a coffee pot. “Excuse me, I’m here to see Mr. Goodbody, is he here yet?”

The woman pointed towards the back. “That office in the far corner is his. You can’t miss him.”

“Thank you so much!” You then offered your card. “If you need anything don’t hesitate to ask, I should be here working with Mr. Goodbody for the next few weeks.”

The woman looked at her coworker and sniggered. “Okay, good luck with that.”

You were confused, but you needed to move on. You were already a bit late because of the stairs. You strolled back to the office, finding the door open. There you saw a desk and not much else, but there was a kid standing in front of it with his back turned towards you.

“Hello there young man,” you said with your cheeriest voice possible. “Are you here helping your daddy set up?”

The kid turned around with the most horrible looking sneer on his face. You’re slapped in the face with the realization this isn’t a kid, but a grown man. Mr. Goodbody is a halfling.

“Excuse me?” He turns around, otherwise beautiful green eyes slanted into a terrifying glare.

“Oh god, oh-” You held back the explicatives that were bubbling at the back of your throat. “I am so sorry. I thought...it doesn’t matter what I thought. I uhm-”

He looked you up and down with that same condescending sneer. “Please tell me you’re not the one sent from corporate?”

“I’m afraid I am,” you muttered.

Mr. Goodbody sighed and rubbed the bridge of his adorable nose. His hair was a strawberry blonde and was slicked back into a bun at the back of his head. He was dressed impeccably, especially for a business that encouraged individual style. “I really didn’t want you here,” he said bluntly.

You’re taken aback. You thought you’d made a worse enough first impression, now he was just pouring salt into the wound.

“I used to do your job. I know what I’m doing.” he walked around his desk. “But, the company does what it wants to do. I just have to grin and bear it for a month or so, I suppose.”

You decide to try and mend this cracked impression. “I understand your frustration, but I promise that this will be a fun experience. Everyone I’ve gone to work with before with this expansion has always been sad to see me go.”

Those sharp green eyes flick up to you, a tinge of disgust painting them. “I’m sure you’re just rainbows and glitter, but that’s not why I’m here.” he slaps a stack of papers down upon the desk. “Here are the resumes of the people we’re seeing today. I suggest you look them over closely before they start arriving.”

He may have looked like a kitten, but Mr. Goodbody gave off nothing but pitbull energy. Of course work with him was awkward the first couple of days. Luckily it was tolerable due to interviews. Once you started discussing which ones you wanted to hire, it got worse.