Write as therapy

Julie marched into the office and slammed her bag down on the desk.

‘Right,’ she said. ‘There are going to be some changes around here now I’m in charge.’ Everyone looked up, surprised by the new authoritative tone in Julie’s voice and suddenly reassessing their view of her as a pushover who never stands up for herself.

‘What do you mean, changes?’ stammered Gordon, who now regretted ever having belittled Julie in front of that temp she liked despite her definitely telling him that she was going to ask him out.

‘For a start,’ said Julie, her voice pulsing with purposeful mastery and newfound confidence, ‘there’ll be no more talking about TV shows from the night before that I haven’t watched, okay?’

‘Okay,’ said José, the quiet and brooding but devastatingly handsome accounts manager. ‘It is really annoying when we do that and it makes you feel left out, which isn’t fair. Also, I love you and you’re not getting too old to have children and your mother doesn’t know what she’s talking about because if anything, your career is going from strength to strength.’

‘Thank you, José,’ said Julie, modestly.