The First Day
Aria stood in front of her mirror, staring at herself with a mixture of nerves and determination. Her first day at a real job, in a real company, and she had spent the last hour trying to figure out if she looked confident enough. The white blouse and black skirt were safe choices, professional without being stiff, but her sneakers peeking out beneath the hem made her wonder if she looked too casual.
She took a deep breath and muttered under her breath, "Okay, Aria. You've survived your whole life… you can survive this too. Just don't embarrass yourself."
With one last check in the mirror, she grabbed her bag and stepped outside. The city was alive with movement, cars honking, people rushing, and the endless buzz of morning energy. Aria walked briskly, heels clicking against the pavement, trying not to let the anticipation twist her stomach into knots.
The building loomed ahead, sleek and modern, with glass walls reflecting the sunlight. The company logo gleamed across the entrance: Kaelon Group. She paused for a moment, adjusting her bag strap. "Alright," she whispered, "time to make a good first impression."
---
Inside, the lobby was massive. White marble floors gleamed under soft lighting, and the faint scent of coffee mixed with polished wood gave it a calm but sophisticated atmosphere. People moved with purpose, greeting each other with clipped professionalism.
Aria approached the reception desk and gave her name. "Aria Langford. I'm starting today."
The receptionist smiled politely. "Welcome to Kaelon Group, Ms. Langford. HR will be here shortly for orientation. Please, have a seat."
Aria nodded and slid into a chair near the window, taking a deep breath. She tried to focus on her surroundings, the soft hum of conversation, the polished chrome of the elevators, the bustling staff moving around her. She repeated her mantra silently: Don't trip, don't embarrass yourself, just survive.
---
And then it happened.
She had just stood up to adjust her bag when a man came rushing around the corner, dark suit, coffee in hand, papers tucked under his arm. She didn't see him coming. In her flustered state, she took a step forward, and before she could react, her own coffee cup tipped over, splashing hot liquid across his sleeve.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" she gasped, reaching out instinctively, but he jerked back with a sharp exhale.
The man froze, staring down at his sleeve. "You weren't looking where you were going," he said evenly, his voice low but cutting.
"I — I was trying to move out of the way!" Aria replied, fumbling for napkins. "Here, let me"
"Don't bother," he said sharply, brushing the napkin away. "It's fine."
Her cheeks burned. "It's not fine! I spilled coffee all over you!"
He raised an eyebrow. "And? Accidents happen. Just… be careful next time."
Aria blinked, incredulous. "Be careful? Are you serious? You could have warned someone instead of scaring the life out of me!"
A few nearby employees glanced over, whispering, though no one intervened. The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't need warnings. You need to pay attention."
Aria crossed her arms, feeling her frustration flare. "Excuse me? I've been paying attention! You"
The words stopped abruptly. She realized she sounded louder than intended, her hands gesturing wildly, coffee still dripping onto the floor. She took a breath, trying to calm herself.
"Look," she said more firmly, "I didn't mean to spill coffee, but maybe a little… decency wouldn't hurt. Just saying."
He stared at her for a moment, expression unreadable, and then, with a quiet sigh, muttered, "Interesting."
"What?" she asked, eyebrows raised.
"Nothing. Just… interesting."
And with that, he straightened, collected his papers, and walked away, leaving her standing there, red-faced and mortified.
---
Mira, who had arrived just in time to see the disaster, grabbed Aria's arm. "Oh my God, you argued with him? On your first day?"
"I didn't argue!" Aria protested, waving her hand. "I just, he acted like I was… like I was a nuisance!"
Mira rolled her eyes. "Nuisance? He's tall, scary, and probably some high-up in the company. You spilled coffee on him, Aria! This is peak embarrassing!"
"I… I didn't know!" Aria muttered. She glanced after him, noting how he walked away with precise, confident steps. The man clearly exuded authority. "I didn't even know who he was…"
"Exactly!" Mira groaned. "You're doomed. First day, first disaster. Perfect."
Aria exhaled, trying to push down the mortification curling in her chest. She wanted to shrug it off, to tell herself it was nothing, but she couldn't. Not yet. The collision, the argument, the intensity of his stare — it had shaken her in a way she couldn't name. But she refused to give it more thought. First day. Focus. Don't think.
---
The rest of the morning passed in a blur. HR took them through company policies, office procedures, and introductions to team members. Aria nodded politely, smiled when required, but her mind kept replaying the coffee incident.
She wished she could rewind time, wish she could have gracefully avoided it, or just not existed in that exact place at that exact moment. But life wasn't that easy, and neither was the first day at a company where everything seemed designed to intimidate newcomers.
By the afternoon, she had learned where her desk was, how to navigate the coffee machine, and which elevator led to the executive offices. Mira, of course, gave her running commentary, teasing her mercilessly about the morning.
"Seriously, you need to practice walking without creating chaos," Mira said, nudging her. "Maybe some basic courses: 'Aria and the Art of Not Spilling Coffee '
Aria groaned. "Shut up."
"And don't forget," Mira added, smiling, "you still have to survive the rest of the week without making another impression like that."
Aria just shook her head, half-smiling, half-dreading. Impression made. Definitely unforgettable.
---
The day ended with a hum of office activity winding down. Aria packed her bag, stretching her arms as she looked around at the sleek modern space. The sunlight streamed through the glass walls, and she felt the usual mixture of relief and anticipation that came with finishing the first day somewhere new.
One thought lingered, stubborn and unshakable: I survived.
She wasn't proud, but she survived.
And that, she reminded herself, was more than most days deserved.
Little did she know, the man she'd spilled coffee on, the man she'd argued with, would soon become far more important than any first-day disaster could ever hint at.
For now, though, he was just… a stranger. Just another part of the corporate maze she had to navigate.
Aria left the building with Mira chatting beside her, still teasing her, still laughing. Aria's mind was already half on tomorrow, new faces, new tasks, new opportunities.
First day survived.