~Narrator’s~

“If I fall backwards and you let me hit the ground, I’m taking your bonus with me,” Blair warns, deadpan, her sharp heels buried deep in the wet grass.

They are in the middle of a fog-kissed valley, the air still sleepy and chilled, while dew clings to every leaf like glitter that hasn’t made up its mind. A huge corporate bus rests at the base of the retreat hill, and around twenty staff members shuffle in branded hoodies and loungewear, blinking at the team-building itinerary like it’s a war strategy.

Leo claps his hands together. “Okay, people. Trust falls. Icebreakers. Obstacle races. Embrace the cringe, let go of...