Sarah first caught sight of Tristan at the gym. He was listening to music as he ran on the treadmill, whatever song was playing was causing him to smile and mouth the words between the labored breaths he was taking. Cute, she thought. He was well-groomed and delicately built; slim and tanned with a mass of dark wavy hair that was pushed back with a headband. She had a feeling about him... If only she could hear him speak then she'd be certain. When he finished his run and headed to the watercooler, Sarah was already there waiting for him. 

"I can't stand the treadmill myself" she told him, motioning for him to remove his headphones so he could hear her better. "Not a fan of running" she said, "when I'm not on the ellipitical I just come here to use the sauna." Tristan smiled politely and nodded, wiping away his sweat with a towel. "You do speak English, don't you?" she asked. "Y...Yes.." he replied, a little confused as to why the stranger had approached him. "I wasn't sure at first" she continued, "you're so tanned I thought you could have been a local. But I guess you're one of us! Have you been in Cabi long?"

 Tristan had only been in Cabi for a few weeks, and it already wasn't what he thought it would be. The job he was doing involved long hours at the computer, and expectations of overtime that he hadn't accounted for. The change of scene was supposed to make things better, and the sunshine meant to slowly lift his battered spirits, and yet he'd hardly seen the sun. 

A tax haven by the sea, Cabi was home to a lot of big financial companies, drawing in a large number of foreign workers that were attracted by the hot weather and satisfying paychecks. From 8am to 7pm, Tristan was in the office; he was yet to make any friends, and by the time he arrived home to his little studio, he couldn't bear to leave it again. It was only the free gym membership that came with his job that had forced him out of the house. Even if everything else was terrible, he was at least going to make the most of a perk like that. But now here he stood, tired and ready to go home, but trying to be polite to the lady that continued to make conversation with him. "Did you move here with your partner?" she questioned, "Does he work in finance too..?" Tristan was a little taken aback. True, he was gay, but he'd never had anyone so blatantly assume his sexuality before. He was in a gym, not a gay bar.

"I don't have a partner" he said, avoiding answering explicitly. Sarah smiled knowingly, "Well, most people have met their other half in Cabi so I wouldn't worry about that. Here" she said, handing over her phone, "let's be friends. Give me your number and I can show you around. I can already tell you're new here. Trust me, I know everyone!" The only thing on Tristan's mind was collapsing on his sofa and falling asleep; if giving her his contact meant he could leave in peace then it really didn't matter. He gave her his Cabi phone number and eventually made his escape; but not before a further five minutes of explaining where he worked, lived and shopped, while Sarah corrected him on where was best. He was walking through his apartment door when the notification came through on his phone. Sarah was inviting him to a mixer.

He threw his phone aside, took a shower and got ready for an early night. When he went to set his alarm for the morning, the notification was still sitting there. 

"CABI EXPATS!" it read, "Drinks tomorrow at the usual ('The Palm' for you newbies!) We'll be in our regular corner from 7pm, so come join us until they kick us out!"

Tomorrow would be Friday, and The Palm was wasn't far from the office. Tristan had walked past it once or twice when he needed to pick up groceries on the way home. Kind of cheap and tacky, but definitely lively. From 0-100 wasn't exactly Tristan's style; a quiet bar might have tempted him to go and take a look, but he wasn't sure if he could manage being around so many people all at once. 

Having lived with his single dad until he was nineteen, Tristan was happiest in small groups; his own small family having been the highlight of his life until his father passed away. He was living in a city on the other side of the country at the time, and the call had come from a neighbor. Unable to cope with the loneliness that followed; Tristan found himself confused as to where he should go. Home wasn't home anymore. When a buddy from his office suggested Cabi, well, it was as good a place as any to escape to.

As he finished work the next day, he'd already forgotten about the invitation, his boss having called him in to his office thirty minutes before the end of day for a 'friendly chat'. "How are you settling in, Tristan?" asked Carl, "I've noticed you don't seem to join the others for lunch. I'm worried you're not exactly part of the team here." In his lunch break, Tristan had repeatedly found himself finishing the work that the others could do in half the time. While their talk turned to soccer, girlfriends, and where they were going to eat that day, Tristan was left frantically trying to catch up. 

"I'm still adjusting" he confessed, "making sure I've got the hang of things..." Carl gave a disappointed smile. "We're nearly a month in here Tris..." Tristan winced. "It might be worthwhile asking for some additional training on the weekends. The quicker we get you up to speed, the sooner you can come out of your shell a bit more. We expect a lot, but just look at where you're living! It's worth it, wouldn't you say?" Tristan wasn't sure that it was. He politely offered to think about it, and was headed out the door when Carl called out to him. "Hey, Tris! What are you doing tonight?" he asked, "Any plans?"

Tristan smilingly shook his head, and quietly closed the door behind him as casually as he could. He packed up his things in a daze, and decided to buy a couple of beers on the way home. Everything was still an adjustment. Dad dying, moving away and starting a new job... the world kept turning but he still couldn't seem to find his place in it. As usual, the evening Cabi air was stifling. Garbage littered the sidewalks, as Friday night revelers made their way through the twisting streets from the high-rise offices to the harbor bars. Everyone seemed filled with purpose. Tristan had purpose too; store, home, movie. It would have worked out great, except that as Tristan shopped, Carl stopped in to buy a pack of cigarettes. 

"Hey! I'm glad I ran into you, I'm headed to The Palm for a couple. Put the cans back and come join us. Seriously, my treat... I insist!" Carl took the basket from Tristan's hand and gave it to the startled cashier. "Don't worry about the cost" he said, "it's happy hour." Smiling apologetically to the local girl behind the counter, Tristan hoped he wouldn't be too embarrassed to come back, as his boss pushed him out the door and down the street to the bar. "We should have had welcome drinks by now" said Carl as he lit a cigarette, "but it seemed like you always ran off before I could catch you!" Tristan felt his head start to pound as they stood outside while Carl smoked. "Can you smell it?" he asked, spritzing himself with breath-spray once he was done, "The wife's not a fan."
 
Inside, the music was loud, the lights were dimmed, and the line at the bar was longer than Tristan had the patience for. "Don't worry about that!" said Carl, "They know us here; it's run by a couple from back home so they serve us at the table. Even let us stay after-hours sometimes" he added with a wink. They'd barely made it three feet before Carl bumped into someone he knew. Tristan couldn't help but feel lost in the crowd of strangers; his fingers tightening on his work bag as he waited quietly behind them. "Carl! Carl!" a woman was shouting from the corner, "Hey, Carl!" Finally catching his eye, he hurried over to join her, ensuring that Tristan hadn't run away in the meantime. "You made it!" said Sarah to the cute gym boy she'd specially selected, "Don't tell me you're that  Tristan?! Carl was telling me a new guy had joined the team but I had no idea it was you!" Sarah waved him over to sit down before Carl had even found him a chair.

"I can only blame my husband for not bringing you out sooner!" she said, "If it was back in the day when I was still running the office, I'd have had you out on your first night. No wonder you've been having such a hard time." Carl passed Sarah a drink, as Tristan tried to grasp the unusual situation. He wondered what exactly his boss had told his wife about him, and whether it was just a coincidence that they'd met. 

"So Carl, Tristan tells me he's single!" Sarah told her husband with a knowing smile. Carl seemed to understand something that Tristan hadn't grasped yet. Please don't let this be an offer of a threeway... was Tristan's only thought. As it happened, Sarah was just dying to introduce him to her best friend, Jed. "Jed used to work with me in sales, you're going to love him! He's in the mirrored building opposite the marina now, so it always takes him a bit longer to drop by. But here he is now!" Ah. A slim guy in his thirties was making his way towards them with a rucksack slung across his shoulder. Just like Carl, he seemed to know everyone there.

Sarah flashed her husband a look and he gave up his seat, running off to find another in the busy little bar. "Late again, after I told you tonight was important!" said Sarah, kissing Jed on the cheek before he took Carl's seat. "Tristan here is brand new to Cabi - doesn't know a soul! How is he supposed to make friends if all the best people are making bad impressions!" Jed slid his bag down to his feet and poured himself a drink. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Tristan, was it?"

 After an awkward smile and a nod of his head, Jed offered him a beer and played the perfect host. "It's been so hard for Carl" said Sarah with a pout, "ever since the sales team got moved across town, he hardly sees anything of Jed except for on the weekends." Tristan took a sip of his beer and nodded along, hoping that the sooner he finish drinking, the sooner he could escape. "It wasn't my choice!" said Jed, "Besides, the office was never the same without you. Tristan, did Sarah tell you she quit the company to live off Carl's paycheck..?" Sarah feigned outrage and prompty hit him on the shoulder. "Just you wait!" she told him, "Once you find the right boy I'm sure you'll pamper him just as much as Carl takes care of me!"

In the sea of voices, Tristan was sinking. As the friends talked and the music blared, Tristan slowly finished his beer. It reminded him of why he'd wanted to get away in the first place. When he'd returned to the city, after dad... his friends had done their best to cheer him up. To make him feel a part of something, they'd drag him out to places with loud music and too many people, and every time he'd find himself feeling lost in the crowd, like he was waiting to be found. "You need another drink" said Jed, noticing Tristan's glass was empty and pouring him another. Sarah raised her eyebrow; "Careful now Tristan, this one is trying to get you drunk!"