S1E6: Bouts, Beers & Bathrooms

A Work2gether Fiction Series

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It started, like most disasters at Work2gether, with Chris leaning too far back in his chair and tossing a verbal grenade over his coffee.

"Freedom isn’t free," he announced loudly, "and neither are Teslas. Wake up, people."

Across the laptop bar, Zay’s head snapped up like he’d heard a slanderous insult.

"Hold up," Zay said, standing halfway. "You’re seriously against electric cars?"

"I'm against pretending dependence on lithium mines is saving the planet," Chris said, grinning like a man who knew exactly how to start a five-alarm fire."

Zay, hoodie sleeves pushed to his elbows, was already gearing up.

"So what's the solution, Chris? More drilling? More gas stations? Let's just choke the planet and call it freedom?"

"Freedom is messy," Chris shot back. "That's the point. Government mandates aren't freedom, they're control."

"You sound like you have a bunker in your backyard," Zay snapped.

"I don’t," Chris said calmly. "But I do have a right to build one if I want."

Julian kept his head down, typing like his life depended on it. Maya looked up once, raised an eyebrow, then returned to her blueprints without a word.

Meanwhile, a new face at the standing tables — a guy in khakis and a broad, eager smile — watched the brewing storm with wide, corporate-trained eyes.

Riley, catching his expression, gave him a quick, understanding shrug.

"Welcome to Work2gether," she said. "We fight. We drink. We apologize. Sometimes in that order."

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By 10:15 a.m., the debate was fully unhinged.

Chris leaned harder into his libertarian soapbox. Zay, fueled by passion and three sodas, counterpunched with renewable dreams and collective responsibility.

It wasn’t mean — but it was real. Neither man gave an inch.

Riley knew why.

Chris, stubborn and principled, would go down swinging before letting someone trample what he saw as personal liberty. And Zay — big-hearted, idealistic — wasn’t built to back down when he believed the future was on the line.

It was like watching a car crash made entirely of opinions and secondhand espresso.

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At 11:00 a.m., Eddie emerged from his office and paused at the sight of the heated exchange.

He smiled to himself.

This wasn’t why he had built Work2gether. But it had become one of its most important byproducts — a true modern-day public square. A place where people could debate real issues, sometimes passionately, but come together in mutual respect.

Eddie caught Riley’s eye across the bar. She gave him a small, knowing smile.

He grinned back, then pointed toward the taps.

"Beer diplomacy," he said.

The kegerator hissed open.

Chris and Zay paused long enough for two pints to be shoved into their hands.

"You’re both wrong," Bev said mildly, drifting past with a book titled The History of Municipal Chaos. "But entertaining."

The new Classic member — still shell-shocked but warming up — introduced himself around.

"Mark," he said. "First day. Used to... uh, corporate."

Danielle smiled. "You’ll get used to it."

Within fifteen minutes, Mark had swapped two jokes with Zay, apologized unnecessarily to Chris, and started sketching a project plan with Danielle at the bar over napkins and beer.

Networking, Downingville style.

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Riley, meanwhile, was beginning to smell doom.

The conference room, rented to a corporate workshop called "Elevate 360," had been suspiciously silent for the last hour.

Silent — but not harmless.

She passed the door and stopped short.

The smell hit her like a bad Yelp review.

Riley closed her eyes briefly. "Please be the trash," she whispered to no one.

It was not the trash.

Twenty minutes later, she was elbow-deep in industrial air freshener and self-pity.

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The sound of laughter — warm, real, ridiculously unbothered — drifted down the hall.

Chris and Zay were arguing about barbecue styles now. Mark and Danielle were laughing at something Shay had said. Bev had set up an impromptu "Swear Jar" for political debates. Julian was sipping beer, headphones half-off, smiling for the first time that week.

It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t even sanitary.

But it was theirs.

Riley looked around, exhausted and grinning anyway.

"This," she muttered, "is why coworking wins."

She cracked open a beer, leaned on the edge of the bar, and toasted the beautiful, infuriating mess that was her people.

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Next Time on The Third Place…

Eddie’s wearing a smile, but the numbers say otherwise. Then a prospective member brings her kids on a tour — and all hell breaks loose.

Espresso spills. Zoom calls crash. Riley rethinks her career.

Episode 7: Kid-Free Zone. Coming soon.

Missed the last one? Catch Episode 5: Downingville Days.

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Enjoying the ride? Come see what coworking is really like — kombucha, chaos, and all. Join Work2gether or schedule a tour today.

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The Third Place is a completely fictional story about a completely real kind of place. The characters are made up. But their situations? A little too familiar. The town is fake. But also… not really.

The passive-aggressive fridge notes, the mysterious smell near the bathrooms, the guy who never stops talking, the lady without her headphones, and the printer issues? Oh, they’re very real. No actual people were harmed in the writing of this story, but if you recognize yourself… your ego may be.

Welcome to Work2gether Downingville Square. See you in the next episode, or better yet... in real life.

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