"Okay, team, let's get this meeting rolling," Nia announced as she stepped into the conference room, the buzz of morning energy following her in.
A dozen heads turned in her direction, and conversations died down as she took her place at the head of the sleek glass table. The walls were lined with screens displaying their game designs, and sticky notes were plastered over the whiteboard, proof of the team's brainstorming frenzy before the holidays.
"I hope everyone's caffeinated," she added with a smile that was part amusement, part warning. "Because we have a lot to cover today as it's the new start of the year."
"Locked and loaded," James Gallagher, their development lead, quipped, raising his mug in a salute. His T-shirt, emblazoned with the slogan Bug Hunter, was a running joke in the office.
