“Don’t go far now.”
18
ULTIMATUM
Don’t go far?!
Goddess, what the fuck was I supposed to do with that? Oh yeah, I could run to the bathroom and start hyperventilating. That I could do. In fact, it seemed like a pretty good option right about now. One I would have opted for had Tara not blocked my path to ask me how the meeting went.
“So? Come on, spill?”
I stood there for a second, staring back at the frosted glass, acutely aware of how strange this was. This wasn’t his building. This wasn’t his company. And yet, the moment he’d asked for privacy, the room had emptied without question. As if that were simply the natural order of things.
Voices drifted faintly through the door, too muffled to make out words, but the tone was unmistakable. Banner’s voice, usually so assured, sounded almost submissive now. Oblivion’s voice was lower, calmer, each unknown word carrying weight even through the glass.
People passed me in the hallway, offering polite nods and curious glances, but no one stopped. As if they were all as baffledas I had been. My thoughts spiraled despite my best efforts to rein them in.
This should have been a victory. The presentation had gone well. Better than well. I should have been riding the high of professional validation and already planning next steps and deliverables. Instead, all I could think about was the look in Oblivion’s eyes when he’d said he wanted this, the way he’d watched me as if the work itself were secondary.
A faint laugh slipped from my throat, brittle and humorless. I had the sudden, uncomfortable sense that I could have stood up there and recited my grocery list, and the outcome would have been the same.
“Eliza?” I shook my head, as if this would help clear the fog.
It didn’t.
But it was enough to tell my friend,
“It went… well. I think.”
She gave me a quizzical look as if she was confused, but before she could say anything more, the door opened.
Mr. Banner stepped out first, his expression flushed and oddly pleased, the kind of smile that came from seeing numbers rather than people.
“Eliza,” he said, clapping his hands together once.
“If you could join us.”
My pulse kicked up again, realizing I had missed my opportunity for a freak out in the bathroom. So, I gave Tara a pleading look and tried to come up with the only excuse I could think of.
“I would, but there is a matter that I just have to help Tara with, isn’t that right?”
I gave her a pointed look, but before she could even open her mouth, my boss got there first.
“I’m sure whatever it is, our head of HR has it covered.” Then he opened the door wider, telling me, without the need forwords, to get my ass back in there. Giving me no option but to obey and step past him into the boardroom for the second time that morning. This time, the room felt smaller, the air heavier, as if something had shifted permanently while I’d been standing outside.
Mr. Banner gestured for me to take a seat, then remained standing himself, clearing his throat.
“I want to start by saying well done,” he said, the words sounding rehearsed.
“Excellent work. Mr. Minos and I were very impressed.”
I nodded, almost impulsive enough to remind him that he was singing a far different tune yesterday. But then, I still needed this job, so I promptly went back to trying to process the fact that this was happening.
“We have discussed it, and Mr. Minos would like you to continue heading the campaign,” Mr. Banner went on, his tone brisk.
“In fact, he’s specifically requested it.”
Requested.
