Thread: Trouble in the Vortex (Mr Quixotic and darjeeling)

David could feel the eyes of his colleagues upon him as he called out to Felicity. He really didn't know why he bothered, the man didn't expect to receive any acknowledgement, assistance or empathy from his so-called superior. Possibly he did it because none of the other staff ever had the balls to state their opinion, or offer any disagreement. Maybe it was just a matter of male pride? However, attempting to keep pride intact wasn't an easy thing to do with someone who deliberately ignored you, and instead spent five minutes tidying their desk before they even acknowledged that you had spoken. Not when there wasn't anything you could do about it. His hands had clenched into fists, and his body trembled with repressed fury by the time Felicity turned her attention to him, however he attempted not to let his anger show. As much as he desired to yell, or possibly walk in and slap her across the face, for the satisfaction her reaction would provide, he forced himself to remain calm, and fell back against the door jamb with arms crossed over his chest. Someone had once told him the best way to piss people off was to act as if you didn't care, and he hoped it would work with Ms Milton. As she finally deigned to respond, David deliberately unfolded his arms, and lifted one hand to stifle a yawn. He wasn't expecting to hear anything from Felicity that he hadn't heard before. As she suggested he take a seat, David lowered his hand, and his gaze drifted to the proffered chair. He assumed his presence wouldn't be required long enough for any level of comfort to matter, so decided against accepting the proposition. Rather than respond with words, David stifled another artificial yawn, crossed his ankles one over the other, refolded his arms over his chest, and slouched casually against the door-frame. If he wasn't to be seated, he wasn't going to stand to attention for the bitch either. So much for pretending you didn't care. His posture straightened of its own accord when she finished speaking, and he acted on instinct rather than with thought. Holograph industries may be, as you say, fickle, Ms Milton, but they're a leader in their field. To have them as a client offers us prestige and leverage. Even if we need to offer slightly more than we think they're worth, the benefits in the long run outweigh the risks. We just can't allow Immerse to continue to walk all over us, and this is the third major account we've lost out on to them in the past six months. He left unsaid that six months was precisely the amount of time Felicity had been in her job. By the time he finished, David's voice had risen in anger, almost to a yell, and he'd slapped both palms firmly on Felicity's desk, and leaned forward so that his darkened and narrowed pupils bored right into her. The passion hadn't just been caused by his dislike for the woman in front of him, and the way she'd so blithely responded and waved him off, but also by loyalty to his employer, and concern for the company's future. As one of the Vortex's long-standing employees, David was aware of the history between it, and Immerse, and the fact their rival took pleasure in stealing Vortex's clients. How they appeared to know who Vortex were negotiating with, and how much they'd offered, so they could sneak in under their guard with a counter-offer, was beyond David's comprehension, but somehow they did. Whatever the reasons for his reaction, David quickly realised that to be seen disrespecting or intimidating his boss in full view of witnesses was not a good career move. He clamped his mouth shut, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When his eyes re-opened, David's torso had straightened, and he'd stepped away from the desk. The man's demeanour became more relaxed, and his tone tinged with sarcasm rather than the previous anger. Far be it for me to tell you how to do your job, Ms Milton, However, in my humble opinion, we shouldn't be following Immerse's lead, we should be the one's leading. The Accounting Department does not simply give out money because you ask, you need to fight for it. That's how Delton used to work, and- David Myers paused to shoot his superior the sweetest smile he could muster - it's why he had the respect of his staff. David then turned his back on Felicity Milton, and walked out. He tensed in anticipation of a backlash as he exited, but all-in-all felt rather pleased with himself, particularly when he noted smiles on the faces of some of his colleagues. Any concerns he held about being dragged back in by Felicity for a dressing down were momentarily forgotten when he heard a familiar voice call his name. Eric, from the IT Department, stood by David's cubicle, and immediately their eyes met, held up five digits, then jabbed excitedly at his watch with an index finger. Five O'clock. Pig and Whistle. We need to talk. The man's expression was one of a cat who'd just found the cream, however before David could ask what had so excited him, Eric scurried off. David was still pondering what was going on with his friend, when he suddenly realised that he'd come to a halt directly outside Felicity's office, and he began to move quickly away.