Subterfuge (chapter 10)
Malcolm and Mia deal with the fallout from their respective choices. #MalcolmMondays
Hi to the seasoned eyeballs, and welcome the new ones. 🤓
In today’s installment of #MalcolmMondays, we pick up from where Malcolm stumbles across Mia and Martin in a hotel lobby. This week, we see both of them dealing with fallout from their choices: Malcolm at his job, and Mia with Malcolm. Mia also seems to be going down another unwise road.
As always, this and anything else I write is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidences are the products of my imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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SUBTERFUGE (chapter 10)
by Tiffany M. Davis
© 2014 by Tiffany M. Davis
MALCOLM AND TRAVIS
Malcolm walked into the Red Sage restaurant ten minutes early for his 7:00 meeting.
Tonight he was having dinner with Travis Nicholson in order to discuss Travis’s previous job offer. Malcolm would have much preferred somewhere more secluded. Not that he was ashamed of meeting with Travis, but if the wrong people saw them together, it would smack of something underhanded. Especially since Quasar and Melthior were still in negotiations regarding the acquisition. Malcolm walked up to the hostess and gave Travis’s name. “Right this way, Mr. Jennings,” she replied as she began to walk him toward a table in the back of the room.
“Malcolm.” Travis stood and shook Malcolm’s hand. He was all alone at the table.
Malcolm returned the handshake and sat down. The waiter immediately came over to take Malcolm’s drink order. Seeing that Travis was drinking what looked like scotch, Malcolm asked for a Woodford Reserve on the rocks, water back. Travis nodded in approval. “Woodford Reserve. Good bourbon. Glad to see that you like a proper drink, not those wimpy drinks like martinis.”
Malcolm raised an eyebrow but said nothing. They made small talk, waiting until the waiter had come to take their orders. During their meal the talk turned to the reason for this dinner meeting.
“So, have you reviewed my offer?” Travis asked.
Malcolm chewed slowly on a bite of prime rib. He had been thinking of the offer ever since it was messengered to his apartment in DC the day after he saw Travis at the gym, the figures Travis had quoted practically leaping off the page. He swallowed before replying, “Yes, I have reviewed your offer.” He went silent, unsure of how best to proceed.
“And?” Travis gestured at Malcolm with his fork. “Spit it out, Malcolm. I know that you’re not afraid to speak your mind.”
“Indeed, I’m not,” Malcolm smiled. He took a fortifying sip of bourbon before continuing. “Your offer is very generous.”
Travis nodded. “I believe in treating my people well. Melthior has a rather high retention rate.”
“Is that rate calculated before or after you get rid of the older and more experienced employees?”
Travis stopped eating and stared at Malcolm. “Touché, Malcolm.” Travis’s eyes were calculating as they rested on Malcolm. As the men continued to eat, Travis said,
“Well, what’s the holdup? Are you gonna work with me or not?”