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“Absolutely, Sir.”
The secretary waited the appropriate amount of time and then addressed Mr. Adele.
“Mr. Ricci will see you now.”
Ricardo Adele has been working in cyber security with the Ricci security company for the past five years. He tried to hide it, but Ricardo was nervous. It wasn't butterflies in his stomach. It felt like bats. He felt the beginnings of perspiration dot his forehead and the pit of his arms getting warm. He felt unsteady on his feet but covered it by walking slowly, his steps measured. He'd never been called into the boss’s office before. When he reached Mr. Ricci’s office door, he knocked politely. The door opened without Mr. Ricci saying a word. Ricardo stepped into the office, fully expecting Mr. Ricci to have opened the door. But he was still seated at his desk. Ricardo realized the guard opened and then closed the door behind him.
“Mr. Adele, have a seat,” Massimo instructed. His eyes bore into the employee. He watched as Ricardo stumbled before righting himself, advancing internally, and then sliding into the seat across from Mr. Ricci’s desk. Under ordinary circumstances, Ricardo would have been impressed with Mr. Ricci's office, his desk specifically. The office was contemporary, and the desk was all glass with highly polished gold hinges and drawer pools. Ricardo got so caught up in admiring the desk he didn't pay attention to Mr. Ricci staring at him. Ricardo quickly righted himself and faced the boss.
Massimo kept his voice level as he inquired. “Do you know why I asked you to come to my office?”
“No, I really don't,” Ricardo replied, pushing his horn-rimmed glasses up higher on his nose.
“You have no idea?” Massimo asked, getting up from his seat and rounding the corner of his desk. Massimo sat on his desk, his suspended leg dangling and then rocking rhythmically as he waited for Ricardo’s reply.
Ricardo continued to be befuddled by Massimo’s question. He knew he wasn't making a good impression. Even though Ricardo had been in his current position for a few years, he still understood the importance of making a good impression. He worked in an ‘at will’ state, which meant a supervisor or manager could fire someone for cause without having to prove the causal factor. Ricardo didn't want to give Mr. Ricci any reason to consider letting him go, so he knew he needed to be much sharper with his answers going forward. Ricardo tried to refocus his attention so he could be appropriately responsive in the meeting, but he kept getting distracted by Mr. Ricci's swinging foot.
“So, you have no idea why I called you in for this meeting, huh?” Massimo repeated.
“Maybe it's time for my annual review?” Ricardo offered, nervously adjusting his glasses again.
“Nah,” Massimo countered. “Let's cut right to it, shall we?”
Ricardo didn't like the way that sounded, but he couldn't very well object to it. Before he started speaking, Massimo again adjusted his position, fully sitting on the desk, allowing both feet to dangle. Massimo again focused his full attention on the employee.
“We have had a security breach.”
Massimo waited for his words to resonate.” Now, before I say anything more, I'm going to give you a chance to speak.”
Ricardo knew he was in trouble, but he didn't want to give any indication that he had a thought as to why.
“I…I… I don't know what you want me to say,” he stuttered.
“Are you sure that's what you wanna go with?”
Ricardo found it difficult to read Mr. Ricci. Although his inquiry was serious, Massimo’s voice was level, almost pleasant. His posture was cordial and almost too relaxed. Ricardo wasn’t sure what to make of any of it. Still, he felt his stomach seizing and his pulse starting to escalate. He had to deny and distance himself from whatever Mr. Ricci accused him of. He just had to.
“Like I said, Mr. Ricci,” Ricardo stammered, “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
Massimo slowly slid off the desk and landed on his feet right in front of the culprit. He bent over, gaining Ricardo’s eyes, as wavering though they may be. He felt his heart lurch into his throat as he fumbled to push up his glasses with both hands. He had to do something, idle hands and all.
“I want you to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you, God.” Massimo’s tone intensified, and the slight smile he wore was erased. Ricardo had a solid lump in his throat that he couldn’t swallow. He was visibly shaking. He couldn’t help himself.
“Listen, Mr. Ricci,” Ricardo hesitantly began, his voice quivering even though he tried to even it out. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I swear on everything that is righteous and holy and all of that stuff.”
Massimo moved quickly, pushing the back of Ricardo’s chair to the point that now his feet dangled in the air. Massimo held the chair with both hands as he stood over the man. His eyes blazed into Ricardo’s lenses, permeating them and reaching Ricardo’s dancing orbs.
“Stop lying.”
“I’m not! I swear, I swear I’m not!”
Massimo turned his attention to his guards, holding the chair with one hand, using his free hand for emphasis as he spoke.
“See, this is what I mean,” Massimo began. “You give a person every opportunity to come clean, to confess to their wrongdoing, maybe even apologize and say something like, ‘I was duped.’ I didn’t know what was happening. Or even something like, ‘They threatened me, my family. They threatened to kill us all.”
Ricardo started to hyperventilate. He panted, knowing that he was teetering on one leg of the chair. The strain it caused trying to sit upright, even though gravity suggested that he relax against the back of the chair, didn’t dissuade him from trying to counterbalance the centrifugal force that would cause him to fall flat.
“Please, Mr. Ricci. Please,” he panted, daring to look up into Massimo’s face.
