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A friend of Gal’s from the workshop joined her at the front. Gal made way, slanting a flirtatious look at the tall blond boy, who grabbed the mic. He made a note to find out about him later.
“We’d like everyone to join us in this next song and dance routine,” the blond said and smiled at Gal. Eitan joined them, introducing himself, and Menni made room for him.
“She is way too young for boys to smile at her like that,” he complained to his brother.
“I hear you.” Eitan smiled.
The pianist drummed the opening of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”. Four kids from the workshop, two boys and two girls, sang, as Dan and his dancers demonstrated the simple dance moves. Gal jumped from the stage. She and the rest of her workshop’s friends, who weren’t singing, joined the crowd in the gallery and the lobby. His daughter was having the time of her life.
He followed the demonstrators on the stage, raising his arms above his head and waving them from left to right, like a dancing queen. Daniel was next to him, and a few software developers he’d gotten to know from Kisharti, everyone enjoying themselves, singing and dancing.
“Where is Menni?” Eitan asked. Erez looked around. Daniel was there dancing, but Menni was nowhere to be seen.
“Shit. Let’s go.” He broke into a run. The elevator was on the top floor.
“The stairs,” he shouted to Eitan, who followed, skipping two stairs at a time. Kisharti was on the third floor, and Erez’s lungs burned already after one and a half floors. He thought he was in good shape, but surfing and running up steps were two very different activities.
“Come on,” his much younger brother called to him from the third-floor landing. “Which way?”
“Right,” he panted and followed Eitan, running down the long empty corridors, skidding to a halt in front of Menni’s closed office. He burst into it, the door hitting the wall with a bang.
Dafna was plastered to the window, her hand behind her back, and Nurit was next to her. Menni loomed menacingly over the two women.
“Move away from them!” he shouted. “Did he touch you?”
They shook their heads.
“Fuck off, Menni, you’re done.” Erez stepped towards him. They were the same height, but Menni wasn’t as bulky. “I said move away from them.”
Menni stepped to the side, glancing towards the door, which Eitan blocked.
“Done? Why?” He tried to sound indignant.
“For cooking the books,” Erez answered.
Menni’s handsome face contorted into an ugly sneer.
“You’re fucking Dafna and now you believe everything she tells you. This would never fly. It was all Nurit’s idea–she confessed to it. I learned about it only last week.”
“Then how come you have the real books on a laptop in your office?” Dafna asked.
“Nurit put it there.” Menni squared his shoulders. “You believe me,” he pleaded to Erez.
“I don’t,” Erez said.
“If you bring me down, Nurit is going down as well,” Menni said to Dafna.
“I’m willing to pay for what I did,” Nurit said, her chin up.
“Look, Menni,” Dafna’s voice was cajoling. This was the HR talking, solving the organization’s problems. Dafna looked between her friend and Menni. She caught his eye and shook her head, signaling him to stay put, asking him for a chance to solve the situation her own way.
“I think we could compromise here,” Dafna said to Menni, but still looked at him. He crossed his arms on his chest and spread his feet.
“I’m listening,” he said. Dafna narrowed her eyes at his militant pose.
“Erez, I don’t want this to get out and ruin any reputations. Menni is a good guy. I loved working with you, Menni.” She turned to the louse and looked up at him. He was a man, and she was beautiful, and very persuasive. “I know you were going to go back to the real books as soon as the money came.”
“Of course.” Menni nodded.
