My work phone starts vibrating again.
This time Daniel glances at the screen.
“Richard.”
Adrian looks at me.
I take the phone.
“Dad.”
Richard doesn't bother with a greeting.
“How bad?”
I walk toward the windows.
“Bad enough that you shouldn't trust television coverage and not bad enough for the company to collapse before lunch.”
“That's not an answer.”
“It’s the one I have right now.”
Richard is silent for a second.
Then he asks, “The board?”
“Circling.”
“Preston?”
“Especially Preston.”
A sharp exhale comes through the phone.
“I'll be there within the hour,” Richard says.
“You don't need to come in.”
“Yes, I do.”
The call ends.
I lower the phone and find Adrian watching me.
“He's coming,” I tell him.
Adrian rubs a hand across his face.
“Excellent. We were running low on pressure.”
It isn't a joke. There is no humor in his voice. Daniel steps back into the room after taking another call.
“The 12:30 investor briefing has been moved to 12:00,” he says.
“Vivian needs you both with outside counsel again at 1:15. Emergency board session is at 2:00. Meridian is now requesting 2:45, and European counsel wants 3:30.”
“What happened to lunch?” Adrian asks.