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Trace’s jaw flexed. “So what now?”
“Still trying to figure that out.” I checked my watch. “In fact, I’m supposed to be doing that now.” The three of us had always started our weeks with a Monday check-in, but Axel and I had added a Friday meeting, given the absolute shitshow of our reality these days.
“You have a meeting with Axel downstairs?”
“I’d say yes, but I’m not supposed to tell you, so…”
Trace arched an expertly judgmental brow my way. “Let him bitch. I’m coming.”
I held up my palms in submission. “I’ll deny any knowledge.”
Trace strode away, suitcase wheels clicking over the tiled floor. I headed for the elevator, already a minute late to the meeting.
Axel tapped his pen impatiently on the conference table as I took my seat.
“Glad you could finally join us,” he said.
“Oh, cut me a break. I was two minutes late.”
“Five,” he corrected me.
“Fine. Five. Can we start?”
Francis looked between us as though giving us one last chance to air our grievances. And then he spoke. “Great. Let’s get this meeting underway.”
Trace strode down the hallway, visible through the glass walls. He nodded at a few employees as he passed. Axel groaned.
“Who the fuck invited him?”
“Wasn’t me,” I said, fighting to hide my smile as Trace pushed open the door, sunglasses still hanging on his shirt.
“Jesus fuck,” Axel complained.
“Long time no see, Trace.” Francis lifted two fingers in a salute, tipping his perfectly shellacked head in a greeting. “You look so much tanner than before.”
“I’d hope so. I lived exclusively on the water for weeks.”
“Can we fucking start already?” Axel said, the annoyance in his voice almost cringeworthy. “There’s a lot of noise in here that I can’t fully understand, and it’s distracting me from the real work we need to do, unlike some people who abandon work and obligations and morals in favor of other choices.”
“I can’t help but feel like that was directed at me,” Trace murmured, looking my way.
“It probably wasn’t,” I teased.
“Well, I can see this is going to be a fun meeting,” Francis said, tapping his pen on the table as his gaze darted between the three of us.
“Extremely fun. Let’s proceed,” I said.
“Well, I suppose I should update Trace for the sake of continuity,” Francis said, sweeping his arm in Trace’s direction.
“What are you gesturing at?” Axel asked.
“At Trace,” Francis said.
“What?” Axel asked.
Trace lowered his chin, sending Axel his best death glare. “Knock off the childish shit, Axel.”
“God, it’s windy in here. It’s just like a lot of hot air blows through here sometimes,” Axel said, looking at me. “Should we hire an HVAC person to check it out? We might have a critical leak.”
