Surviving my Scholarship

Savoy Affair

              "Sign here Ms. Violet," Barrister motioned to the line clearly labeled for me.

I grabbed the pink Sketcher and frowned down at its color. A strange unsure feeling crept from the base of my back. It spread slowly like an encroaching mist travelling up my spine and down my arms. My hand started to shake as I placed the tip of the Sketcher to the line causing a small worm like squiggly line to travel up to Mr. Galloway's crisp signature. Mr. Galloway sighed in frustration from the other side of his well crafted desk.

"Ms. Wilkens, I am extremely busy today," Mr. Galloway gestured to the screen in front of me.

I looked up at him quickly and frowned at the eagerness I caught in his eyes. He was leaning in and he barely was sitting in his chair anymore. Something was wrong. He has always been a blank slate revealing nothing of his emotions. I leaned back away from his form pressing my back against the soft refinement of the chair.

I looked down at the line again and back up at Barrister for reassurance. He didn't help. His expression looks supportive but his eyes read caution and fear. My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to understand what had happened. We had worked on this together. Was there a chance they slid something in under my nose?

"I..... I... I want to read it again," I stated unsure of myself. Mr. Galloway looked upset and scoffed as he stood up pushing his chair back with so much force it tipped over.

"Call me when she is ready to go," Mr. Galloway spat before turning to leave. He bent down unexpectedly and grabbed Barrister's arm harshly. "Remember who you work for."

He turned and stormed out of the room leaving me sitting there with Barrister. He looked down at me and sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness," he smiled at me. "Shall we read through it?"

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By the time Mr. Galloway arrived again, I was beyond angry. He had neglected all of my stipulations and made it so easy to take away everything I could have gained from this equation. It was my father's work. I figured I deserved some of the profit. Mr. Galloway paused in the doorway with fear in his eyes at my expression before bottling it up with that blank expression again.

"Are we done then," Mr. Galloway asked his hands nervously rubbing his thumbs in an infinite loop.

"No," I growled. "Sit down. This is going to take awhile."

He frowned as he smoothly took his seat and pulled in his hover chair. Barrister had generously picked it up during one of our breaks. He adjusted his sleeves before gesturing to the screen glancing down at it. 

"What is the issue," Mr. Galloway asked frowning down at the lack of signature on the line.

"I want it rewritten the way I specified," I crossed my arms as I leaned back against the chair. Mr. Galloway shook his head.

"Ms. Wilkens, I am taking all the risk here taking this, so you say, completed equation," he gestured to the contract. "This seems fair enough."

"You are taking advantage of my kindness, Mr. Galloway," I stated. "If you are not interested in my proposition, then Grammy will happily fulfill my demands." I started to stand up, Barrister along with me in the traditional gentleman gesture.

"Sit down, Ms. Wilkens," Mr. Galloway banged his fist on the desk. "We can surely compromise."

Hours later, I signed the line and Mr. Galloway snatched it up. I smiled at him and he held out his hand with a snarl on his face.