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NOSTALGIA IS A LIAR ──────
"ROME, HEY– I NEED TO TALK TO YOU,"
"I'm on the phone with Ken," Roman holds a hand up to Ruby, grimacing as his brother stutters around his words. "Did you know my Dad's back in the office?"
Ruby's eyes widened and she grimaced. "Uh, no, but– that's great? Or something. Either way, I think you should know–"
"You're scared in case he tries to push you out and your plans for, you know, Uber for news and Facebook for cats and open plan offices," Roman stops again, chuckling as he looks at Ruby. "Is my tie straight? I couldn't fucking look in the mirror anymore."
Ruby reaches out to tighten the knot and straighten his suit jacket out. He nodded in thanks, sighing as he stepped past her, pushing into the bullpen of the office, headed towards his.
"Roman, I really think–"
"You want a dance platform jerkin' off idea gloop into–" Roman trails off as Ruby stops behind him, grimacing when Frank looks up from the newspaper in his lap with a pleasant smile. "Think boxes. I gotta go."
"Yeah, this is what I wanted to tell you about," Ruby says, patting his back roughly before taking the seat behind his desk and opening his email.
"Roman,"
"Frank,"
"Good morning,"
Roman shakes his head. "Uh, no, correction– it is not a good morning from my POV because you're here, and I fuckin' hate you." He perches on the edge of the dusk, not looking at Frank as he listens to Ruby mindlessly type away at his monitors.
Frank smiles, unperturbed. "Oh, come on, kid."
"What the fuck is going on?"
Frank folds up the newspaper and shifts on the couch, turning to look at Roman. "Your dad asked me to come back."
A humorless smirk grew on Roman's face. "Oh, the fuckin'– the weasel prevails. That'd be a good name for your autobiography, if they did books by jerks. God, you're pathetic."
Ruby silently pushed away from the desk, letting Roman take his seat back as he mocked Frank.
"He apologized,"
"Sure, man. Yeah. He didn't apologize when he hit our au pair with his car."
Ruby grimaced.
"He wants me to show you the ropes,"
"It was her fault for being too short, he said," Roman continues, ignoring Frank's input.
Ruby cleared her throat, glancing between the two. "Look, uh– Frank, can you just give me a minute with Roman? Just a quick téte-a-téte."
