Wayv

Chapter 3

Jake sprang out of the elevator. "Where the f--k have you been?" he shouted across the large space between himself and the lobby. "If you wanted a vacation, then you should have put in a leave request. Trying to get yourself fired just to get some unemployment pay and R and R is extreme. Your supposed to be the serious and grounded one among us barbarians." His voice echoed in the expansive space.

"Yeah, I get it. They're going to eat me alive like I'm a roasted animal on a platter dropped onto the dinner table. Something came up. Unforeseen to say the least. I'll tell you about it when we're up there."

Jake handed him a thin black card with a smattering of white dots. "You need this to get in and out of the boardroom. Special security. Davis is turning paranoid. But we gotta hurry up. Davis wants your head and Perlman didn't wait for you. Meeting started."

"Yet they sent you down for me?"

"Yeah. Wait, what am I missing?" Jake looked puzzled.

"They want me in the room even though I'm crazy late, and they sent you down because they don't care what details you miss, haha."

"Ha-f--king-ha. You know I don't have to hear any of their bullsh-t. I'm a trader baby. I buy my own way through the door. Have you seen my return from last month? My team was up 17 percent. The market barely squeaked out a three percent return over the whole quarter. They love me right now. That's probably why I got the invite. I'm the prom king and the king has to make an appearance." He put his arm around Alix's shoulders and the pair began walking toward the elevators.

"Oh my God, you are full of sh-t. I can't believe this is my life. What a day." Then, Alix remembered. "Exxa!"

"What?"

"I didn't come alone?"

"Are you serious? This is a closed-session meeting. You can't bring any of your team in on this," stated Jake.

"Not my team. Her. Exxa. And you have to vouch for her with security."

Jake turned around and saw Exxa, and his eyes went wide. "Are you serious? You brought Sophie? Now, I'm actually worried. This isn't funny anymore." He burst out laughing. "I lied. This is becoming a great night. Going to be the best meeting of the year."

Alix shook his head in disbelief. "No, that's not Sophie. I already said what her name is. It's Exxa. And you've met my girlfriend a couple of times, Jake. How hard is it to remember her?" asked Alix, baffled

"Sorry, man. Who is she then? You don't have a mistress? Do you?"

"A mistress? I don't think anybody uses that term anymore. But you're way off base. Just, let me explain." Alix rapidly summed up his night of adventure while leaving out key details and flat out lying at times.

Jake shook his head. "You're making my head dizzy. Let me restate this. You witness a mugging and then help out the victim by bringing her here?! Are you out of your mind? Call 911. Yell for a police officer. They're on every corner. This is NYC, remember. Someone falls out a window, and you throw them into an ambulance, knock on its side, and off they go. How do you not know this?"

"She's not hurt, Jake. She refused the hospital and there weren't any police around. Look, she's going to hang out in that little side room up there that's filled up with old tech and office supplies. No one's going to know she's in there, and after the meeting, poof, we're gone."

"Yeah, this should be good," nodded Jake. "You know, I haven't called 911 since that cokehead had his heart attack in the bathroom just after bonuses were distributed. What a mess that was."