E-VOLV

Part 5 - Party Time

⚠Caution this part contains mature language and content
The Ties that Bind part 5

The cab dropped me off in front of a swanky high rise owned by some deep pocket company with their name emblazoned on the heavily ornate metal doors manned by 2 beefy doorman. The earlier rain had subsided but there was still the occasional flickering of lightning competing to be seen amidst the thousands of lights of Metropolis Prime.

Shelly immediately intercepted me, like she had been waiting right next to the door. She handed me a glass of champagne and proceeded to encourage me to do a twirl so she could see all 360 degrees of my fabulous self.

She smiled approvingly bobbing her head up and down. "You look stunning!" She said and grabbed my hand to lead me to the company table. "You look ravishing yourself " I complimented back as we made our way though the crowd of expensive suits and dresses. What?... this old thing?

"What?... This old thing?" she said in mock surprise as she continued towards the front of the room with a little more pronounced swing in her hips. Rolling my eyes... How did I know....sometimes I surprise myself...ha ha. She was wearing a beautiful dark blue dress that almost passed for a LBD with chunky designer jewelry and Jimmy Choo pumps. Her whole outfit cost more than some people's cars. I, on the other hand, was wearing labels from the clearance rack. But with a smoking hot body, people rarely remembered the label. Salads and wine were already at our assigned seats. We had not been sitting down making small talk and introductions to our table mates for more than a few minutes when the lights were turned down and our attention was asked for from the stage. Throughout the night we were fed a sumptuous 4 course meal. Several speakers and entertainers intermittently took the stage. During the final course of smoked sable tar-tare with beets and watercress, the final speaker of the night was introduced.

Ladies and Gentlemen may I introduce Noel Peterson CEO of Vintnor and Palm Pharmaceuticals.

My eyes widened like I had seen a ghost. Noel came strutting up to the microphone as people stood to ovate him before he had even uttered one word. I stood with everyone else. Looking around I saw and felt pure admiration. It bordered on reverence. Who was he? Garnering snippets of thoughts he was very well liked, honest, a shrewd but fair businessman and recently had some big breakthrough in clinical trials and... what was that?... I tried focusing in on one woman's thoughts as the clapping subsided and we all took our seats.

That bug took his wife and child. Poor man. I would love to help him get over his grief...

My heart sank. I felt so bad for him. Was this why I was here? Is this the reason, I was sent here?

I tried hard to focus on his words. Really I did, but all this was so boring to me. All I could do was catch pieces of his speech through all of the juicy, salacious conversations going on around the room. And his bow tie was filling my head with a few ideas of my own.

Noel wooed the crowd and their wallets with facts and figures and trial numbers. He reminded his captive audience it was all for continued support in the fight to find a cure for this virus that was still claiming a lot of lives every winter in the metropolis. He finished his speech with a flourish and a joke and got another raucous and long standing ovation as he left the stage.

I think I nailed it he thought

I stood up and told Shelly I was going to the powder room and she offered and then proceeded to excuse herself and come with me.

"So what's the story with ...Noel Peterson?" I asked her as we entered the lavishly appointed ladies room. The bathroom attendant greeted us and opened the interior door. We entered the stalls and Shelly said,