Vodka Espresso

21. deadline

August, 2017

The digital clock displayed on the screen of Ingrid's smartphone had just turned from 07:59 to 08:00 when Edgar's name popped up with a call.

"Seriously?" Ingrid picked up.

She had just finished brushing her teeth and was actually waiting for a signal that her deadline was over.

"Time's up," Edgar said, a strain audible in his voice.

"Well, I fixed it."

"Really?" he sounded incredulous.

"Yeah, really. Will tell you all about it over breakfast. Meet you downstairs?"

"I'll see you at the office, in fact."

Ingrid frowned. "You're already there?"

"To be more accurate, I never left."

"No fucking way!"

A heavy sigh. "It's not that I don't trust you, Ingrid, but my board members forced me to look into alternatives. Just in case."

"Well, then you'd better come home and freshen up because we've got a lunch meeting today."

They finally saw each other again in the underground car park, where Murphy was waiting for them. Ingrid had a start when she laid her eyes on Edgar buttoning his jacket – the same jacket he must have draped over her last night – as he came out of the elevator. She bit her lip and gulped. Whiskey served as a mere intermediary now. This man had become the main event of her addiction. She felt dehydrated without him.

Judging by the sharp edges of his clenched jaw, he'd missed her touch just as much. "So what is this surprise meeting of yours all about?"

He addressed both Ingrid and Priyanka at once. Pri jerked her thumb towards Ingrid.

"She's set it up."

"Where? Who with?"

Ingrid pulled the car door open and made him get in. "You'll see. I'd hate to ruin the surprise."

Murphy held the door for Priyanka to slid into the backseat, then Ingrid followed.

"This is not a joke, Ingrid, I cannot walk unprepared into a meeting – "

"We're prepared," she interrupted, "you'll just have to sign at the bottom."

He exhaled his exasperation through his nose and balled his fists. "If this blows, you are so fired." He then glanced at the GPS display and frowned. "Evans headquarters? Who are we meeting there?"

"Surprise," Ingrid trilled once more.

Edgar's anxiety visibly grew when they reached their destination and walked into the building. Ingrid went by herself to the reception desk, then guided the small group to the elevators. They whizzed several floors up, somewhere over twenty, and stepped out onto a clearly executive level.

Patrick had joined Michelle in her office now, his eyes bloodshot and screaming blue murder. Ingrid acknowledged him with barely a nod, then turned to smile brightly at Michelle.

"It's really great to see you again so soon," Ingrid said. "As you requested, I've brought the gang."

Edgar took a reluctant step forward. "Michelle, hi." They shook hands and exchanged kisses on the cheek. "How've you been?"

"Oh, same old. How about you, Ian? How are the kids?"

There was a spark of more than recognition between their bodies. Ingrid briefly wondered if she'd stirred an old flame. She then introduced Michelle and Priyanka before they all sat down for their meeting. There were two more key corporate characters in the room, the Evans equivalents of Ingrid and Priyanka.