Scorpion from S2 Ep11
Toby doesn't go for that interview at the college with Quincy Berkstead, Jennifer Marshall (OC) goes instead.
I exhale and adjust my grey pencil skirt up a bit as I sit down on the edge of the brown leather sofa in the waiting room, waiting for my turn to fake interview for the psychology teaching job with Quincy Berkstead and a board of other senior staff at this college. On instinct I bring my left and up to my ear delicately touching my com inside.
"Right, I'm next up for interview." I whisper, informing the team. Looking around I am the only one in the room, except the secretary tapping on her computer at the other side of the room.
"Take no shit from Quincy when you're in there Jen." I hear Tobias agitatedly say, "Actually, you know what, I want to hear exactly every word he says. Take your com out, Jen, and make it so I can hear too." He informs me.
"You sure Tobe?" I ask questioningly, knowing in foresight that this 'interview' with Berkstead is not going to go smoothly.
"Yes! 100%." Toby says assertively.
"Okay. If you say so." I reply defeatedly, though if I didn't he'd only rigorously ask for exact details later. I took the com out of my left ear, took off the plastic casing and gently rewired it so it would take in outside sounds clearly so Toby would be able to hear this whole interview.
Quincy Berkstead is Toby's 'nemesis' or at least he insists this. I think using the term nemesis is being a little to poetic on Toby's side to be honest, but I understand what he uses the term. Berkstead was the guy who stole Toby's fiancee, or at least was the guy who convinced Amy to break off their engagement. That wasn't a pretty time for Toby, his and Amy's break up is what ultimately got him into his excessive period gambling and into all those miles of debt.
I've known Toby since we were at Harvard together and so unfortunately I do also know Berkstead too, I know everything about Amy and Toby's relationship, how unstable it was and how Berkstead stole Amy from him.
This interview isn't going to be all unicorns and rainbows.
I sighed and put back the cover on the com and placed it back into my left ear.
"Still hear me clearly?" I asked testing if I wired the com right.
"Loud and clear." Toby replied.
"Yeah, all good." Paige confirmed.
I closed my eyes, trying calm myself and waited to be called in. Trying being the operative word as all I could really was Toby cursing Berkstead under his breath.
5 more minutes passed until the secretary said my name, breaking my train of thought.
"Miss Marshall, you can go in now."
"Er, yes, thank you." I say getting off the sofa. I walk over to the double doors to the interview room, again adjusted my skirt, smoothed down my bangs and I paused; taking one last deep breath, I enter.
Closing the door behind me, I turn to see a large boardroom table with 6 empty seats and Quincy Berkstead sitting at the head of the table, looking at me with a malice laced smile on his face. He was wearing a brown suit jacket over a hazel jumper, glassed balanced on his long nose and his hair dark showing a rapidly receding hairline. It has been at least 8 years since I have seen him last and to be honest the only thing to have really changed is his hairline.
"Jennifer Marshall," Berkstead mused leaning forward, putting his elbows on the table..
"Quincy Berkstead." I replied in a similar tone, determined to hold my ground. He was not going to get the better of me. "Where is the rest of the board?" I asked. I hear Toby gasp and aggressively whisper
"Wait! You're alone with him?"
"Oh, I told them not to come. You applying for this job was really only interesting to me, I'm sure I can make a suitable decision for the board." He looked me over. "You know, you really haven't changed much." Berkstead said in a lighter tone.
"I could say the same about you, bar the fact you just look so much older." I retorted maintaining eye contact.
"Ah ha! Good one, Jen! Humor is always a good way to keep looking like you have the upperhand." Toby exclaimed. Eye contact was going to be crucial to give the illusion that I was confident, even thought I was pretty much shaking in my brown, leather ankle boots.
Berkstead shifted in his seat, leaning back and placing his hand on the edge of the table "C'mon, I know why you're here Jennifer." he directed at me. He thinks I'm here about Toby, not a bad assumption I suppose as I kinda am. I carefully walk a couple steps towards Berkstead. I've got to get close to his so we can read any signals for Paige, after all that is the real reason I'm here.
"I'm here to apply for the job, hence the interview." I lied unconvincingly. "I do have a creditable background in psychology, as you well know," I carry on trying to make my lie more convincing.
"Stop lying Jennifer. You're here for Toby, to gain knowledge on my marriage to Amy."
"He's onto us," I hear Toby sing.
"That doesn't matter," Paige interjects "Jen, you still need to get closer to Berkstead if I have any hope of getting a signal."
I took a couple more steps closer,
"Ah," I hear Paige gasp "Jen I got a ping you need to get closer."
"How do you know if I'm here for Toby or not? How do you know if I'm even in contact with him still? It's been at least 8 years." I questioned.
Berkstead chuckled to himself, "Like you would ever leave Toby's side Jennifer. You were attached to him like a puppy, following him around endlessly." I gritted my teeth, this was going to fall out of my hands quickly, I could feel it. "It was sickening to watch you pine over him, like you did for years. I doubt you have changed that behaviour." He said accusingly.
"How dare you!" I exclaimed, "I did no such thing. And you stalked Amy for ages before tearing her away for Toby, like a selfish child takes a toy from another; so I'd say you can't say much about my choices." I countered.
"I didn't tear Amy away for Toby, it was all her choice. If anything Toby drove her away; spending all his spare time gambling, missing her birthday for races and using both their savings to fund his endeavors. I did nothing, she left him and came to me."
I hear Toby's breathing change, I need to stop this now.
"And let's be honest here, Jennifer," Berkstead carried on " in the end I did you a favour, Toby became a free man, ready for you to exploit."
"A favour?" I exclaimed again stepping closer. I could start to feel adrenaline in my veins.
"It was obvious that you loved him, I thought you'd dig your claws in pretty quick." My expression started to change to one of anger, Berkstead noticed. "Oh? You didn't?" He was playing me, I knew this. "Don't tell me he didn't love you back," he said. I was getting a sour taste in my mouth. "Oh this is classic! A genius with a renowned heart of stone, had feelings for a man who didn't have any feelings back."
That took the biscuit.
I pounced on him, knocking him out of his chair on to the ground, I pinned him down, my forearm at his throat.
"How dare you tell me what I can and can't feel!" I hissed.
"But Toby doesn't love you, does he?" Berkstead chuckled
"It doesn't matter to you who I love!" I shouted, pushing my forearm into his throat more, restricting his breathing.
"Cabe! I got a big ping coming from Berkstead, you got to get there quick!" Paige informed us, "Jen you got to keep Berkstead there until Cabe comes, okay?"
"You better be quick before I asphyxiate him." I replied, feeling the release of adrenaline coursed through me.
Cabe came quickly and cuffed Berkstead, luckily with all adrenaline infused in my muscles I didn't have trouble keeping Berkstead on the ground, he carried on insulting me for a few minutes more, but to be honest I drowned it all out, I couldn't take any more; and knowing that Toby heard every word made me more uneasy. Because in the end everything Berkstead said was true.
The rest of the mission went like a blur, mostly because my genius brain couldn't stop replaying and analysing every part of my encounter with Berkstead. Looking back, I got so angry so quickly, it's like he just knew what buttons to push, what exact words would make me lash out. Just thinking about it was getting me agitated and Cabe noticed
"Hey kid, why don't you ride with me on the way back?" I looked up at him, he could see how hard a time I was having trying to process these emotions that had arisen today "Don't worry, it'll be just you and me." he said with a reassuring smile. I nodded and headed to the passenger side of his SUV, taking out my hair from the ponytail I put it in earlier and letting my chestnut brown hair fall naturally around my shoulders. I looked back to Cabe, he hadn't opened the car doors yet, he was with the rest of the team and they were all looking back at me. Each of them with concern on their faces, it wasn't like me to be so affected by my emotions, and they could see that. I made eye contact with Paige and gave her a small smile, trying to say that I was going to be okay, I just needed space. I think she got the message as she then encouraged the team to disperse into our separate cars, which they all did. Except Toby who was still looking at me. I turned away, I couldn't face him, not just yet.
Then I heard a click from the SUV, I opened the door and got in, put my seatbelt into place and closed my eyes, relaxing into the leather seat. Cabe got into the driver's side and started the ignition, I heard the click of his seatbelt and then we were away.
It wasn't until 43 minutes into the drive that Cabe spoke to me
"Love is wonderful, yet fickle thing, eh?" I opened my eyes and turned my head towards him, not saying a word "You love Toby, don't you?" he asked, it was more of a statement than a question, but I nodded in reply anyway and turned my attention to the road ahead of us, looking a round to where we were I could tell that we were only 3 minutes away from the garage.
And exactly 3 minutes later Cabe parked up outside the garage. He turned the SUV off, tooked the keys out the ignition and paused
"Would you like to come bowling with me this evening? Play a few rounds, have a few beers, keep your mind off things here?" Cabe asked. I thought about it for a minute, I trusted Cabe, he was like a parental figure to me, well to us all at Scorpion, and though he wasn't a genius he somehow knew exactly what we each needed. And right now I needed a friend and that was what Cabe was offering.
I smiled at him
"That sounds good." I confirmed.
But before we could go I needed my stuff from the garage, and just as I opened the car door, the rest of the team pulled up. Not waiting for them I headed straight into the garage, unlocking the front door as I went. Turning on all the light switches as I headed to my desk on the opposite side of the room. Once I got there I immediately started to pack up some essentials into my backpack that was under my chair from this morning. I could hear the rest of the team enter the garage, but I didn't want to listen to them evaluating the situation and so focused on taking my ankle boots off and rapidly shoved my old tattered white converse on instead, that I had kept on the floor under the left side of my desk.
It wasn't until I saw a pen drop in front of me onto my desk that I snapped out of my daze and I looked up to see Toby standing on the other side of my desk, concern plastered over his face. He had taken his hat off at some point, which was his subliminal way of outwardly showing his distress
"Jen," He started
"Don't Toby." I said cutting him off "Right now is not the time." I looked back down to my backpack putting a couple more notebooks into it that had my latest research in so I could study at home. "I have to go, Cabe is taking me bowling. We'll talk later, okay?" I pleaded. I looked back up at him, Toby nodded
"Okay." he whispered. I smiled meekly, picked up my backpack and swung it onto my right shoulder and headed for the door.
Just before I got there, I paused at the central table and took out my com that I had forgotten was still in my left ear, placed it on the table. I looked up to my teammates, I could see in their eyes they were fearing the worst
"I'm not leaving Scorpion, you idiots. See you all on Monday." I said walking out of the garage with Cabe following behind.