"No, no, absolutely not. No music is to be played during the dinner. If any song is found distracting, my boss will lose his train of thought. That cannot happen."
She hated to be so concise but there needed to be no confusion about the dinner. She remembered the last time she had helped plan a dinner and in the middle of the vice president's point, the orchestra began to play happy birthday on request from another guest. It was a disaster.
This evening, from what she could understand, was not meant to have any bumps or mishaps. Her phone had been ringing on and off all day in order to reserve and schedule the meeting. She also had to go all over the Junon Shinra Headquarters gathering material for the meeting. Documents, files, reports and all. One file was even sent over from Midgar, the head of the Turks having some kind of information to help the dinner meeting go exactly how her boss wanted. Now it was up to her to make sure the dining hall was up to every standard that her boss expected.
Reserving one of Junon's most highly reviewed and ritzy restaurants in a few hours time was no easy task, but Olivia was used to the process by now. Call every single person she could, manage to be told that she needed to wait 2 months for a reservation, name drop her boss and urge that a lack of reservation would be a huge mistake, then be directed to the next person until she got what she needed. It was all coming together, her work was paying off. The linen table cloth was crisp and the cutlery had been set in a perfect array, the dining hall cleared of any and all wealthy clients and moved to the other end to ensure the meeting was private and gave no distractions. The seating arrangement was set up just how it was directed. The chandelier reflected and sparkled off every champagne glass in the below ambient light.
The host, having received his orders to discard the orchestra, waved a cotton gloved hand at the conductor, who scrambled to wave the violinists away. He turned to her, his jewelry and tie pin glimmered in the low light against his black suit. One of the servers brought a bouquet of expertly put together flowers to set atop the table, the vase no doubt an expensive crystal.
"Oh, excuse me. You can take those flowers elsewhere. The vice president will not tolerate them." Olivia spoke up, stepping around the host to correct the server.
"Are you certain, ma'am? It's Chateau du Gout's honor to present an artisan bouquet put together by Junon's most experienced florist." the server spoke up, confused as she pulled the vase away from the linen.
"It is a lovely bouquet, but it must go. Rufus Shinra does not like flowers as decor, finds them frivolous and unnecessary. It would distract him, you see. If you must, you can set a pitcher of elderflower sparkling water as a centerpiece. The vice president will request that this evening, so you can dress it up as decoration. The touch will be meaningful." Olivia took a breath after her long winded and quick response.
The server looked at her, and then to the host, who tilted his head in question. She opened her mouth and hesitated. Olivia felt her heart sink.
"Sorry, did you say elderflower sparkling water? We haven't had that here since it was removed from our menu." The server informed and watched in fear as Olivia's face changed.
"Oh this is not good. Not good at all." Olivia thought aloud more to herself than anyone else. The server looked to the host again and stepped around the table.
"I can offer another kind of sparkling water. We have lavender, orange, rosehip, mint-" her voice trailed off as Olivia looked down and shook her head.
"Do you really want to help?" Olivia asked, routing the quickest way to get the exact beverage that her boss loved. The server once again looked to the host, who nodded permission.
"Yes?" The young server confirmed. She nodded and collected her thoughts.
"Listen to me, this is very important. A block away, there is a specialty goods store on the corner called "Sunday's". I will text the owner and order the exact bottle. Run there as quickly as you can, but do not run back. Make haste, but don't run. You can't let it get shaken up or it will lose carbonation. If you do this, I will tip you two hundred percent. Do you got that?" Olivia explained and the server looked at her with wide, surprised eyes. Obviously what Olivia was asking was too much but she hoped the incentive helped.
"O-okay!" The server agreed, easing Olivia's growing panic. The server lingered for a moment and the host took the vase of flowers from her.
"Go, hurry." The host urged and the server shot off through the restaurant, her heels clacking quickly. Olivia quickly texted a message to the familiar owner of the Sunday's and looked to the host.
"It's almost time," She stated, "Do you feel like you have everything prepared?" She asked and the host nodded enthusiastically.
"Without a doubt, the vice president will enjoy his evening here." He responded with practiced confidence.
"Yes, I'm sure you're right. We've both been preparing for an hour and I've made sure nothing will irk my boss. I just hope that server comes back before-" She was cut off by the jingle of her phone.
"My apologies," She excused herself as she pulled the phone from her clutch bag, "Hello? Has he arrived?" Her question was met with a pause and then a "yes" from the public security guard who was keeping an eye out front. She hung up and closed her eyes, ignoring the panic and butterflies in her stomach.
"He's arrived. Thank you for helping me prepare. When your server comes back, instruct her to place the bottle on a tray with a glass just as if it were coming from the kitchen. Until then, I hope he does not notice." Olivia resigned, and the host went towards the front with haste, to welcome the special guest in.
She began to prepare herself and pulled the thick folder of gathered material from the linen, hiding it on her chair so that it wasn't a distraction. She pulled a compact mirror from her clutch and silenced her phone, first making sure that she looked the same gathered way that she had spent too much time on before coming to the restaurant. Her eye makeup was still in place behind her glasses and her dark brown hair fell into place, despite her rush for the evening. Putting the mirror away after she preened, she stood behind her chair, waiting for her boss to arrive.
It wasn't seconds after that the host led the way into the dinning hall, a buffer of security trailed behind the blonde. The host, with a white blazer draped over his arm, welcomed Rufus to the table. His outfit had changed from the more business formal attire of the morning to a collared black button up paired a white vest. The slate grey tie matched the dress shoes of the same color. His face was neutral and unreadable, something Olivia wasn't fazed by. The host, however, was smiling widely in some attempt to pull joy from the vice president. Sure the blonde was charming and cordial, but never excessively showed emotions to who he deemed as not important.
The host, now humbled to silence with the white blazer in hand, pulled the guest's chair back for him. Olivia remained standing, her formality wasn't wavering despite being in a place outside of the headquarters. Rufus seated himself and gave her a telling gesture. With the gestured permission, she also took her seat, just next to him. It was always customary that his assistant sit beside him, and with the folder that she pulled into her lap, she had a feeling she would need to be close. As nervous as it made her, she couldn't complain.
As much as she had scrambled to make sure everything was perfect, to her boss this was nothing more than another casual work dinner.
"Good evening, Mr. Vice President. Are you feeling good about the dinner meeting?" She spoke up and he adjusted his cutlery slightly.
"I have a big plan for this evening. You did bring the documents that I need, right?" He asked, "If a single paper was left out, then my plans will have no structure." She nodded with his question.
"Yes, I have them all. Do you need them now?" She asked and brought the folder up from her lap. He shook his head and pointed down.
"No, not until I ask for them during the meeting. Keep them under the table until then." He advised and she was confused for a moment.
Why hide it? Then she realized. Whatever was in the folder she held was some kind of evidence, some kind of blackmail. They were more important than she had thought. Her boss had something planned, and whenever he plotted things like this, it was always without fault. She hoped she didn't have to use any of her de-escalation training. There was one thing she didn't understand, however.
"It is the head of the Charity for the Junon Children's Hospital that will be joining you in this meeting, right?" Olivia asked, perhaps overstepping. Rufus's flat expression broke for a moment, the corners of his lips curving up in a small grin.
"Yes, it is." His response was short and sweet. His smile faded as quickly as it came, his poker face returning. This evening may be interesting.
His icy blue eyes scanned the table in front of him, his fingers toyed with the plate.
"I'm thirsty. This menu has my favorite sparkling water, doesn't it?" He asked and she felt herself pale. She nodded, trying to hide her nervousness. Where was that server?
"Of course, I checked the menu and it was there." she half lied. The outdated menu did have the drink on it, but she conveniently left out that it no longer was available. She motioned for the host, who had hung up Rufus's blazer and was standing a few feet away on standby.
"Yes ma'am, is there anything that the vice president would like?" The host asked. Olivia nodded in a very careful and urging way.
"Yes, the elderflower sparkling water. Would you go get it and have a server bring it out?" Her request was thankfully understood and the host nodded as he played along.
"Most certainly. I'll take care of that now." He gave with a wink before he rushed off. Olivia winced at the very obvious and unnecessary gesture. Rufus gave her a narrowed-eyed glance, yet remained silent. Damn that host, winking at her like a cartoon character.
"I don't know why it would have been difficult to have a glass already prepared for me." He commented, putting his elbows on the table and netting his fingers together. She knew how this went, he was looking for some kind of tell from her. She had seen it a million times. Rufus would say next to nothing, simply agreeing or making a vague comment and he would let the other person talk themself into a hole, digging their own conviction.
"My apologies. Last time I did that, you complained that it had gone flat. I believed I was saving that from happening again." She responded smartly.
"I suppose that's okay." With his response, they both fell silent. The clacking of heels sounded and Olivia looked up hopeful to see a familiar server.
Sure enough, the server, just as requested, brought the bottle and water glass full of ice on a platter, just as if it had come from the restaurant. She looked a little wind battered and Olivia swore she was breathing a little heavier than normal. Poor girl, she hoped the tip would be worth it.
Without a word, she sat the glass down and poured the drink over the ice. As quickly as she came, she left with the bottle. Rufus didn't say a word and lifted the glass up to his mouth and paused. He set it down and shook his head, giving her an indecipherable look. Where her hand lay on the table's surface, he reached over and placed his on hers. She startled, and nearly jerked her hand away, yet remained still. Her heart had lurched, and perhaps it was just her, but she was sure if anyone's boss did that they would have a similar reaction.
"Why did you feel the need to lie to me about the water?"
His accusation, no, his simple and calm question was cold and sharp, yet if anyone had heard him in passing they would hear nothing more than a flat voice. Olivia knew that tone, she knew how he sounded when he was already on top, when one wrong move would destroy the object of such a question. It was extremely intimidating, but it was also something she had admired about him. Not for much longer, she told herself. There went her job, just as unfairly as she had imagined in her head.
"Um, I- uh…" She sputtered, more than caught off guard. She didn't really lie to him, but she was at a total loss. His hand was pulled from hers, leaving her skin cold. He looked away as he tsked.
"Nothing to say, I see. Any assistant of mine needs to have my full trust. Don't you want me to trust you?" He asked, his eyes darting back over to her. She knew it was just a setup before he dismissed her to go write a new resume. It was truly unfair, after all of her work, and she would vent to her roommate about it later, but for know she had to bare the humiliation.
"Yes, I do." She responded simply, resisting the urge to look down or fiddle with the table linen. Keeping her voice calm was as difficult as ever.
"Then why?" He asked again and she finally gave in and looked down into her lap, the folder heavy in her lap. She might as well explain herself before she was let go.
"I didn't say anything because I wanted everything to be perfect. I thought I had everything, but the menu was outdated. I didn't want you to think that I neglected to plan everything out… but I wasn't thorough enough in the end." She explained and glanced up as he leaned back in the chair. With her explanation, he picked the glass up again.
"I see." He began, taking a sip and setting the glass back down, the ice clinking, "You got it to me regardless. How much did you bribe the staff with?" His question once again threw her for a loop, the slight smile gracing his lips again. As perplexed as she was, she still was obedient and answered his question.
"More than enough." Her answer was again simple and Rufus hummed, thinking something over in his head. Perhaps the best way to say that he didn't need her services anymore? Maybe a spill about how she was disappointing. She didn't know but the silence was unbearable for as long as it lasted.
"Next time, exclude no details, even messy ones. I would hate to let go another employee that I'm suspicious of." He ordered finally and her eyes lit up. He was keeping her? She was certain that with his tone, his accusation, and anything that he could perceive as a lie to him combined would end her career at Shinra for sure. And yet, only a warning?
She nodded in silence, not knowing what to say. Thanking him didn't seem appropriate so she hushed. In the quick retrospect she formed, perhaps it was a bit silly to think she could be fired over a seltzer water, but his assistants in the past had been let go because of tiny things like that. Of course, that was early on in their employment and Olivia had well surpassed them, giving her a metaphorical seniority. She knew that she couldn't look suspicious to the vice president, however, and a simple warning was most fortunate for her. Yes, her boss, as she recalled, had a very understandable reason for being so careful about his food.
His previous assistant had tried to poison him.
Yet, now he still took a trusting sip of the water after hearing nothing but a blurb about wishing to plan things right. In fact, she was very lucky, and as Rufus continued to drink, she was proved to be very trusted. That or it was his innate ability to know if someone was lying to him or not, she wasn't sure.
Soon, after the silence became numbing and not a word uttered between them, the other guests arrived. Rufus introduced himself and welcomed the two executives in their suits with a cordial toast. He was as smooth and charming as ever, knowing just how to make the guests feel comfortable. Not a word was uttered to Olivia, and that was typical of these kinds of meetings. Sure, she was dressed up and sat beside the authority of the table, but she was there solely for work, not a wealthy lady or representative of anything other than the vice president's business. For that, she was grateful. She didn't have to interact with the boisterous and bragging executives, having only to be on standby for her boss.
The dinner was going along without a hitch. Everyone had eaten their fill of the vice president's generously covered dinner. Of course, Olivia had water and that was it. Now the head of the charity organization leaned back in his chair, his hands overlapped on his belt as he sucked at his teeth. His slicked back salt and pepper hair was echoed on his facial hair, his older age made him look the part of a business owner when paired with this expensive suit. He was continuing his pitch on his charity, comfortable and full.
"Seeing those kids recover is all the payment I need. I know many others would be in it for the money, and running a non-profit is daunting, but it was what I envisioned, you see. It'll grow and be even more of a miracle with Shinra's funding. I'm sure you agree, Mr. Vice President." The man gave with joy in his voice, perhaps a little burdened with how much he had eaten.
"It's hard not to agree when you express your vision so passionately." Rufus gave, a smile playing on his face. She loved watching him smile, and despite this being solely for business, she still noticed the hint on dimples in his cheeks. "Would you say you ever struggle with your non-profit or do you believe it has been purely sustainable?" he asked, intently waiting for the answer.
This was a hook. Olivia had seen it a billion times. Whatever Rufus knew that the charity head didn't know that he knew was being sprung for a trap. Olivia didn't know what the deal was, but she was about to find out. The man chortled and elbowed his comrade.
"Struggle? So many times, but we've captured the hearts of Junon so we're getting more sustainable every day. If you decide to help us, spreading miracles to all the needy kids in Junon Children's Hospital will be a cinch. We can then move on to bigger projects, like a children's shelter. You, Mr. Shinra, could have the facility named after you!" he went on with his spill.
Rufus gave an almost invisible spiteful smile, as it was easily disguised as normal. Olivia, invested, watched both her boss and the braggart.
"That's very generous. I would like to ask what exactly your non-profit does to help the Children's Hospital. Do you donate directly to the hospital or do you buy supplies for the hospital?" Rufus asked, and the man sprung to answer the question.
"We donate directly to the Children's Hospital so that they can choose their own supplies and budget the donations in a way best suited for their patients." the man explained with a satisfied smile.
"From what you have explained to me, you take donations to give directly to the hospital through a non-profit that you take no cuts from? All of the members of the non-profit are volunteers, am I correct?" The blonde drilled again, letting the charity head explain himself more. That same, familiar smirk showed on his face as he listened.
"Yes, you're right! We get volunteers from all over Junon to take donations and drop boxes are left at shops and supermarkets around Upper Junon. We even put together fundraising events every few months to get the community involved." He again answered with confidence. Rufus gave Olivia a quick glance to make sure she was alert.
"Seems as if you have it all figured out. This is your pitch to me? For Shinra's cooperation?" He closed, and Olivia knew he was going in for the kill. This was hook and sinker and now Rufus has heard what he needed. The man nodded eagerly to the vice president, snapping his fingers at his comrade.
"Yes! Are you on board? I have the contract right here." He motioned as the man to his side rummaged through a briefcase.
"No need." He stopped the man, his hand held up. He then addressed her. "Miss Birch, the folder." His order came with the outstretching of his hand. Her boss's fake smile was now absent, no warmth in his presence. The charity owner frowned in confusion, looking to his partner.
Without hesitation, she brought the folder up and placed it in his hand, watching as he pulled it to the empty spot of the table in front of him. He thumbed through the documents and pulled one out, handing it to Olivia. It was obvious what he wanted her to do but she wasn't quite prepared. She skimmed the paper in her head before she read it aloud.
"Mr. Augustus Clammer, this is a final statement in regard to your loan from the West Junon Credit Union. Your payment plan is in need of confirmation. The total remaining unpaid balance for your loan is… Seven hundred thousand, four hundred and twenty five gil. Please contact your Credit Union representative to confirm payment details and payment plans." Olivia read aloud. The charity head was on high alert now, all confidence, comfort, and smiles were gone.
"What did you need a loan for, Mr. Clammer? For your fundraiser? Last time I checked, cookie dough didn't cost seven hundred thousand gil." Rufus began and pinched another page between his fingers. It was the next step, Olivia assumed.
The man's face heated up and he sputtered a response.
"A loan for such a big charity organization is not anything out of the ordinary. I don't see why you've brought it up." His answer was swift and practiced, but her boss held up the next piece of evidence.
"Right, of course. That is true in some cases, but the interesting fact in this matter is that you paid the loan back with half interest the next day. A few days prior to this, every single charge in the non-profit's favor was done with credit. After this, every bit of expense was paid in full and upfront. It's an observation I can't help but make. After paying a loan back in full and then some, Mr. Augustus, I wouldn't expect you to have the means to purchase a sports car." Rufus detailed at length, and the man stared back gobsmacked.
"Fine, fine, I take a small cut for myself. After all, the charity is doing amazing right now. The economy is booming and there's enough to go around to keep afloat. Besides, you should know how this works. You have to invest money to see a return." He again defended, looking even more uncomfortable. Olivia watched carefully, knowing that this wasn't the end.
"Yes, that is true, in every business model besides a non-profit, I would imagine. How would you see a return, I wonder?" Rufus began, pulling another document out. "Oh look, tax write-offs. I didn't think a non-profit would have too much to see as far as taxes go, considering that Junon doesn't tax most services or goods for a non-profit. However, something that is always taxed is pharmaceutical goods. Didn't you say you didn't buy supplies for the hospital?" He asked and the man was frozen, his mouth hung open. His comrade elbowed him and he struggled with an answer.
"I um… it was a one-time thing." he blurted and gulped.
"It was not. This itemized list shows purchases of various medical supplies and even chemicals used for medical practice over the last year and three months. Where did you take these supplies?"
"To lower Junon, to the less fortunate people there. It was all donations, I assure you." The man promised and Rufus gave him a pointed look.
"You assure me? My most trusted and honored Turk assured me otherwise." He said and held up the next piece of paper. This is the one that was sent to Olivia from Tseng. "Shinra CCTV captured some concerning footage. Care to explain yourself out of this?" He held the piece of paper up for all to see.
In the still frame, the familiar figure of the charity owner was signing a piece of paper on a clipboard, a truck filled with boxes was being unloaded into a warehouse. It was strange, but Olivia herself didn't really understand the context presented. Obviously, knowing her boss, it was something dubious and criminal, or else he wouldn't be bothering with such a dissection.
"That's nothing. There's nothing there. It means nothing, you have no evidence that this has anything to do with my charity!" he defended, his voice now raised. His face was red and he was beginning to sweat.
"Do you think my Turk would send only a still frame as evidence? Did you think that I don't know the context of your rendezvous?" Rufus questioned. Olivia had been following all along until this point. Tseng hadn't sent anything else, had he? Rufus pulled his phone from the pocket of his white slacks and flipped it open, the exact bit of evidence already opened and ready for use.
The low click of the play button on the phone started the audio recording. There was a lot of white noise and then muffled whimpering.
"Where did the drugs come from? Lying to me would be a huge mistake, so don't waste my time."
The sound of rustling clothes and heavy, pained breathing melded with the static and echoing quality of the bad audio. It was no doubt that she recognized the voice on the other end, having heard it so many times. Even with the sinister nature of the recording, his voice was monotone and crisp.
"I'm very patient. We can do this all night, it does not matter. I do advise that you hurry and choose your words wisely, or you may only be able to have fluids with your next hospital visit."
Rufus gauged the expressions of the two men at the table, who both looked fearfully at the phone. The sounds of struggling and pants on the other end sounded and were accompanied by gargled words.
"Fuck you and your suit friend" the obvious sound of the man spitting was discernable. "I'm not helping Shinra with shit."
"Very well. In return, I'll help you find the motivation to be as generous as I have been to you. Rude, two more."
The order came and with no visual aid, it was difficult to understand what was happening. The sounds of struggling and angry shouts soon muffled. The clink of tools, the pained and gargled cries of the hostage, the sickening crunch and pop. It was gruesome and Olivia brought her hands up to cover her mouth, having never heard something that sounded as if it was from a horror movie. The heavy breathing and cries faded and was replaced with strangled coughing and whines. A clink sounded and Tseng cleared his throat.
"It was the big man! I don't use anything, I just take it where it's gotta go. He's the one who brought the supplies to make it. I don't know nothin' else, I swear!"
"Who?"
"That Clammers dude! The big wig in Upper Junon. He brings the stuff, my guys make it, we pay him back double."
"That wasn't so difficult. It only took three teeth, so fortunately for you, jello is an option when you spend a few days bed bound. Anything else?"
There was silence as the recording ended. The only one who seemed unfazed was Rufus himself. The two table guests were shell shocked, Clammer's face was blotchy and reddened. His comrade wasn't much different, but didn't look as close to bursting a blood vessel as the other did. Olivia herself, piecing together what happened in the recording, felt like she could stomach it better. It was tough to feel bad for someone who was an accessory in a scheme like this, but the sounds on the recording were no less disturbing.
"Using your non-profit to buy pharmaceutical drugs to organize and profit from an underground mako drug scheme. That's impressive." Rufus gave, breaking the silence and giving a sarcastic hand clap. The red-handed corrupt non-profit owner finally broke, slamming his fist on the table.
"This is… a ruse! This is slander, it's blackmail! I've never heard of any of this!" He bellowed, alerting not only the restaurant host but also the public service guards on standby. This would get ugly if he didn't calm down. "This isn't evidence!"
"Did I say that was all? I also have a few hundred text messages, phone calls, and emails sent by you that prove all of this, but for brevity's sake, I omitted them." Rufus began, thumping the folder. "I have more evidence than any person willing to do business with you can ignore."
There was a silence as the wide eyed charity owner looked around and tried to compose himself for the sake of his safety, as both the restaurant host and guards looked to him in warning. Instead, he leaned forward on the table, his fist clenched.
"What do you want from me? A cut of the profit? I can make that happen." He urged in a hushed tone. Rufus tsked in response.
"Why do people always offer me money? No, I want something better. I want you to carry out your company's brand mission. What was it? That the recovery of the child patients of the Children's hospital recovered? I want you to donate the rest of the profit in the company account to the hospital, and then I want your company to disappear." Rufus gave and Clammers looked back in dumb awe
"What? Do you know how hard it will be to restart? People will question, it will be a disaster. I can't do that!" He argued, waving his hand.
"You can and you will, or else instead of the Junon community questioning, they will be rightfully filled in on every detail and you will find a permanent residence in Junon Prison." Rufus responded cool and curt. The man gasped.
"Prison?! On what charges?" The man's voice raised again, this time more panicked than angry.
"On the charges of business fraud, tax fraud, misuse of medicinal chemicals, accessory to drug distribution, treason against Shinra, and bribery." Rufus gave, and yet again pulled something new and unexpected from under his grey tie. A small microphone, the wire connected to a recording device that was hidden in his vest.
Olivia of course was surprised, but not shocked. Her boss had everything planned, had every bit of this plotted out. He knew this, his first genuine smile during the dinner spread his face as the man was at a total loss. What he did to her on a daily basis, he did to anyone who attempted to pull the wool over his eyes. Just as always, Rufus Shinra would remain on top. It was something she admired so much about him. It was worth putting up with the daily nonsense he flung at her to watch moments like this. Moments where she could watch her boss take a situation that could have been terrible and take action, planned action, to win the victory of being in charge.
"You-you can't do that!" The man barked, his rage bubbling up. "Treason against Shinra? You dare speak of treason against Shinra? I know what you've done and you're a disgrace to Shinra!" He screamed, following up with something incredibly stupid.
The man reached out and grabbed Rufus's tie, yanking the vice president toward him aggressively. He took a stand and Rufus wrinkled his nose spitefully, not daring to lift a hand in retaliation.
By the time Olivia could react enough to reach for the gun in her purse, the Shinra guard already had his arms hooked under the ballistic man. He thrashed and struggled yet couldn't hold onto Rufus's tie. He was tugged away and kicked his leg up to knock a few glasses onto the floor with a crash. His comrade, not daring to fight, was just escorted along. Clammers screamed insults and threats as he was tugged out by two guards, making a ruckus the entire way there. The chaos of the half minute was astounding, and Olivia dropped her purse that she was clutching.
Rufus, standing now, unloosened his dangerously tightened tie with a cough. Without thinking, she placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. vice president, are you okay?" She asked and he said nothing to acknowledge her, instead brushing her hand away. Right, she was overstepping, but the gesture hurt no less.
Brushing a hand through his hair, he took a few steps back to let the servers, now frantic at the dramatic showdown that had just happened, begin to take care of the damage.
"Pathetic. The fool chose prison the moment he set his hands on me." Rufus gave, straightening himself up.
"A quicker way to the same place, I'm afraid. He didn't seem the charitable type." Olivia observed, stepping back to allow a server to haul the broken glass past her. There was silence for a moment before Olivia spoke up, perhaps foolishly.
"I'm always amazed how you can do that. How you know how to pull the ugly truth out of people. It's inspiring and I'm glad you stop people like that." Olivia stated, and then immediately felt like she had said too much.
"You may be one of the only ones who see it this close and can admire it." Rufus observed, a small smile made another guest appearance. It didn't last, however, and was replaced by a solemn expression, his brows tugged together. "What a shame, I get sick of fraudulent charities."
Again, silence fell over them as the servers wiped up the spilled champagne and scarlet wine from the marble tiled floor, collecting the soaked and stained white linen from the table.
"There's no point in staying here anymore. You should settle the tip and get a ride home." The blonde spoke up, looking over his shoulder at the bar on the other side of the restaurant.
"Right, then should I call your ride as well?" Olivia asked, her mind jumping for joy at the thought of going home and having a soak after such a long day. Her boss shook his head.
"I'll have it handled myself. For now, I'm going to take advantage of the empty bar." He responded. "You are dismissed." He gave his farewell with the wave of this hand. She nodded, but stopped him as he turned away.
"Wait, if it's not too much trouble, can I ask you something?" She began, ignoring her conditioned state of leaving things at her boss's word. He turned back and wore a bored expression.
"Yes?" He allowed.
"How did you know that I was… well, technically not really lying but stretching the truth about the sparkling water?" She asked, and her boss's blue eyes widened for just a moment. Fuck, she should have definitely admitted she lied. Trying to cover her ass always backfired.
A rare, short laugh escaped the vice president. More a mocking scoff than a giggle, but still unheard of. Olivia simply didn't know how to react so she stared back dumbfounded.
"Next time you get someone to sneakily buy something, make sure the price tag sticker gets removed." He leaned forward to reveal, smirking in spite of her. Turning away, he again waved his hand.
"Dismissed."