Eric Allen, a failure...

Eric didn’t know he was taking deep breaths until he saw his reflection on the elevator wall. He looked like an exhausted cheerleader after delivering an iconic performance. He steadied his breathing, staring at the team standing behind him from the corner of his eyes hoping they had not seen him. It was later it occurred to him that they didn’t need to see him to know he was nervous because they must have heard him breathing aloud. He shut his eyes. He was nervous and slowly losing every bit of his sense of reasoning. He fisted his hands but it was clammy despite the functional air conditioning. He didn’t think he had ever felt this nervous in all his life. He had never needed to impress anyone not even his father. Now the case was different, he didn’t just need to beat Henry for his bruising ego and Arnold’s sake. He needed to do this for his father as well. It might be all he needed to get his father’s absolute approval once and for all.

He had called for his team immediately after