“Apparently you didn't know them an hour ago.”
Victoria turned away.
Her eyes found the bay.
Eleven weeks.
The number came back.
“Can we fix it?”
Marcus did not answer.
“Marcus.”
“I don't know.”
“We apologize.”
“This isn't a scheduling mistake.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Victoria turned.
His expression was unfamiliar.
Not anger.
Disappointment.
“What happened exactly?”
She told him.
Not everything at first.
Then more.
She admitted she did not shake Darien's hand.
She admitted commenting on his clothing.
She admitted saying “someone like you.”
She admitted calling security before checking his identity.
Marcus sat down.
When she finished, he rubbed both hands over his face.
“Jesus.”
“I made a terrible mistake.”
“Yes.”
“I'll apologize.”
Marcus looked at her.
“Why?”
Victoria stared.
“What do you mean, why?”
“Why are you sorry?”
“Because I humiliated our investor.”
Marcus said nothing.
Victoria heard her own sentence.
Our investor.
She corrected herself.
“Because I humiliated him.”
“Would you be this upset if he managed fifty million instead of three-point-eight billion?”
Victoria looked away.
Marcus waited.
“I don't know.”
“That's a problem.”
Her phone rang.
Board chairman Richard Halpern.
Victoria answered.
“Richard.”
His voice was cold.
“Klaus Reinhardt called me.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
“Of course he did.”
“He told me what happened.”
“There was a misunderstanding.”
“Do not use that word.”
Victoria went quiet.
“He said the man's name was Darien Cole.”
“Yes.”
“He said you refused to shake his hand.”
Victoria looked at Marcus.
“Yes.”
“He said you had security remove him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I did not know who he was.”
Richard went silent.
Then:
“That answer makes this worse.”
Victoria pressed her lips together.
Richard continued.
“If he had been nobody, would the behavior have been acceptable?”
“No.”
“Then stop telling me you didn't know who he was.”
Victoria's eyes burned.
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“I'm trying to reach him.”
Richard exhaled.
“I have worked with Darien before.”
Victoria looked up.
“You have?”
“Seven years ago.”
“Call him.”
“No.”
“Richard.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“He makes decisions based on character. If I call him and pressure him after what you did, I damage my own relationship with him.”
“We could lose the company.”
“You should have thought about the company before using hotel security as your personal status filter.”
The line went dead.
By noon, Darien had not responded.