again why you’re doing this in my room?” Sofie plants her hands on her hips, wondering how long it’s going to take for the sound of the shoot ‘em up game that Finn is playing to actually drive her mad.
“Your TV’s better. The one from my room looks like it’s from the dark ages, surprised it’s even in color.” Finn doesn’t once take his eyes off of the screen, and Sofie knows that she has no hope of evicting him any time soon.
“I know, Mr. Calambor, but there’s really not much that I can do. We have to wait for the weather to turn. After what happened yesterday, I’m not prepared to risk a member of my team for the sake of waiting another day.” Darwin’s voice is firm, but the response he’s getting makes his shoulders slump—never a good sign. “Understood, sir.” He sighs heavily and hands the phone over to Sofie. “Mr. Calambor would like to speak with you. I’ll be in my room.” Darwin shakes his head, leaving Sofie with the cell in her hand.
For the first time, Finn takes his eyes off of the game and looks at Sofie with concern. She turns her back on him. It’s bad enough to have to speak to the head of the company, let alone doing it with an audience.
“Mr. Calambor, Sofie here,” she says, taking a deep breath and willing herself to keep her voice from shaking—whether from fear or anger she’s not sure.
“Sofie, it’s so good to hear your voice.” Luke Calambor’s voice is smooth as silk, but it makes Sofie feel like her skin is crawling. “Darwin just told me what happened yesterday. I’m glad that you’re alright, but I’m not sure why I had to hear about it from him instead of you.” There’s a slight admonishment in his tone, as if he were talking to a naughty child who had been hiding her report card.
“Well, I didn’t think...” Sofie trails off, not really sure what it is that she’s trying to say.
“That’s right, you didn’t think.” The coldness in Luke’s voice is chilling, but it disappears so quickly, she almost convinces herself that she had imagined it. Almost. “But that doesn’t matter now. All that’s important is that you’re alright.”
“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks for your concern, Mr. Calambor,” she answers in a tight voice. She has to bite back the sarcastic response that she’s desperate to give.
“Why so formal, my Sofie? You know it’s just Luke with you,” he coos gently. “From what Darwin’s been telling me about what you guys have found up there, it looks like I might be paying a visit.”
“You want to come here?” Sofie tries to keep her voice even, but the words come out strangled.
“Don’t sound so surprised. If the site is as promising as Darwin says it is, then I need to start drumming up some local support from the good townsfolk of Beatmont. Bet a lot of them haven’t recovered after the recession. I’m sure they could do with a little help from Shale.” Luke chuckles lightly.
“It’s Beaumont.” Sofie knows it’s not worth her time to correct her boss, but she does it anyway, rankled that he can’t even be bothered to learn the name of the town that he’s about to use to get even richer.
“Whatever,” he responds. Sofie can almost see him waving his hand dismissively in his ludicrously ostentatious office in DC.
“Besides, we still have a whole heap of samples to take and tests to run. And even after all that, an ecologist will need to sign off on the site, to make sure we’re not disturbing any habitats when we start drilling,” she says, knowing that she sounds like she’s trying to talk Luke out of what looks like the most profitable oil deposit that Shale have ever found, but she’s just trying to be thorough. At least that’s what she tells herself.
“So dedicated. That’s what I love about you, Sofie. I know I can rely on you.” There’s a suggestion that Luke is talking about more than just work, but he doesn’t voice it. That’s how it always is with him. He towed
“Your TV’s better. The one from my room looks like it’s from the dark ages, surprised it’s even in color.” Finn doesn’t once take his eyes off of the screen, and Sofie knows that she has no hope of evicting him any time soon.
“I know, Mr. Calambor, but there’s really not much that I can do. We have to wait for the weather to turn. After what happened yesterday, I’m not prepared to risk a member of my team for the sake of waiting another day.” Darwin’s voice is firm, but the response he’s getting makes his shoulders slump—never a good sign. “Understood, sir.” He sighs heavily and hands the phone over to Sofie. “Mr. Calambor would like to speak with you. I’ll be in my room.” Darwin shakes his head, leaving Sofie with the cell in her hand.
For the first time, Finn takes his eyes off of the game and looks at Sofie with concern. She turns her back on him. It’s bad enough to have to speak to the head of the company, let alone doing it with an audience.
“Mr. Calambor, Sofie here,” she says, taking a deep breath and willing herself to keep her voice from shaking—whether from fear or anger she’s not sure.
“Sofie, it’s so good to hear your voice.” Luke Calambor’s voice is smooth as silk, but it makes Sofie feel like her skin is crawling. “Darwin just told me what happened yesterday. I’m glad that you’re alright, but I’m not sure why I had to hear about it from him instead of you.” There’s a slight admonishment in his tone, as if he were talking to a naughty child who had been hiding her report card.
“Well, I didn’t think...” Sofie trails off, not really sure what it is that she’s trying to say.
“That’s right, you didn’t think.” The coldness in Luke’s voice is chilling, but it disappears so quickly, she almost convinces herself that she had imagined it. Almost. “But that doesn’t matter now. All that’s important is that you’re alright.”
“Yes, I’m fine. Thanks for your concern, Mr. Calambor,” she answers in a tight voice. She has to bite back the sarcastic response that she’s desperate to give.
“Why so formal, my Sofie? You know it’s just Luke with you,” he coos gently. “From what Darwin’s been telling me about what you guys have found up there, it looks like I might be paying a visit.”
“You want to come here?” Sofie tries to keep her voice even, but the words come out strangled.
“Don’t sound so surprised. If the site is as promising as Darwin says it is, then I need to start drumming up some local support from the good townsfolk of Beatmont. Bet a lot of them haven’t recovered after the recession. I’m sure they could do with a little help from Shale.” Luke chuckles lightly.
“It’s Beaumont.” Sofie knows it’s not worth her time to correct her boss, but she does it anyway, rankled that he can’t even be bothered to learn the name of the town that he’s about to use to get even richer.
“Whatever,” he responds. Sofie can almost see him waving his hand dismissively in his ludicrously ostentatious office in DC.
“Besides, we still have a whole heap of samples to take and tests to run. And even after all that, an ecologist will need to sign off on the site, to make sure we’re not disturbing any habitats when we start drilling,” she says, knowing that she sounds like she’s trying to talk Luke out of what looks like the most profitable oil deposit that Shale have ever found, but she’s just trying to be thorough. At least that’s what she tells herself.
“So dedicated. That’s what I love about you, Sofie. I know I can rely on you.” There’s a suggestion that Luke is talking about more than just work, but he doesn’t voice it. That’s how it always is with him. He towed
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