holding it in her mouth for a long time.
As Peggy watched her three friends share the first bottle and open the second, the drinkers began to relax and chat as if they had no troubles in the world. She felt good for them; this was an unexpected luxury, a chance for them to escape from all of the pressures. She began to take part in the banter, laughing with them and beginning to calm down herself, just a little.
“ In vino veritas, ” Peggy said, as she watched them share the second bottle. “In wine there is truth.”
“Don’t get serious on us,” Abe said. He was holding his wine pretty well, but Belinda was becoming quite giddy, and giggling more than talking.
After awhile, Abe said, looking wistfully at one of the wine bottles as he passed it to Belinda. “Maybe we should have shared this with the rest of the staff.”
“A little late for that,” Jimmy said. “Besides, how do we know who owns the stuff? If we’d gone public with it, who knows who would have said what?”
As Belinda drank more, her cheerful mood didn’t hold. She started to express anger toward Jimmy for his behavior, what she called his “attitude of entitlement,” in which he claimed to deserve the breaks, while no one else did. Peggy wasn’t sure what she meant by that or what had set her off. Jimmy continued to drink and ignored her.
“I can’t believe I slept with you,” Belinda finally said. “You self-centered maggot.”
That got his attention, and he hurled the nearly empty first bottle of champagne against a concrete wall, smashing the glass.
“I’m not used to this much alcohol,” Belinda said. She pushed the remaining champagne bottle away when Abe tried to hand it to her. “It’s been so long since I drank like this. I think I just need to be by myself for the rest of the evening.”
“Izzat an apology?” Jimmy asked, slurring his words.
“Not quite, maggot,” she said.
“Well, I don’ wanna be by myself,” Jimmy said. “As a matter of fact …” He reached around and tried to grope her chest, but she gave him a hard cuff on the cheek.
Undaunted, he leaned over and pressed his mouth against her neck in a sloppy kiss.
Again, she pushed him away, “No—” She got up and opened the door, unconsciously brushing her hair back.
Rising to her feet, Peggy said, “This party’s over.” She met Abe’s inquisitive gaze, saw the desire in his eyes. Seeing her look of disapproval, Abe broke his gaze with her.
In apparent disbelief, Jimmy looked at Belinda for a long minute, his eyes trying to focus on her, seemingly unaware of just how much the champagne was affecting him, too. At length, he got up, grabbed the unfinished bottle, and walked to the door, with Peggy and Abe following him into the corridor.
Jimmy tried to take a swig while he was walking, but stumbled and fell against a rack of laboratory glass that had not yet been put away. Flasks, beakers, and Petri dishes cascaded, breaking on the floor.
The champagne bottle went flying out of his hands and smashed into pieces—at Benitar Jackson’s feet.
CHAPTER 11
Showdown
Benitar Jackson stared in disbelief at the scene before him: at Jimmy, sprawled in the middle of broken glassware, at Belinda, clutching the door frame of the room … and at Abe and Peggy behind her. After hesitating for a long moment, the Director reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the handgun.
“Oh, my God,” whispered Belinda, “Benitar, don’t!”
“Damn you to hell, Hansik,” Jackson said, waving the gun at him. “You kill the seeds, you stomp around here like a god damned entitled know it all, you steal my champagne and you probably don’t even know that the blast door is malfunctioning. Did you know I had to shut it with manual override? Where in the hell are your priorities?”
Stupidly, Hansik looked up Benitar. His mouth worked, and after a struggle the slurred words came, “An assi-den’ Benitar, we g-got to t-toastin’ the-the seeds and
As Peggy watched her three friends share the first bottle and open the second, the drinkers began to relax and chat as if they had no troubles in the world. She felt good for them; this was an unexpected luxury, a chance for them to escape from all of the pressures. She began to take part in the banter, laughing with them and beginning to calm down herself, just a little.
“ In vino veritas, ” Peggy said, as she watched them share the second bottle. “In wine there is truth.”
“Don’t get serious on us,” Abe said. He was holding his wine pretty well, but Belinda was becoming quite giddy, and giggling more than talking.
After awhile, Abe said, looking wistfully at one of the wine bottles as he passed it to Belinda. “Maybe we should have shared this with the rest of the staff.”
“A little late for that,” Jimmy said. “Besides, how do we know who owns the stuff? If we’d gone public with it, who knows who would have said what?”
As Belinda drank more, her cheerful mood didn’t hold. She started to express anger toward Jimmy for his behavior, what she called his “attitude of entitlement,” in which he claimed to deserve the breaks, while no one else did. Peggy wasn’t sure what she meant by that or what had set her off. Jimmy continued to drink and ignored her.
“I can’t believe I slept with you,” Belinda finally said. “You self-centered maggot.”
That got his attention, and he hurled the nearly empty first bottle of champagne against a concrete wall, smashing the glass.
“I’m not used to this much alcohol,” Belinda said. She pushed the remaining champagne bottle away when Abe tried to hand it to her. “It’s been so long since I drank like this. I think I just need to be by myself for the rest of the evening.”
“Izzat an apology?” Jimmy asked, slurring his words.
“Not quite, maggot,” she said.
“Well, I don’ wanna be by myself,” Jimmy said. “As a matter of fact …” He reached around and tried to grope her chest, but she gave him a hard cuff on the cheek.
Undaunted, he leaned over and pressed his mouth against her neck in a sloppy kiss.
Again, she pushed him away, “No—” She got up and opened the door, unconsciously brushing her hair back.
Rising to her feet, Peggy said, “This party’s over.” She met Abe’s inquisitive gaze, saw the desire in his eyes. Seeing her look of disapproval, Abe broke his gaze with her.
In apparent disbelief, Jimmy looked at Belinda for a long minute, his eyes trying to focus on her, seemingly unaware of just how much the champagne was affecting him, too. At length, he got up, grabbed the unfinished bottle, and walked to the door, with Peggy and Abe following him into the corridor.
Jimmy tried to take a swig while he was walking, but stumbled and fell against a rack of laboratory glass that had not yet been put away. Flasks, beakers, and Petri dishes cascaded, breaking on the floor.
The champagne bottle went flying out of his hands and smashed into pieces—at Benitar Jackson’s feet.
CHAPTER 11
Showdown
Benitar Jackson stared in disbelief at the scene before him: at Jimmy, sprawled in the middle of broken glassware, at Belinda, clutching the door frame of the room … and at Abe and Peggy behind her. After hesitating for a long moment, the Director reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the handgun.
“Oh, my God,” whispered Belinda, “Benitar, don’t!”
“Damn you to hell, Hansik,” Jackson said, waving the gun at him. “You kill the seeds, you stomp around here like a god damned entitled know it all, you steal my champagne and you probably don’t even know that the blast door is malfunctioning. Did you know I had to shut it with manual override? Where in the hell are your priorities?”
Stupidly, Hansik looked up Benitar. His mouth worked, and after a struggle the slurred words came, “An assi-den’ Benitar, we g-got to t-toastin’ the-the seeds and
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