Unleashed

Watch Me

David choked on his own spit as he inhaled sharply at the news. He fumbled as he felt the gaze of everyone in the room veer toward him at the noise he made. "Shit," he thought. "What a metaphorical fucking cherry." He waved them off as if the news didn't bother him and that he just needed a sip of coffee to wash away a tickle in his throat.

He took a sip and his mouth was immediately attacked by a stale lukewarm beverage that tried to pass as coffee. He found himself choking even harder, unable to hide the affront to his taste buds.

"Do you need some water?" Hellen's question irked him. Of course he didn't need any water. What he needed was an explanation as to why this woman was ruining his day.

"I'll be fine," David answered through coughs. "Please, continue."

"Hellen joins us from the grand state of Maine." Chuck assumed control of the room again. "She's worn a number of hats but the most recent was the CEO of Copy-Tech, a woman-led, woman-founded company and we're excited to see how her experience can offer us a fresh perspective as we look to grow through Q2 and beyond."

David stared at Hellen and wondered what her purpose was. What did Hellen offer that surpassed his skills? Hellen began to introduce herself with additional background and David tuned her out. He took another sip of Stacy's coffee, needing to feel close to her as his world crumbled.

For a fleeting moment, David felt something he hadn't felt in quite some time. He wanted to run, to start anew with Riley. Riley was adaptable; she survived an unknown amount of time in the wild before David found her, she could survive again. Maybe this time David could settle down, find someone who loved Riley as much as he did and start a family. Riley would love kids running around.

"Let's start with David." Chuck's voice snapped him back.

David slowly took another sip of his coffee and raised his eyebrows as he leaned back in his chair. Contextually, he assumed the question was to introduce himself with a slight chance of asking if there were any questions for Hellen. Maybe even a bit of both. He swallowed and smirked.

"Well, let my throat be the first to congratulate you on the new position, Hellen," David quipped. Laughter echoed, offering a brief reprieve.

"Kick us off, tell her about Riley," Chuck suggested, and David got exactly what he wanted, guidance on the question he wasn't thinking about.

Except, he didn't want to share Riley with her. Hellen had ruined his morning in multiple ways. Hellen wasn't deserving of Riley or knowing anything about her.

"I've got a rescue at home named Riley." David pulled back as he spoke, downplaying Riley and closing the door to immediate questions. "I'm sure you'll hear about her."

"I look forward to it." Hellen nodded. The motion accentuated her delicate neck and his mind wandered as the next person spoke. He wondered how hard it would be to snap that pretty, delicate neck. Probably as easy as a twig.