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Mike watched as Lydia’s cheeks flushed, her back straightened, knowing exactly where this was going but still staring Dave down "And I think," Dave continued, "in reat idea here It just don't think it will fly You’ve micro sliced toolike this, a good oing out, doing cold calls, working the networkalright," Davethe pros and cons of so

"But, you knoe’re not one of those We’re Bournhaine that Michael Bournham, the ultiuy ould be a hero in one of these cute little roo for it"

A preternatural cals, over his chest, up his neck, down his biceps and into his forearers as he looked at Dave and said, "How do you knohat Mike Bournha?"

Whatever tone of voice he used, Lydia and Dave snapped to attention and stared at hione froers, her body ht Mike’s jaw felt about as tight as a reconstructed virgin on her twenty-fifth wedding anniversary – a trend he’d been alar popularity in his city

A pinched smile from Dave "Well, I can’t claio ask him, Matt?"

"I’m afraid I can’t do that, Dave," Mike said Lydia’s hand flew to her ot the cultural reference Dave clearly didn’t, eyes flashing in anger at her laughter, at Mike’s face Whatever anger he was transh He had to beno Daht now

Role play for the cameras He had to be Matt Jones; he had to be this asshole’s subordinate This was the part he was playing This hidden boss for the sake of the cameras, for the sake of the dra, Matt had to back down Even if Mike wanted to roar up

Quickly, he calculated the best next step

Meanwhile, Dave answered, "That’s right You can’t do that because you don’t have a direct line or even an indirect line to Michael Bournham I do I’esture for i an "okay" sign spun about, the pal used to emphasize boundaries, as if it made a difference

As if it uy like the bug that he was, yet Matt had to defer That didn’t mean that Mike wouldn’t act later It just uy in a different way

"This has been a greatwith as much sincerity as he could muster "And Lydia, I would love to watch the rest of the presentation You’ve got some innovative ideas there but I," he choked out, "have to defer to the boss – because he’s the boss, right?"

Her eyes sparkled with panic Mike knehat she was feeling This was going down, down, down the drain and he flashed back to his own presentation upon which his entire career had hinged Except that he had been eighteen, nervous, geeky, a code jockey, and telling his dad about the iy techniques in the ain customers and market share and new clients He hadn’t been taken seriously at first either

His father's reaction had been the opposite of Dave’s He’d sio for it "Do whatever you wanna do kid, just have fun doing it" Oh, how Mike had – helping his father quintuple the size of the company in a handful of years

Lydia didn’t have that luxury He didn’t have the authority as Matt Jones of saying, "Go for it, Lydia Here’s a budget – run with it and shohat you can do"

As Mike Bournha papers and pulling thumb drives out of the company laptop, head down, clearly too upset to speak but reht, wide-eyed, overwrought, but restrained look and said, "Thank you for giving me an opportunity to show you what I’m capable of"

Mike jumped in and said, "Seriously, I’d like to see the rest of that," gesturing to the thuht it with a practiced hand "It’s all yours," she said

Yeah it is, he thought It is all mine But she didn’t know that