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Did he remember who I was? I recalled the meeting in his office, where we had talked about my position in the company. However, he had met so many other employees over the course of a few short days, it would be understandable if he, too, had muddled me and Amelia Crook.
“Ah, Neil. So glad you could join us after all,” David said.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Neil didn’t lift his searing gaze from me.
“This is Amelia Cross.”
“We’ve met.”
I tried to wrangle my sense of panic before it could reveal itself through my body language.
He knows. He definitely knows. Is he going to say something?
“Take a seat,” David said.
Neil stalked to the back of the room and sat down, resting an elbow on the table and his chin on his knuckles.
I waited for him to speak up and expose me, but he didn’t say a word. He wasn’t going to bring it up. No, he was going to watch me squirm like a fly caught in a spider’s web and derive some weird sense of pleasure from it.
“Please, continue,” Neil said.
My mind had gone blank.
Where am I up to?
My heart rate escalated. A cold sweat broke out on my hairline.
I can’t do this. I have to confess.
The expectant eyes watching me turned a shade sceptical. Or was I just imagining it?
I tried to shake myself out of my funk.
Get a grip! I’ve come this far. Even if I break down and admit everything afterwards, I should at least present the report and show them how capable I am.
Mind made up, I refocused on the task at hand.
I’ll just start from the beginning.
With a deep breath, I reeled off the words I had drilled into myself. I didn’t leave any gaps for questions, hoping that would deter anyone from asking.
I somehow made it through the entire presentation without slipping up. But now came the hard part. If someone was going to ask a question, now would be the time.
I didn’t ask, “Any questions?” but I couldn’t just stop and leave. I waited for someone to speak.
“Thank you, Amelia,” David said. “That was very comprehensive.”
Is it over? Did I survive?
I made a beeline towards the laptop to close the presentation, but Neil spoke up in a manner which conveyed, “Not so fast.”
“I have a question,” he said, eyes glinting.
Of course you do.
“Yes?”
“Page four.”
