Page 40 of Return Billionaire to Sender

People don’t seem that interested in the pastries, but I am—all I had for breakfast was some coffee in my room and one of the apples from the bowl that the hotel puts out in the lobby.

Maybe it’s silly, but I can’t justify spending thatper diem/stipend thing. I feel bad enough that I’m here under false pretenses, staying in a room on their dime. No way am I going to go living it up at restaurants.

I don’t know, spending a bunch of Blackberg Inc.’s money on meals just feels like crossing a line.

I take a croissant at one point when I feel like I’m falling asleep, and it turns out to be the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted. I’m still in way too much debt from my mother’s illness to justify expensive taste treats in my everyday life; the most I’ll do is throw in for pizzas with my girlfriends. But that’s more than food—spending time with my galpals is a lifeline to me.

So I’m staring at the croissants, thinking about taking another. But nobody takes two—it seems like the culture of the meeting. Also, when I count them, it’s clear that they have one for each person, so it’s possible it’s against the rules.

Even so, I spend my time identifying the exact one I’d take—it’s bigger than the rest, with way more almond paste in it, from the looks of it.

It’s hard to focus on the negotiations and not the remaining almond croissants nestled among plain croissants and berry scones. I just want to eat them all.

I force my attention off of the tray and onto the session I’m supposed to be observing.

Gerrold and his son are supposedly running this session, but if you pay attention, you see that Malcolm is in control. What’s more, Gerrold and his people tell Malcolm lots of things, revealing themselves to him, whereas Malcolm reveals nothing of himself, yet he seems deeply engaged all the same, all questions and lively interest.

That’s a true kind of power, I think, where you’re running things and people don’t even know it. Though he’s just as comfortable using his overt power, especially outside of the negotiating room. The power of him growling at people and sending them scurrying. He’s so intense and mercurial. The center of every room. A magnificent beast.

Two hours in, we get a break. I’m standing outside on the rooftop balcony with Nisha and Walt. Walt’s sneaking a vape that smells like cherries.

“He’s so different,” I say. “Malcolm down there.”

“This is a point that we frequently discuss,” Nisha says. “Is it an act? Or does he save up all of his goodness for the negotiation room?”

“I think he saves it up,” Walt says, blowing the vape cloud away from us. “Coralee thinks it’s an act.”

“Nah, it’s too real to be an act,” Nisha says. “I think, it’s like, if a farmer has a hundred acres, and he robs all of the nutrients and minerals from ninety-nine of his acres in order to give all of the goodness to one favorite acre, that’s Malcolm. All the goodness that he has goes to that negotiating table, to the deal-making process. But the rest of his crops completely suffer.”

“Wait, you think that he uses his goodness up in business negotiations and doesn’t have any left for the rest of his life?” I ask.

Nisha shrugs. “My humble opinion.”

“I don’t see goodness or being friendly as finite,” I say. “I don’t think a person only has a specific amount of friendliness to spread around like nutrients in a field. I think goodness is unlimited. One of those things where, the more you use it, the more you have. Like laughter.”

“Huh,” Nisha says, unconvinced.

“The more you use it, the more you have,” I say. “That’s what I think.”

“But then why would Malcolm utilize it only in this small segment of his life?” Nisha asks. “If he has it available to him elsewhere? Why go around trying to get everybody to hate him?”

“Mmm,” I say. It’s a good question. Why?

“Nah,” Walt says. “He hates everyone and everyone hates him, and that’s how he rolls. But he also likes to win, so he pulls it out in the negotiating room.”

They analyze Malcolm’s personality some more. For how much they seem to fear Malcolm, they’re definitely fascinated by him, and they have elaborate opinions about him.

The session finally ends, and I’m back in the limo. Malcolm isn’t riding with us, but my seat is oriented so that I see him walking across the road with his lawyers and money crunchers in his preferred fighter jet formation where he’s flanked by people, yet excruciatingly alone.

It’s hardly a shock that those who work for him are fascinated with him. He is fascinating. It’s hard not to look at him, hard not to watch him, hard not to wonder about him.

In every way.

Have you been instructed on protocol in the negotiating room? I have very strict preferences.

OMG, it was so wrong to take that sexy. I should never have gone to see thatFifty Shadesmovie with Mia!

“Elle! Earth to Elle,” Nisha says.

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