Chapter 121: Threat Detected
Work lunches really were not Derek’s thing. In fact the only times that he had ever enjoyed sharing lunches at work with someone. Just the basic act of eating, with somebody next to him, who was also eating, it had been with Emily.
The two of them in the park enjoying their meals and just watching the world go by around them. That was the only time that Derek had enjoyed sharing lunch with someone at work. But sadly, that did not mean that work lunches were not a regular thing for him.
He had work lunches but he absolutely detested them. Food was something sacred something to be enjoyed. It was never meant to be used in a power play, that was Derek’s own personal view, but many people did not share it.
Case and point, Derek had just come from a work lunch with a potential future business partner. He had not enjoyed it at all. The food had been overpriced. Tasting more like burnt cardboard than anything. And through it all he’d had to take bites, and act like it was the best thing he’d ever had.
He really hoped that the suffering of his mouth, and his stomach would pay off at some point. But at least the torture had been fairly quick.
He was now back in his office, and felt like he could finally breathe again.
Once again shutting the blinds like he had done earlier in the day. Derek sat in darkness, and breathed. Slow and measured.
In, and out. In, and out...
He let himself sink into a state of calmness. Letting his stress go. The tension leaving his body. His head aching just a little bit less because of it.
It had been pounding steadily, all the way through lunch. Derek had endured the pain through grit, and determination. His teeth grinding as he had chewed on cardboard, had caused pain to shoot through his skull. He had only been able to stop himself from screaming through years of practice. His professional mask never once cracking as he had kept up intelligent conversation through the meal.
But now that he was back in his office, Derek was attending to his hurts as best he could. The one thing that would really help him out, would be to get some good sleep at night. But since that was not likely to happen any time soon, he was working with what he had.
And what he had was sitting in darkness and doing breathing exercises, in silence.