Voice softer.
“Ms. Anderson.”
She stared.
Ten minutes earlier she had been ma’am.
Then nobody.
Now Ms. Anderson.
Soon Madam CEO.
Titles moved fast when fear powered them.
Derek said:
“I apologize.”
Wendy asked:
“For what?”
He froze.
She waited.
“For the misunderstanding.”
Wendy’s expression hardened.
“No.”
Derek swallowed.
“For the drink.”
“What about it?”
“I shouldn’t have poured it.”
“Why not?”
He stared.
Because you’re CEO.
The answer lived on his face.
Wendy waited for him to find a better one.
Eventually:
“Because it was disrespectful.”
“Would it have been disrespectful if my appointment were fake?”
“Yes.”
“If I worked in housekeeping?”
His face tightened.
“Yes.”
“If I were unemployed?”
“Yes.”
“If I had wandered into the wrong building?”
“Yes.”
Wendy nodded.
“Good.”
Then:
“You’re getting closer.”
Derek looked confused.
She continued:
“The problem is not that you drenched your future CEO.”
“The problem is that you believed there was a kind of person you were allowed to drench.”
The lobby remained silent.
Wendy looked toward Samantha.
“You laughed.”
Samantha’s eyes filled immediately.
“I’m sorry.”
“What were you laughing at?”
No answer.
“Me?”
Samantha whispered:
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
Wendy nodded.
“That answer matters.”
She looked toward Jenna.
“You tried to call.”
Jenna nodded.
“Then you stopped when your supervisor told you.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I was afraid.”
“Of?”
“Losing shifts.”
“Getting written up.”
“He controls the desk schedule.”
Derek looked toward her.
“Jenna—”
Helen Park stepped forward.
“Do not address her.”
Derek stopped.
Wendy looked toward Michael.
“You watched.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you act sooner?”
Michael answered immediately.
“Because I didn’t want to create conflict with reception leadership.”
“Even though you thought what he was doing was wrong.”
“Yes.”
Wendy nodded.
Four people.
Four different failures.
Aggression.
Participation.
Submission.
Silence.
The entire culture study she had come to conduct had compressed itself into ten minutes.
Wendy turned toward Jim.
“This is why I wanted the lobby.”
Jim looked devastated.
“I know.”
“No.”
She looked around.
“I don't think any of us knew.”
At 9:07, JR Enterprises’ lobby was closed temporarily to nonessential traffic.
Not because Wendy demanded secrecy.
Because soda covered the floor and HR needed witnesses identified before people scattered to offices.
Wendy went upstairs only after a female executive brought her replacement clothing from a nearby department store.
She refused the executive restroom.
Used a standard employee facility on the eighteenth floor.
Inside a stall, she removed the soaked black coat.