18. Chapter Eighteen #2
“Especially when the odds are stacked against me. But in this case, us,” Willow said, and for the time being, that was enough for Sal.
***
It was only she and Harmon in the receiving area of the museum director’s office.
They sat on opposite sides of the single couch.
She was busy taking notes while Harmon took some calls.
Taking notes on this museum would be helpful even if she would not exhibit there.
She figured gathering information on how Harmon would execute his exhibit would benefit her in the long run.
Her thoughts ran amok again as she wrote on her notes. If he chose this as a stage for his art show, then she might as well throw in the towel. Willow’s optimistic voice echoed in her mind, though, so she squared her shoulders. Even if she were battling a giant, she would at least do it proudly.
Sal overheard Harmon talking about ordering someone to get medicine and getting frustrated that his assistant had to see a doctor for a prescription.
“Sorry for the wait!” a shrill voice called through the hall. Sal nearly jumped in her seat. Harmon ended the phone call. The voice belonged to a lady who introduced herself as the director’s secretary. She told them to come in, and within a few minutes, they were seated and began the negotiations.
It was fairly quick. The brevity of the meeting was largely thanks to Harmon, because he asked questions that only had simple answers.
She may not have had bargaining power, but at least she had the unique opportunity to observe her rival.
Harmon was skilled in the art of persuasion.
He was articulate, firm when it mattered, and polite when necessary.
It also helped that he had a handsome face.
After the meeting, they walked toward the elevator in silence.
Sal was preoccupied, thinking about which museum on the list would be in the budget.
When the elevator doors opened, it was empty, and Sal hesitated for a moment.
But when Harmon went in and held the doors open, she mechanically stepped in.
Again, they stood there, not talking to each other.
Then the elevator jolted. The light flickered. Before she knew it, a force made her fall off balance. She grabbed at the rails on the side of the elevator. What was happening? Had the elevator malfunctioned?
Harmon pressed the emergency button and spoke into the receiver. “Hello?” he bellowed. “Is anyone there? The elevator’s stuck!”
There was another jolt, and Sal steadied herself.
The elevator stopped jostling violently. After a minute of silence, Harmon spoke again. “Well, at least we still have light.” He was probably speaking out loud to calm himself. But no sooner had he said that than the light completely flickered out into darkness.
Sal let out a long exhale. “You were saying?” She couldn’t stop herself from half-smiling.
He sighed. “I’m calling my driver.” The glow from his phone screen was the only light in the elevator. “There’s no cellular signal in here. Can’t you call someone using your phone?” he asked her.
“I don’t have my phone.”
“Why not?”
“I just don’t have it, and it looks like we’ll have to wait,” Sal said as she sat in the corner of the elevator.
Harmon shook his head and turned on his phone’s flashlight. He sat on the opposite side and rested his back against the mirrored wall. “I never expected to be in this predicament.”
Sal rolled her eyes. “Trust me, this is not how I imagined dying either.”
“Who said anything about dying?” he snapped.
“Scared?” she smirked, then turned away. “There are worse things than dying in an elevator,” she muttered. Harmon’s reflection in the mirrored walls grew pensive. Did she really just mutter that out loud for him to hear?
“By the way,” she said, badly wanting to change the subject. “I don’t think Willow or I will join you at the other museums. We want to maximize our travel budget.”
Harmon looked at her, appearing as though he was considering her statement. “You realize this just gives me the edge?”
She considered the weight of what she was about to say.
Then she looked at him, the soft light from his phone probably masking her expression with unfavorable shadows in the dimness of the malfunctioning elevator.
“You’re forgetting that you’re not the only one with perks.
There are many ways one can get what they want if they’re hungry enough for it. ”
Just as Harmon was about to respond, the light flickered on and a voice emanated from the speaker. “Bzzt! Ma'am…sir…there was a power interruption and technical issue…bzzt…we will get you out in fifteen minutes…bzzt!”
Fifteen minutes more in this elevator with Harmon Moon was too long, but it was enough time for Sal to do what she had in mind.
She grabbed a pen and a clean sheet of white paper from her tote bag and wrote the details for some stomach medicine.
Her PRC license in the Philippines was still active, and she was fully capable of prescribing medication for a severe stomach flu.
She didn’t know if she was doing this out of charity or simply because she wanted to prove a point, but she wrote the prescription anyway and signed it with her doctor’s signature.
In less than fifteen minutes, the elevator jolted and resumed its descent. As soon as it opened on the ground floor, Sal offered Harmon the prescription. He took the paper without hesitation. Good, she thought. So without another word, she stepped off the elevator.
“What’s this?” he called out while still in the elevator.
“Noblesse oblige…” she said, sporting a wry smile. “I told you, you’re not the only one with earned perks.” She looked over her shoulder. “You’re welcome, by the way.” She walked away imagining the elevator doors closing at his dumbfounded face, and maybe they did.