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“Are you sure you want the windows open Mr. Gladman?” The receptionist cranked open the third window while the presenters set up the workspace for the meeting, pulling in her charm. The company president hired her for her looks but didn’t appreciate being influenced by them. “We are fifty stories up. The wind is cold.”
“The brisk will keep us all awake.” The silver headed COO rubbed his hands together gleefully as the temperature dropped.
The woman, finished with the task, turned off the thermostat before leaving the meeting room and closing the door, grateful Mr. Gladman didn’t need her to take notes.
Marvin, Angela, and Mr. Wickin from the Power-ful Answers eyes lingered on the door, partially in a daze from her heady charm ability, and partially longing for the heat on the other side of the door.
The presentation they had would take nearly an hour.
Unfortunately for Power-ful Answers, while they had done extensive research on Mercy & Glad in relation to the marketing project they had been hired to prep, they hadn’t looked into the shell companies the company leads shuffled their money through. Mr. Gladman owned two of their competitors.
Like all supers, Mr. Gladman’s powers carried an obvious tell. In his case, victims felt cold as he drained their lifeforce. Once the annoyingly successful entrepreneurial team had collapsed, he called his adjuster to make them more open to a takeover. The mentalist never failed to give Mercy & Glad the inside advantage.
(words 248; first published 11/28/2023)