Connect 4

In twelve months I believe I will have consolidated power over these people.

Look at them. 

Maire sitting by the biscuits when she should've risen to speak.  This is by far the most important element of the meeting, reporting on progress made by the investigation squad, and Maire cannot even stand to speak because she must pop a baked good in her pus every two to three paragraphs of waffle.

John, who is not even wearing his tie.  I know it is a, relatively, warm day but really, John?  you're the senior manager in our task force, you are meant to set an example and all you can do is clock-watch with the fans turned-up to full and a cool bottle of Lucozade chillin' by your hand. Cuffs undone too I notice.

Priyanka leans over the table to hook the water jug. Coincidence, isn't it, that her blue Liberty blouse falls open to the third button?  But, then again, it IS a warm day.  John wouldn't notice even if the buttons were all bursting to the floor and Pri's sublime curves were mopping the very sweat from his brow. He's besotted with his own newborn twins and leaving in twenty four minutes time is what's racing his pulse.

Yes, this should be easy enough.  Volunteer to chair the last ten minutes so John can nip away. Kick Maire's report into the long grass by suggesting an external review then accepting a redacted version that misses all the salient points but saves face for her by keeping her name on the header. Suggest to Pri on the way out that John's fortieth is fast approaching and maybe someone should organise a surprise celebration...

Finally.  Meeting finished on time I grab the keys from reception and return alone to the office to close-up, check the windows that sort of thing.  I fire off a quick e-mail to Linehan asking if I can speak to him about Maire's less than edifying shortened review and then spend ten minutes in the toilet cubicle with Pri's lunchtime yoga outfit, discovered in a paper bag under her desk.

I check-off another day on my wall calendar then text Barry to tell him I'm on my way to pick-up the kids from school. This time next year I'll be sending the nanny to collect them; in a hire-purchase Prius no doubt.