Robert was never sure how much attention Scott Mayhew was paying to his conversation. Sometimes that showed as a distracted grunt, which was a little annoying, other times he was remarkably, wonderfully non-judgemental. Doctor Mayhew was great to unload to at the end of the day. As a scientist he'd tried to explain his role in the research lab, but for Bob it all became incomprehensible mix of nanites, DNA, gene therapy, telomeres and so forth until his eyes glazed over.
It was a weird, but functional relationship. Bobby had seen the pay slips of his friend. Accidentally, opening the envelope one day. The difference was staggering, he didn't think of himself as a failure, but -Jesus- Scott earned something like ten times the amount.
He'd always told Bob that he wasn't interested in money. But for that sum, he could live without needing to share the property. It was a little unsettling, but Scott seemed to take everything in his stride.
- - - - -
Well, one day, Bobby had a hell of a day at the office. Accidentally overhearing his bosses, as he snuck a coffee break in. He hadn't meant to be hiding from them, but they'd assumed the break room was free... and so spoke freely.
Bob was horrified to hear them discuss selling their shares. Well, insider trading really, with a new merger not yet announced. It was a pump and dump operation, they laughed about the sale of the company. Bob's gasp alerting them to his presence.
"It's a secret." His manager warned him, "Just mentioning it will get you fired." David Higgins was not impressed with Bob's work, and made no secret of his contempt for him. Robert however, rose above it, not caring about it. He was happy with his role as a cog in the machine. Less stress, and sufficient money to keep the wolf from the door. In some ways, he shared Scott's values.
- - - - -
The others glowered at each other aware that they'd been caught.
"What's a secret?" Bob asked in his most innocent tone. Feigning stupidity, the smirk on David's face convincing him that he'd got away with it. The others were quiet, unsure, a gesture from David keeping them from talking.
"Don't you have work to do?"
"Yes, Boss. Sorry, Boss." Swallowing the dregs of his mug, he darted for the door. Once outside, he didn't return to his desk. Instead pressing his ear against the door, he wanted. No! Needed to hear the end of the conversation. The break room door was padded, and it was next to impossible to make out what they were saying. The voices were louder, but still indistinct. He struggled to make out more than pieces of the conversation.
Afraid of getting caught, he walked back to his desk. Still stunned, and not paying attention. He tried to estimate the worth of the company, how much they'd make from their scam. His mind boggled at the figures, and that was before the merger, when the price would spike, and they'd all sell their shares.
- - - - -
Confiding it all to Scott, he didn't expect any real advice. Hell! He wasn't even sure he'd answer or was even aware he was talking.
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