They Sent Me to a Client’s Room,So I Kept the Card

The last game of the company holiday party was drawing task cards.

I tore open the slip.

【Walk Mr. James back to his room. Stay with him until he sobers up.】

The whole table burst out laughing.

Jill Delgado lifted the mic and asked me,

"Regina, you're the one who landed the project. Shouldn't you be the one to see the client through to the end?"

Someone started drumming on the table.

"Keep him company!"

"Mr. James has had a lot to drink tonight. He could use someone to look after him!"

I slapped the task card down on the table.

"Whoever wrote it can go keep him company."

Jill grabbed my arm, smiling.

"You're in sales. Why play the innocent?"

"It's just a game. You can't take a little joke?"

I shook her hand off and picked up the card to tear it up.

Two lines of live chat drifted across my screen.

【Don't tear it.】

【The number on the back proves this isn't a random game.】

I stopped and flipped the card over.

A tiny number was printed on the back.

【07】

More comments followed right behind.

【Hold on to it.】

【The last girl who lost her task card got called a willing escort.】

I folded the card and put it in my bag.

The smile on Jill's face stiffened for a second.

...

Jill reached out for the task card.

"Game's over. All cards get collected."

I pressed a hand to my bag.

"Then why aren't you collecting everyone else's?"

Her smile didn't change.

"You didn't complete your task, so of course we take it back."

Another line of chat drifted past.

【Don't give it to her.】

I zipped my bag shut.

"I won't do it, and I won't hand it over."

Jill's face darkened for an instant.

Beside her, Mr. James stood up, wine glass in hand.

"Little Regina's got quite a temper."

He was in his fifties, his face flushed red from drinking.

As he passed me, he reached out to sling an arm around my shoulder.

"Come on. I've got good wine in my room."

I turned aside and dodged him.

"Mr. James, the project's already closed."

His hand came up empty, and his expression soured.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Get the order and you don't know your client anymore?"

Stuart Walker hurried over to smooth things out.

"Regina, Mr. James is an important client for the company."

"Walking a client back to his room is basic courtesy."

"Manager Walker knows so much about courtesy. You walk him."

Someone at the table couldn't hold back a laugh.

Jill shot them a glare.

She caught my arm, her nails digging into the flesh.

"Don't throw the kindness back in our faces."

Her voice dropped low.

"You've still got over two hundred grand in commission coming."

I looked at her.

"So you're using my commission to buy me for the client?"

"Who said anything about you keeping him company?"

She raised her voice at once.

"It's just walking him up."

"With a mind that filthy, no wonder you jump to that."

The second she said it, the way everyone looked at me shifted.

Like I was the one twisting an ordinary game into something ugly.

Stuart waved a hand.

"Enough."

"Regina's had too much to drink. Let her go home first."

Jill laughed into the mic.

"Everyone carry on."

"Our Manager Sullivan isn't up for it tonight, so task number seven stays open for now."

The table roared with laughter again.

I picked up my bag and went to the restroom.

The door shut, and the music still pounded outside.

I ran the tap, washed my hands twice, and my palms were still soaked with sweat.

Three years running event execution, I'd dealt with vendors who smashed equipment and drunk clients who caused scenes.

But a whole crowd circling me and chanting "keep him company" still made me sick.

My phone lit up.

Someone had posted a video of me refusing the task in the project group chat. Just over ten seconds.

Everything before it, the card draw and the goading, was all cut out.

The video started with me slapping the table.

People had already replied underneath.

【Manager Sullivan's a whole different person after winning the bid.】

【Mr. James is going to be furious when he sees this, right?】

【Over two hundred grand in commission not even in hand yet, and she's already turning on people?】

Jill posted a hand-over-mouth emoji.

【She's in a bad mood today. Don't hold it against her, everyone.】

I typed:

【Post the full video. Don't take it out of context.】

No one replied.

When I got back to the banquet hall, someone had taken my seat.

Jill sat next to Mr. James, the two of them talking in low voices.

She saw me and made a point of raising her glass.

"Manager Sullivan, still here?"

"Change your mind?"

I didn't answer her.

I grabbed my coat and walked straight out.

Eleven at night, I got back to my rented apartment.

The room was cold.

I set card number seven on the table and photographed both sides again.

I'd been on this project for four months.

Eleven business trips. Nineteen versions of the proposal.

My base pay was only a little over five thousand. The real money that belonged to me was the project commission after the bid was won.

That wasn't money the company was handing me as a favor.

I'd earned it.

At one in the morning, the company's expense system suddenly pushed a notification.

【Special entertainment expense claim approved.】

【Amount: $8,000】

【Filed by: Regina Sullivan】

I opened the details.

After the expense number was written the same number: 07.