The phone was already in his hand. His fingers hovered over the keypad.
It wasn't just a phone call. It was a door. A very dark, heavy door that he didn't know if he would be able to close. And once it was open, there was no telling what would come through.
He closed his eyes. Thought of his mother, who had worked two jobs so he could go to science camp. Of his father, who had once told him, "Integrity is the only thing no one can take from you unless you give it away."
He thought of the hallway outside this lab, soon to be empty.
And he thought of Derrick, on the other end of the line. Robert's thumb hovered over the call button.
The phone screen lit up in the dark. He had made his decision, now all he had to do was wait.
The phone rang.
"Robert, my old friend! You held out longer than I expected." Derrick's voice has a triumphant tone in it that made Robert clenched his fists.
"I haven't got time for your games, Derrick. Is the offer still on the table?"
"Of course it is, my friend. My boss and I are very much looking forward to doing business with you."
"Tell your boss I need to pay my staff before the end of the week or there won't be a lab."
"You're so stubborn, you really held out until the last possible moment, huh?"
"How did you know I was having funding issues?"
"Don't worry about that, Robert. We heard it through the grapevine, you know how these things go. I'll drop your first installment tonight. You'll have more than enough to pay them."
"Tonight, then," said Robert before hanging up. Even though the money situation had been sorted out, he was still tense. He had only traded one problem for another.
Later that night...
"Boss, there's someone out there in the car park. They've been there for ten minutes now, just sitting there," said one of the scientists.
Robert looked confused. Who could that be? he thought, heading to check it out.
It was Derrick. Robert could tell that smug face from a mile away. As Robert approached the car, Derrick rolled down his window and passed him a black duffle bag. Robert could feel the stacks of cash within even without opening it.
"I'm a man of my word, Robert. This is the start of a beautiful partnership."
Robert took the bag and didn't say a word. As he walked away with his back turned, Derrick called out, "Oh, and Robert, don't worry about this one. Call it a signing bonus."