The Photograph

CW: Language and some sexuality

The Seattle rain and ashen clouds that had accosted the rainy city denizens the past three days had finally let up, like the story of Noah a dove landing on Dan Porter's penthouse window ledge as if beckoning that the storm was over. Sunlight streamed in like flood water, and there was no need to turn on light as the bedroom was fully illuminated.

It was a Monday, which Dan much like everybody else despised, but he would be remiss to not admit the improved weather hoisted his usual dower mood a bit. He looked over across crumpled linen sheets to see Sarah already gone for the morning. Surprising, though maybe not so much. They had stayed up well past three am the previous night, an unusual occurrence, to celebrate Sarah's sister's birthday, and Dan was sure Sarah's brain probably felt like it had been brutalized by a prime Mike Tyson as well. Sarah, ever the trooper though. And more of a drinker of water than Dan was, which probably helped.

Dan groaned like an old man though only twenty-eight as he slid out of bed. One foot touched his cut pile carpet, the other a strange, artificial plastic material. Dan's brows furrowed as he looked down, picking up a photograph.

Dan gasped, choking as he jolted upwards, the photograph falling back to the floor. He placed his palm over his mouth, pacing back and forth. Like an item of temptation, his eyes glanced back at the photograph and he went to pick it up. He studied the photo with half averted eyes, his breath shaky.

Dan went to the bedside table, picking up his phone and scrolling down the contacts to Sarah. His thumb hovered above her name a moment, before setting the phone back on the table. Dan breathed in, his mind assailed by a million thoughts per second. None of them good. He pulled the top drawer open, then closed it, eyes scanning the bedroom. He walked back for the bed, sliding his palm under the mattress and lifting it up. With his other hand he slid the photograph as far as his arm would allow onto the bed frame and set the mattress back down.

A bing startled Dan like a hand on the shoulder, and he turned for his phone.

Peter: Hey, the boys from the merger are coming in like 15 minutes. You gonna leave us hanging?

Dan wiped the perspiration from his forehead, quickly typing "on my way" then setting down the phone. He went to his closet, grabbing out a pair of khakis and navy polo. He left the room for the bathroom, before stepping out, turning his gaze back briefly for the mattress.

***

When the elevator dinged, and Dan stepped out onto the third floor, a certain electricity was in the air. Along with a certain dread. Dan walked across the office floor, half the people hunched over at their monitors, the other half engaged in chatter. All eyes glanced to Dan as he passed, and he wondered how noticeable his bloodshot eyes wore. Maybe it was the merger though. Dan did have a nasty habit of dwelling in his mind to excessive degrees.

"Danny boy", Peter said, leaving a conversation across the room and levitating over to Dan. He placed a hand on Dan's shoulder. "Thought with our argument a few days back, you went AWOL."

Dan chuckled, shaking his head. "No, I um...it was Lisa's birthday yesterday. Probably had more fun than I should have."

Peter patted Dan's shoulder, a smile on his lips.

"No such thing." He jabbed his thumb behind him. "Mark's waiting in the office."

Dan nodded and they proceeded for the room, Peter yanking open the door. Inside, a tall and lanky towheaded man snorted cocaine off a book about manifest destiny.

"Mark for fuck's sake", Peter said.

"It's just to get the edge off a little", Mark replied, rising up and wiping his nose with his shirt sleeve. He walked over to a pile of papers and folders that sat on a long  table.

"Okay listen, some important points about the merger discussion. I kinda made an acronym for it this morning, AEN. A.i, engagement and new frontiers. This is what we offer, and where we excel. Remember that with every word you say, and everything they say. Now I talked with their boy Sammy a bit earlier, just to go over a few basic stuff and agreements before the actual negotiations, and I-"

"I still can't sign", Dan interrupted, an unpleasant quiet filling the room.

Peter's shoulders slumped. Mark sighed. 

"Goddamnit, Dan. I thought we already went over all this with the big blowup. Again?"

"It's just...I don't feel comfortable. W-we built this company, and to...to just give it away to someone else-"

"We're not giving anything away", Mark interjected. "We're merging. Two good things becoming one great thing."

"A good thing getting eaten by a much bigger thing", Dan replied. "I mean, let's be honest. Peter?"

Peter sighed, shaking his head as his eyes wandered over the table.

"Sure, there's some degree of...cannibalism, but our influence...our touch...our input, it's still there. We're even keeping the name. And Dan-"

Peter's shoulders slumped, his eyes settling on Dan's.

"-I need this. Bad."

Dan studied Peter a moment, his gaze lowering.

"...I'm sorry. Genuinely I am, but the answer is still no."

"Dan", Mark said, walking to him. "C'mon, you're our leader. Literally the founder of everything here. We need you."

Dan was silent a moment.

"I understand. I won't help you, but I won't try to stop you. I won't be in the meeting, there's no point in me being there. I'll be in my office, come get me when the meeting is done and let me know how it went."

Dan gave a pained smile, gently placing his hand on Mark's shoulder before leaving the room. Mark and Peter stood in silence.

***

The first thirty minutes, Dan swiveled in his chair, his mind mostly hallow. After an hour, he started working on improving the code for the learning algorithm. His fingers clattered against his keyboard as his eyes gazed deadly at the screen, rows upon rows of code reflecting in his eyes like film reel. After another forty minutes, his phone dinged.

Peter: Hey, can you come over to the office?

Dan sighed, rising from his chair and leaving his office. He took the elevator back to the third floor and walked across the room, the same electricity and dread filling it. He knocked on the door, Mark's voice saying come in. Dan entered the room, board members from Saturn Tech & Research sitting up and down the table, their faces stone and expressionless.

"Close the door, will you?", Mark said. Dan nodded, closing the door behind him.

Mark pushed a button on the table, the windows darkening, the room now enveloped in strange obsidian shadow, lit mostly be the plethora of computers and monitors inside which hummed and pulsed.

"There's something we need to discuss, Dan. Something very, very serious."

Dan's brows furrowed.

"I-what?"

Mark tapped on his tablet, across the room the screen turning on. Mark tapped some more, and the photograph popped up on screen in large, 4k glory. Dan almost choked as he stumbled back.

"...I...I don't what that is. T-that isn't me-"

"But it is, Dan", Mark said. "We're looking right at it. Unless this is some collective mass delusion?"

"I-would never do something like th-"

"Listen", Mark interrupted. "We all have our vices and deviances we like to engage in...yours just happen to be a little more extreme than the rest of ours. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Dan's eyes squinted as they honed in on Mark.

"...you did this, didn't you? The fake photo, the photograph on my floor- you came into my fucking house?"

Mark sighed, shaking his head.

"I don't what you're talking about with fake photos, even a layman can could tell that this is an unaltered, real picture. And I didn't break into your house. I mean..it wouldn't surprise me though-"

A slight smile crept across Mark's lips.

"People that engage in this type of stuff do like to document it."

"You motherfuck-"

"Listen, here's the deal we can make. Because I don't want you to go to prison, or let's be honest, possibly get the death penalty with the shenanigans you're up to in this picture, I'm gonna have the photo deleted, erased, destroyed, if you agree to the merger, and its conditions in totality."

"This is blackmail."

"This is mercy."

Dan surveyed the room, the men's faces unmoved like robots.

"Show me the papers."

Mark motioned at Peter, who arose from his chair and walked to Dan with a clipboard. When Dan took it, Peter's gaze drifted to the floor. He opened his mouth, then closed it, walking back for his chair. Dan flipped through the papers.

"This...this is crazy."

"Perhaps", Mark said. "What progress worthwhile isn't though?"

Dan sighed, putting the clipboard down and grabbing a pen. He flipped through the papers, signing his name on all of them. He slid it across the table towards Mark, who stoped it with his pointer finger. He looked at Dan and nodded. A moment later, the photo disappeared from the screen. Mark leaned across the table, shaking the hand of the silver haired old man who sat across from him.

"Looking forward to what we can do together."

"Likewise" responded the old man, his voice gentle but an obsidian and harshness to it which lay hidden.

The men all got up and proceeded for the door, when Mark passed patting Dan on the shoulder.

"It was the right decision. Enjoy the bonus."

They streamed out the room, a moment later cheers erupting outside. Dan stood silently.

***

The smell of seafood and sushi greeted Dan when he left the obsidian neon speckled night of the outside city sidewalks for the warm, orange glow of his penthouse. Jazz music was playing from somewhere, and he heard Sarah humming. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Smells good."

"My hair, or the food?"

Dan laughed, letting go and walking across the kitchen to the whisky decanter. He opened a cupboard, grabbing a glass and pouring his cup a little over halfway. His legs dragged him to the living room sofa where he sat.

"Bad day?"

Dan sighed.

"Maybe something worse."

Sarah came into the living room, bringing a saucer.

"Taste this, let me know what you think."

Dan took a sushi off the plate, tossing it in his mouth.

"Mm..delicious."

"See?", Sarah said, leaving. "Today can't be all bad."

Dan chuckled, after a moment his eyes widened and he leapt up from the couch.

"I'm gonna go change out of these clothes."

"Alright. Put on something sexy."

Dan walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind him and locking it. He proceeded for the bed, lifting up the mattress, the photograph gone.

Dan groaned, rubbing his forehead. He went for the door, before remembering he said he came to change his clothes. He quickly tossed his outfit in the hamper, throwing on some sweats and a white tee, going back into the living room. He sat on the couch and sipped his whisky.

"How was work?", Dan asked, feeling bad he hadn't remembered to say it yet.

"It was okay", Sarah replied. "Just the usual, really."

Dan nodded, then after a moment his brows furrowed.

"I thought you had to leave early and stay late today?"

"Oh, yeah, I mean I did. I really just got home a little bit before you did. Took a shower real fast, been wanting to try out this new recipe Lisa showed me."

Dan studied the impressive array of food, and his mind wondered.

"Hmm", he only replied.

Sarah looked back and saw his face tight. She picked up her glass of cabernet and came to sit on Dan's lap.

"Why the frown?"

Dan sighed, then looked at Sarah.

"I think you know why."

Dan and Sarah stared at each other in silence. Sarah's face remained expressions. Dan narrowed his eyes, then laughed.

"It's because I've been home for close to twelve minutes and we still have all our clothes on."

Sarah laughed, and they disrobed in the living room, crawling over each other like animals on the sofa then eventually floor as they grunted and huffed. Dan looked up, Sarah underneath him on the floor as he stared at the endless, black city skyline, the stars not visible, the only light in the obsidian firmament the man made specks which stretched forever intertwined with the dark, their quiet and constant hums and pulses the only thing left that illuminated man.