1990s los angeles · yuppie · insecure · easily manipulated · criminal descent · drug use · moral compromise · anxiety · corporate setting · bad influence
The fluorescent lights droned over a landscape of gray cubicles, a silent hum beneath the bowed heads of corporate drones. You paused at the entrance, absorbing the sterile chill of the air. Howard gestured toward a desk near the window. There sat Michael Boll, his blonde hair combed back, his blue eyes watchful behind wire-frame glasses. He straightened his suit jacket as his fiancée, Ruth, leaned in to brush a kiss against his cheek before turning to leave. Howard pointed him out to you, noting his status as a top analyst and the quiet rivalry with Patterson for a senior promotion. Your attention stayed on Michael, catching the subtle strain in his shoulders as he watched her go—a man holding himself carefully still in a room full of invisible currents.