Eleven Years of Eating Lunch by a Window in Columbus, Ohio, Ended With a Box I Never Expected

“Congratulations.” She didn’t sound like she meant it.

I picked up the badge.

My photo was two years old, my hair longer, my smile unsure.

“I thought Derek had blocked it,” I said.

“He did.” She looked at the badge, not at me.

“Board-level authority overrode his negative evaluation.”

“Whose authority was it?”

“The board secretary’s office called accounting.