“What about the price of Protein Surge?”
“As always, we strive to stay at fair market rates with our products,” I said smoothly.
The phrase had been drummed into me since my first internship with WalCal seven years ago. I heard an exasperated sigh rise up from the small crowd of reporters, quiet but there. I swept my gaze in the direction it came from, my mouth automatically tipped up into a pleasant, indulgent smile. Behind the podium my finger hovered over the surface of my tablet.
“We’re fully aware that over half the citizens of the English Speaking Americas rely on Protein Surge for their basic needs,” I continued, “which is why we never take pricing lightly. But we’re also the highest rated nutritional drink out there and believe that consumers are willing to pay for that quality.”
“Easy to say when you have a near monopoly,” came a low mutter.
“Did someone have another question?” I asked, my eyes scanning back and forth.
But I knew exactly where the comment had come from and the tip of my finger drifted over the video feed until it centered on a woman in a drab green blazer. I held it down until the menu appeared and waited over the Eject option for a moment, then traveled two centimeters down to select Eliminate. Let’s see how the rest of them handle next week’s press briefing when their buddy stops showing up to work.
There was only some soft rustling, no more comments or questions. In my peripheral vision I could see two security officers moving towards the exit at the back. I thanked everyone for their time and stepped backstage to where my boss waited by the control terminal.
“Gracefully done,” he said.
“Sure, thanks.” A weak answer but I was surprised by his praise. It wasn’t like him.
“Really, you handled that well—didn’t let her ruffle your feathers. They always try and test the newbies.”
He paused for a moment and we both looked at the monitor. The woman in the green blazer was speaking rapidly to the guards blocking her path.
“Ms. Vertz has been a thorn in our side for over a year, always making it hard to get clean soundbites. You made the right call. Hell, I might not even need to come along next week.”
Now I smiled for real. My diligence and dedication was finally being recognized. Maybe they’d start paying me in more than just room and board soon.
This was inspired by Monday's #freewrite prompt by 
Image from StockSnap via pixabay.