I saw a very old man who looked like he hadn’t slept all night.
I immediately said,
“You scared me.”
He didn’t try to defend himself.
“I know.”
“You made me think you had completely different intentions.”
“I know.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me the truth?”
He sat across from me.
“Because everyone around me knows exactly what to say when they want something from me. I wanted to see what you would do when you didn’t know you were being evaluated.”
I was still angry.
“That was a terrible way to do it.”
He nodded.
“I agree.”
Then, for the first time, he smiled.
“But you never accepted a gift. You never sold a secret. And last night, when you thought I was crossing a line, you were ready to walk away from the job. That’s exactly why I trusted you.”
I stayed silent for a long time.
