Miranda was in the middle of an email war--oh no, they were not getting away with that, dammit--when the intercom buzzed and Stephen's clear, cool voice said, "Ms. Lincoln is here for her appointment, Miranda. Is this a good time?"
Miranda finished her email and hit send with a frown. "No, it isn't, but send her in. And get the Sanafi file ready for me to review later."
Dark, vengeful thoughts circled for a moment, then she sealed them into a box and tucked them away for later, when she had time to consider them. She took a deep breath, let it out, and tried to think of cool brooks and soft moss and the wind in the trees. It helped a little.
As the door opened, she stood and schooled her face into pleasant lines and held out her hand to shake. "Ms. Lincoln. I'm Miranda Reeves. Welcome."