No Room For Mediocrity

The tension in the room was really thick, the faint hum of the AC doing little to cool the heated atmosphere. 

Louis sat at the head of the conference table, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood, each tapping a ticking time bomb of his barely-contained frustration.

 Across from him, Max, one of the senior associates, was rattling off figures, but his voice barely registered. Louis's focus was laser-sharp on one person: David, his marketing director, who sat slouched in his chair, clearly disinterested in the proceedings.

"David, are you even listening?" Louis's voice cut through the room like a sharp knife, slicing through the monotony of numbers and charts. His eyes, cold and calculating, bore into David with an intensity that made the entire room shift uncomfortably.

David, caught off guard, snapped his head up, scrambling to regain his composure. "Uh, yeah, I am. The numbers look good—"

"Don't bullshit me," Louis interrupted, his tone low and dangerous, leaving no room for excuses. "This is the third time this month you've come to a meeting unprepared. The numbers aren't 'good'; they're barely acceptable. You think that's what we're aiming for? Mediocrity?"

David flinched, his cheeks flushing under the scrutiny. He straightened his tie nervously, trying to maintain some semblance of professionalism. "I've been busy handling the recent campaign, Louis. The launch took up a lot of my time, and—"

Louis leaned forward, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the table. "Busy? You call what you've been doing 'busy'? Don't insult my intelligence, David." His voice was a controlled snarl, the kind that commanded attention and sent a chill down the spines of everyone in the room. "I know exactly where your time is going, and it's not your work."

David's face paled, his bravado crumbling under the weight of Louis's words. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't you?" Louis's voice dripped with disdain, his eyes narrowing as he laid it out plainly. "I'm talking about your little extracurricular activities—the constant partying, the women, the late nights that have nothing to do with this company. You're out there sleeping around like some college frat boy, spreading disease instead of focusing on your job. And it's starting to show."

The room fell silent, stunned by the brutal directness of Louis's words. A few of the other executives exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared to intervene. Louis's temper was a force of nature, and right now, it was unleashed squarely on David.

David's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. He was visibly shaken, his confidence evaporating under Louis's withering stare. "That's—That's crossing a line, Louis," he stammered, trying to salvage some dignity. "My personal life—"

"Your personal life stopped being personal the moment it started affecting this company," Louis shot back, his voice rising with every word. "You're a liability, David. You think I don't hear the whispers? The rumors? You're dragging this company's name through the mud, and I won't have it."

Louis stood up, towering over David with an intimidating presence that filled the room. His voice dropped, low and venomous, each word punctuated with barely restrained fury.

 "Get your act together, or I will find someone who can. I don't have time to babysit grown men who can't keep their pants zipped. You're here to work. So do your damn job, or I'll make sure you never work in this industry again."

David shrank back, his eyes wide and panic-stricken. The message was clear: he was on thin ice, and Louis was ready to watch him sink. 

The meeting room was thick with tension, the air heavy with unspoken judgments and the unmistakable scent of fear. Louis turned his back to the table, running a hand through his hair as he tried to temper the adrenaline coursing through him.

 "This isn't a playground," he said, more to himself than anyone else, but his voice was loud enough for all to hear. "If you want to screw around, do it on your own time. But not on my watch. Not at my company."

Silence reigned, the echo of Louis's words lingering like smoke in the air. David nodded shakily, his face ghostly pale as he absorbed the full weight of Louis's tirade. There was no comeback, no defense—only the sinking realization that he had just been served a brutal dose of reality, courtesy of Louis Martins.

"Meeting adjourned," Louis snapped, not even waiting for a response before striding out of the room, leaving behind a shaken David and a roomful of executives who had just witnessed the wrath of a man who demanded nothing but excellence.

The meeting room emptied out like a sinking ship, everyone scrambling to get away from the insane act  they had just witnessed. Executives filed out silently, heads down, not daring to make eye contact with Louis as they passed him by. David was the first to bolt, practically tripping over his own feet in his rush to escape the blistering humiliation. 

Louis stayed behind, pacing the length of the room, his thoughts still simmering. His chest heaved with each breath as he tried to calm down. Why on earth does he work with useless people!.

 His office door swung open before he could fully regain his composure, and in walked Gabriel Sullivan, a sharp-dressed, slick-talking corporate representative from a rival firm. Well it's about to go down. Cause Louis was not in the mood.

Gabriel, with his neatly combed hair and perfectly tailored suit, flashed a confident smile as he strolled in, completely oblivious to the tension hanging in the air. "Louis! Just the man I was hoping to see. I've got a deal on the table that I think you're going to love—an opportunity to—"

"Get out! Get you stinky ass out of here!," Louis barked without looking up, his tone icy and devoid of patience. His eyes were still fixed on the city skyline outside the window, his back turned to Gabriel, but the message was clear.

Gabriel paused, his smile faltering. He was not used to being dismissed so abruptly, especially not by someone he considered a potential ally. "Louis, come on, hear me out. This deal could bring millions in revenue. It's exactly what your company needs right now. We've got a marketing platform that's—"

Louis whirled around, his expression dark and unyielding. He stepped closer, his imposing figure making Gabriel seem suddenly small and insignificant. "Did you not hear me the first time? I said, "Get the f*ck out you fool!"

Gabriel's eyes widened in surprise. He glanced around, unsure of how to navigate the sudden hostility. "I—I thought you'd be interested. This is a prime opportunity. I've got the proposal right here—"

Louis snatched the folder out of Gabriel's hands, barely glancing at the contents before tossing it onto the table with a dismissive flick of his wrist. The papers scattered, some fluttering to the floor like fallen leaves, but Louis didn't care..

"You thought wrong," Louis snapped, his voice laced with venom. "I'm not interested in your deals, your pitches, or whatever you think you're selling. You've picked the wrong day to come into my office and waste my time with this crap."

His face turned red, a mix of embarrassment and anger bubbling to the surface. He tried to recover, to salvage the situation. "Louis, this is business. Let's not make it personal—"

"You've made it personal the moment you walked in here, wasting my time with the same empty promises I've heard a hundred times before." Louis's voice was rising again, the fury reigniting as he let loose. "You want to talk business? Fine. Here's my business advice: learn to read the room. And don't ever barge into mine without a damn invitation."

He took a hesitant step back, finally sensing the futility of pushing further. Louis's eyes were hard, unyielding, and there was no reasoning with him in this state. "Louis, this is just a misunderstanding. We can—"

"No." Louis pointed toward the door, his arm rigid, leaving no room for negotiation. "We're done here. And if I ever see you trying to pull a stunt like this again, you won't just be out of this office—you'll be out of every deal I have a hand in. Permanently."

Gabriel stood frozen for a moment, the weight of Louis's threat sinking in. Realizing there was no saving face, he nodded stiffly, gathering his scattered proposal papers with shaky hands. He left the room in a hurried rush, the door slamming shut behind him, echoing through the now-empty space.

"Imbeciles!" Louis muttered aloud, his voice dripping with disdain as he snatched his suit jacket from the rack and grabbed his briefcase. Without sparing a second glance at the now-empty meeting room, he stormed out, his footsteps echoing in the hallway. The meeting had been a complete waste of his precious time, filled with excuses and empty promises. 

As he drove back to his company, Louis's grip on the steering wheel loosened slightly, the city's skyline unfolding before him in the late afternoon sun. His mind wandered, still simmering but gradually cooling, when he spotted a young boy standing at the street corner. The boy's clothes were worn, and his small frame was almost dwarfed by the huge box of chocolates he was trying to sell. 

Louis's irritation momentarily faded as a faint smile tugged at his lips. He couldn't help but recall his recent visit to Claire's house. Her place had been a chaotic mess, littered with junk food wrappers and all sorts of snacks. Claire had brushed it off, embarrassed, but Louis had found it endearing—another glimpse into her unguarded, imperfect world that he secretly found himself drawn to.

An idea sparked in his mind, impulsive and completely uncharacteristic, but he didn't fight it. Without thinking twice, Louis pulled over, rolling down his window. The boy's eyes widened with hope as he approached the sleek black car, looking up at Louis expectantly.

"How much do you sell this for, boy?" Louis asked, his tone softer than it had been all day, tinged with an unusual warmth.

The boy hesitated, unsure if this well-dressed man was serious or just another passerby who would ask questions and drive off. "Um, it's ten dollars, sir," he stammered, holding the box up a little higher, eager yet nervous.

Louis nodded, reaching into his wallet and pulling out a crisp fifty-dollar bill. "I'll take the whole box," he said, handing the money to the boy, whose eyes lit up at the unexpected generosity. 

"But… sir, this is too much!" The boy's voice trembled, overwhelmed by the sudden amount. "I don't have change for this…"

"Keep it," Louis replied curtly, but there was a flicker of kindness in his eyes as he took the box. "You earned it."

The boy stared at Louis in disbelief, his face breaking into a wide smile. "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"

Louis nodded, already turning his attention back to the road. He placed the large box of chocolates on the passenger seat beside him, glancing at it briefly before driving off. It was a simple gesture, but the thought of Claire's surprised reaction when he'd hand her the box amused him. He could already picture her exasperated look, mixed with a hint of gratitude she'd never openly admit. She'd look so cute.

"Guess I've got a soft spot after all," Louis muttered to himself, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards as he continued his drive. Maybe today hadn't been a complete waste, after all.