Elias felt the stares but kept going. “I’m sorry,” he said to the woman he’d cut in front of, meaning it. Then he turned to Cindy. “I just wanted to check — has Mr. Fitch been told I’m here? I saw him come in a little while ago.” The woman behind him said something quiet to the man beside her. He didn’t catch the words but he caught the tone.
Something crossed Cindy’s face — there and gone, too quick to name. “I’ll go let him know right now,” she said. “I apologize for the wait, it’s been a busy morning.” She got up and went down the corridor. Elias turned to go back to his seat. The woman he’d cut in front of had already moved to the desk and wasn’t looking at him.