Dr. Lewis looks over your shoulder and waves. You turn around to see Kayla approaching.
"This is Kayla King," Dr. Lewis says. "The three of us had a lovely conversation at the luncheon."
"Clearly I need to come to your luncheons, Bill," Janice says. "Kayla, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Kayla says.
"These people can control the status you have at this institution?" Alex asks.
Yeah.
"You'd better converse well, then," Alex says.
No Pressure There
The two of you are first-year faculty peers, yes?" Janice asks.
"We are," Kayla confirms.
"How is that going? I'm curious about how well Bill's little program works, especially across departments."
That's a tricky question to answer. Judging from Janice's tone, she doesn't think it works at all, and she has the most direct impact on your tenure. On the other hand, Bill's the college president and could lean on Janice to scuttle your career at the college.
Maybe Kayla will answer?
The silence drags on. You're not going to out-wait Kayla, clearly.