Several days after Blake dumped a bag of rotting fruit and maggots onto Whitney Cross’s bed, Blake stayed on edge, even locking his bedroom door fearing retaliation. Whitney, however, did not mention the incident and behaved as if nothing had happened, which unsettled Blake further.

That evening, Blake went to Cooper’s bar to meet Malcolm, a meetup he felt pressured into by Krista and Becky. He arrived first, observed the dingy, smoky atmosphere, and waited irritably as Malcolm ran late. Two young women at the bar smiled suggestively at Blake, which he ignored.

Malcolm eventually arrived, projecting confidence in a suit and ordering a scotch. After small talk about Blake’s new job, Blake asked about Coble & Roy and who had been chosen as the new VP. Malcolm revealed that candidate Chad Pickering was disqualified for doing cocaine in the men’s room.

Malcolm then disclosed that he himself had been promoted to VP of marketing and claimed Wayne Vincent now considered him his right-hand man. Stunned and resentful, Blake called it a strange choice. The exchange escalated when Malcolm implied Blake’s firing was justified, citing coworkers’ complaints and alleging Blake stole ideas, including from Chad.

Angered, Blake finished his beer, declared the meeting over, and stood to leave. Malcolm softened and tried to walk it back, reminding Blake that Krista and Becky wanted the two men to get along, but Blake refused and left cash for his drink, insisting Malcolm could report the evening as a success however he wished.

Outside, Blake checked that Malcolm was not following him or calling Becky. Through the window, he saw Malcolm sit with the two women from the bar, and Blake walked away, still fuming over Malcolm’s promotion and the rumors about him, while remaining wary of Whitney’s unspoken response to his earlier act.