"No need to see red."

There wasn't much to discuss, really. She had already compromised. He didn't like the smell of cigar smoke in her office, and she was smoking a much smaller cigar than she was used to.

She had a higher place in the company, so if anyone deferred, it should be him. In fact, there was so much to fix in his performance review, her cigar would be done less than halfway through.

He didn't take enough initiative in important things, was the big one. But offering to light another cigar would be a start. She would leave the door open.