“How can you possibly be okay with this?” Maggie asked her husband.
“It might be a challenge, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” said Charles.
It was Monday morning, nearly a week after Miguel made his big confession. Just when life had settled into a quiet routine, Maggie was now upset with me, and taking it out on our breakfast. I made the mistake of asking for their help at the new house in St. Louis before the bacon was out of the frying pan.
“Charles, we can’t take care of two homes. We can barely keep up with this one,” she said, dropping a plate of burned bacon strips on the table between Ben and Sam. Sam grabbed the two pieces that flopped on the table and popped them in his mouth. He made a face. Apparently there was something he wouldn’t eat. He swallowed with a grimace.
Ben peered over his paper and followed Maggie’s movements for a few seconds, raised his eyebrows at me, but didn’t say anything.
“Mags, if the boys need us while they’re at school, we can make it work,” said Charles, pouring himself another cup of coffee. “Jack said he would fly us back and forth. We spend a few days there and few days here every week. Besides, it’ll just be us here most of the time.”
She turned and put her hands on her hips, glaring at Charles as he stood by the counter sipping from his mug. “You know what the doctor said,” she said through clenched teeth.
Charles turned away and muttered, “Never mind what the doctor said. I’m fine.”
Sam stopped chewing his bacon and looked at me, alarmed. We had been waiting for some kind of report from Charles and Maggie’s doctor visits the week before. Charles had been tight lipped about the whole thing. Every time I asked Maggie, she claimed they were waiting on test results.
Ben dropped his paper, rattling the pages to get my attention. He looked hard at me.
“What?” I asked, pulling a piece of toast away from my mouth.
He jerked his head toward Maggie. I didn’t understand. He jerked his head again in her direction, with an insistent look on his face. I shrugged, still not understanding. Surely he didn’t expect me to pry into their medical issues.
“Charles?” asked Sam.
Charles spun around. “What?” His tone was harsh, and he immediately dialed it back, glancing at his wife.
“Sorry,” he said to Sam.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?” asked Sam.
Charles looked like he would rather chew on a wire brush than answer Sam’s question. With a heavy sigh he put his empty coffee mug in the sink.
“I’ve got work to do,” he said to his wife, then walked out of the kitchen, ignoring Sam’s question. Maggie’s gaze followed her husband’s back as he departed. I noticed her hands shaking as she reached for the counter edge to steady herself. Sam’s eyes conveyed his worry, and he nodded toward Maggie. I got the message.
I stood up and joined Maggie by the sink. She saw me coming and busied herself with cleaning up the island. I took the cast iron skillet out of her hands – it was still warm from the bacon grease coating the inside – and placed it carefully in the sink.
She switched to twisting a dishcloth back and forth, staring out the window. It didn’t look good for the dishcloth. I put a hand on her shoulder and she glanced sideways at me, then looked away. She was frightened, barely holding it together.
“Maggie, why don’t you come sit down with us,” I said gently. In a daze, she dropped the mangled dishcloth in the sink, shuffled over to the table and sat next to me. Now she fidgeted with the table runner, pulling at the short fringe on the edge, as she struggled to keep her composure.
“Talk to us. What did the doctor say?” I asked, turning my chair toward her and leaning in closer.
She looked at me, fighting tears. I had an instant lump in my throat. This tough, no-nonsense woman looked ready to collapse under a terrific weight of worry and dread.
“We’re here for you, Maggie. For both of you,” said Sam, reaching for her hand from across the table. He even pushed his plate aside, forsaking a stack of pancakes dripping with maple syrup.
Maggie looked at him and sighed. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye with her free hand and exhaled. She plastered on a fake smile and said, “I don’t want to burden you boys with our problems. We’ll be fine.”
“Already burdened,” I replied with a grin.
“Yeah, too late now. Besides, we’re all in this together. We’re family,” said Sam, squeezing her hand. “Tell us what’s going on so we can help.”
Her smile morphed into something a little more genuine. “I’m okay. The doctor said everything was normal for a woman my age. But I’m really worried about Charles.”
“Why?” I asked gently. I could feel Ben’s watchful gaze.
Maggie looked to the left, avoiding eye contact, like she was doing something naughty. “The doctor said Charles has very high blood pressure. And high cholesterol. He tried to put him on some medicine, but Charles said he wouldn’t take it.”
“Did he say why?” asked Sam.
Maggie shook her head and continued. “When I suggested we stop at the pharmacy on the way home, he grunted and passed it up like I’d never said it. I knew well enough to leave him alone, but I did go back the next day and get the medicine. The bottles are sitting on the counter in our bathroom. He hasn’t touched them, far as I know.”
“I don’t understand,” said Sam, looking at me. “If he needs the medicine, why not take it? Isn’t there something you can say that will change his mind?” he said to Maggie.
She shrugged and sat back, pulling her hand from Sam’s grip. “He’s a grown man. I can’t make him take the medicine, but I’m afraid something bad will happen if he doesn’t,” she replied.
“Did the doctor say he was in any danger?” I asked.
Her hands floated nervously near her mouth, like she was trying to hide what she said next. “He’s under too much stress. At least that was the doctor’s opinion. It could lead to a stroke, or worse. But if he takes the medicine, it should bring down the blood pressure and the other thing. He takes on too much, Jack. He wants to do everything himself and he’s not getting any younger. And now with this other house…I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
I looked at Sam and he shrugged. I looked at Ben. He was no help. He just glared at me. I guess if there was no one to shoot he was useless. Okay, maybe that wasn’t fair, but it was clearly on me to figure this out.
“Maggie,” I said, resting my hand on her shoulder. “Please don’t worry. We certainly don’t want to do anything that would hurt either one of you. If helping us in St. Louis is too much, that’s fine. We’ll figure it out. The important thing is to get Charles to take his meds. Does he have a follow up appointment with the doctor?”
She shook her head. “He wouldn’t stay long enough to make one. He’s supposed to go back a month from now. I don’t know what to do.” She dropped her hands in her lap, defeated.
“Does Charles like working here?” asked Ben out of nowhere, his tone acutely insensitive. Maggie looked at him, eyebrows raised.
“Oh, yes! He loves it. We both do,” she said in a rush, confused by his question. I wanted to throttle him. He looked hard at me. What was his problem? I looked at Sam and he gave me a small shrug.
“I can’t imagine working anywhere else at this point,” continued Maggie, oblivious to our silent feud. She grabbed my arm. “You boys are happy with our service, right?”
Ben grunted. Sam stared at him, as bewildered as I was by his attitude.
“Of course, Maggie. You both do an amazing job. We love you guys,” said Sam, still glancing sideways at Ben.
“That’s why we want you to come to St. Louis. With our crazy schedules, we need all the help we can get,” I said.
Ben snorted and stood up, folding his paper. He carried his empty plate and coffee mug to the sink.
“I’ll be in the car.” he said. He left the three of us staring at each other. Odd. We’re in the middle of a crisis and he bails?
“What are we going to do?” asked Maggie, looking to me for the answer.
“Tell you what. I’ll try to talk to him today,” said Sam. “See if I can’t make him see the light. In the meantime, we make things as stress free as possible.”
“Starting with getting a crew out here to work on the bathrooms,” I said.
“But, Jack…” said Maggie.
“No buts, Maggie. I know Charles wants to do everything himself. But there’s going to be more, not less, to do around here. We’ve got Sam’s whole family coming in three weeks. The bathrooms need to be done by then. I’m sure you both want everything to be perfect for the visit, which means a ton of yard work and getting the bedrooms up to your usual standards.”
“Don’t forget the pool needs to be serviced,” said Sam.
“Exactly. There’s no end to the work around here. We are getting you guys help,” I said.
She fought hard, but the tears came anyway. I leaned over and put my arm around her shoulders and she leaned into me. “I’m so scared, Jack,” she whispered. “I can’t do this alone.”
“Shhh…it’s gonna be okay,” I said with a soft squeeze. I held her like that for a few moments as we all sat there in silence.
“This is nuts,” said Sam. Maggie and I looked across the table at him. “Enough’s enough. I’ve got this,” he said, pushing back his chair and standing up. His pancakes were still untouched.
“Wait,” I said. “Where are you going?”
“Time to play hardball,” said Sam.
Maggie gasped. I stood up. “What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Just follow my lead, okay?” said Sam. I looked into his deep blue eyes. He had a plan, which was more than I had. I nodded.
Turning to Maggie, I said, “It’s going to be okay, I promise.” She looked less than convinced. I hoped Sam was right.
He carried his plate of pancakes to the refrigerator, grabbed two cold water bottles, one of which he threw at me, and I followed him out.
We found Charles on his hands and knees, prying up old floor tiles where the pink toilet once sat in the formerly pink bathroom. Most of Amanda’s pink paradise had been demolished. Now it was just a pinkish mess.
He looked up as we came in. “You stayin’ home to help, Jack?” he asked.
“Oh…uh…” I said.
“Why won’t you take the medicine?” asked Sam. I flinched at the hard edge in his voice. Charles’ eyes flared, but otherwise he didn’t respond.
“It’s high blood pressure. Big deal. That’s nothing. My father has high blood pressure. He takes a pill every morning and he’s fine. This makes no sense. Your wife is in the kitchen crying because she’s scared to death she’s going to lose you. Start talking. What the hell is going on?”
Charles looked at Sam, his lips pursed together in a thin, angry line. I was hearing echoes of Sam’s father bounce around the torn up bathroom. When they wanted answers, the Wainwright men didn’t beat around the bush.
“I’m waiting,” said Sam. Charles put down the tool in his hand and stood up.
“It’s my business, and you two need to stay out of it,” he said, pointing two fingers at us. Great. Now Charles was pissed. Some days it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed.
“We’re in it, whether you like it or not. You’re family. And you work for us. We depend on you. That makes it our business,” said Sam.
Charles glared at Sam. His face flushed red. Sam stiffened next to me. Oh crap!
“Leave it alone, Sam,” said Charles.
“No, I won’t. And if you want to keep working here, you’ll answer my question.”
“Sam!” I said, grabbing his arm. He didn’t look at me. His eyes were locked on Charles’ in a royal battle of wills.
“You prepared to back that up?” asked Charles, taking a small step toward Sam.
“Count on it,” said Sam, leaning forward. This was getting ugly. I pushed in between the two of them, facing Sam. He was staring daggers at Charles over my shoulder. I could feel the heat of Charles’ anger and frustration on my back.
“Uh…guys…take a breath. Let’s not do anything rash here,” I said. They both stepped closer, crowding me in. Somehow we had ended up in crazy town.
“Both of you, back it up. Now!” I shouted. I put my hands on Sam’s chest and pushed him back at the same time I pushed my hips back and bumped Charles. The body contact broke the spell, and they did as I asked. Half a step, anyway.
Sam looked at me, fire exploding in his eyes. He was determined to get answers. I turned to face Charles. He took another step back and looked away. Now Sam’s breath was hot on the back of my neck.
Maybe it was because he was old enough to be my father, or because he had saved my life, or because I respected his need for privacy. Whatever the reason, I struggled to find the right words.
“Charles…look…um…we’re not…it’s not that we want to pry or anything, it’s just…” I started.
“Are you really so stubborn you’d risk your life over this? You would do that to Maggie?” asked Sam over my shoulder.
I inhaled sharply. Charles snapped his head toward us.
“You’re over the line, Sam,” said Charles, the implied threat crystal clear.
Sam slid around me slowly and took a careful step to stand closer to Charles. “I know I am,” he said gently, lifting his hands in a sign of surrender. “But there’s no way I’m going to let you throw your life away over something as stupid as not taking meds.”
Charles’ eyes squinted, like he was looking at something far away. Suddenly his body language softened, and he took a step back. I exhaled, not realizing I had been holding my breath.
“It’s not stupid. I have my reasons,” he said softly.
“Talk to me, man. Help me understand this,” said Sam.
Charles sighed and pushed a hand through his hair, looking into the mirror still hanging on the wall behind us. He shuffled in a circle, struggling with his inner demons. Sam and I stepped back to give him space. We waited in silence until he stopped circling and looked at us.
“You want to know why I won’t take the pills?” asked Charles. We both nodded.
“Fine. Because medicine killed my mother.” He looked away and sighed, picking up some of the old broken floor tiles and throwing them in a large trash can. I glanced over at Sam and he blanched, realizing maybe we pushed too far.
“The doctors were supposed to save her life,” Charles continued. “Instead they pumped her so full of drugs her liver gave out. So don’t…don’t talk to me about how medicine will save my life, because it’s all bullshit.”
The more agitated he became, the faster the tiles flew. “She had cancer, but it was the kind they said could be cured. She did the radiation, but then she needed meds for the side effects. They got her stable, then started chemotherapy. More drugs, more pills. Turns out they were poisoning her liver, to the point it failed. She developed a nasty internal infection that migrated to her brain. She had a massive stroke and was gone in a matter of minutes.”
He stopped trashing tiles. “Oh…they got the cancer. She was cancer free when they put her in the ground. Lot of damn good the meds did her.” He kicked the trash can over and broken tiles scattered across the bare floor. I jumped back.
“Wow, no wonder you don’t like doctors,” I said under my breath. Sam gave me a look and Charles ignored me.
Sam watched Charles as he fought for self-control, and Charles eyed Sam watching him. I was the guy standing between two caged animals ready to pounce. I took a step back and leaned on what was left of the vanity. My suit pants were already covered in fine dust.
“Did you tell him that story?” asked Sam.
“Tell who?” said Charles, hunching and relaxing his shoulders, trying to dissipate tension. I tried it too. Didn’t work for me. I still wanted to throw up.
“The doctor. Did you tell him about your mom?”
“No. It’s none of his business. Only reason I told you is because you won’t leave it alone,” said Charles with a frustrated scowl.
“I can’t leave it alone. Don’t you understand that?” pleaded Sam. Suddenly he turned and slammed his hands on the vanity next to me, making me jump. “Argh! You’re so fucking stubborn sometimes.”
I stepped sideways and almost fell over. Charles smiled at Sam’s back. What? Sam looked up into the mirror and caught Charles smiling at him. Sam fought it for a second, but then he smiled back. I was not smiling. I was confused.
“You remind me so much of him, Sam,” said Charles.
“He reminds you of who? Would someone tell me what’s going on?” I said.
“My son, Adam,” said Charles, leaning back against the wall. “He used to accuse me all the time of being stubborn.”
“That’s what happens when fathers drive their sons nuts,” said Sam. “Believe me, I know.”
Charles chuckled. “That’s what happens when sons think they know better than their fathers.”
Sam smiled. “Yeah…that too.”
“You’re both crazy. I’m out of here,” I said, pushing off the dusty vanity and wiping my dirty hands against each other. Sam and Charles exchanged knowing glances. They clearly had a deeper relationship than I realized. Good for them.
“I’ll walk you out,” said Sam, following me as I sidestepped a pile of new floor tiles.
“Have a good day at the office, Jack,” said Charles behind me.
I turned back with a smile. “Try not to kill him, Charles. He means well, and I like having him around.” Charles and Sam both laughed.
Sam grabbed me from behind as we stepped into the bedroom. I nearly stumbled, but he held me steady. I reached up and clutched his arms wrapped around my chest and closed my eyes.
“Sure you can’t stay home with me?” whispered Sam, nibbling on my ear. I shuddered. It felt so good.
“I would love to, but you need to work with Charles and I’m a third wheel, or worse.”
“Nah. I can teach you how to lay tile. It’s not hard.”
“Tell that to the thing poking my ass right now. Seems pretty hard to me,” I said, pushing my butt against his rigid dick. I felt his smile against my ear.
“I can’t help it. Your ass is so hot in those suit pants.”
I looked down and saw the fine white dust coating the legs. Ugh. I tapped Sam’s arms. “Let me go so I can change.”
“Can I watch?” asked Sam. He released me and I turned to face his grin. His blue eyes were sparkling, full of mischief. I smiled playfully.
“Yes, from a distance,” I said, putting a hand on his chest and stepping back a few feet until I broke the physical connection. His grin widened.
I stepped over to the closet and pulled out a similar pair of pants, then laid them on the bed. Sam’s eyes followed my every move, and just knowing he was turned on had my own dick growing harder by the second.
I undid my belt and inched it through the loops. Sam’s breathing slowed, and his eyes flared at the corners. I turned to face the bed and let the pants slide over my ass, landing in a heap around my ankles. My shirt tails fell from my waist to cover my underwear, and I felt naked underneath. It felt good.
I stepped out of the dirty pants and kicked them aside. I was rock hard now as I bent over to fetch the clean pair of pants on the bed, my shirt tails sliding up to show off my ass again. I heard a faint gasp and something bumped me from behind. I stood up and Sam’s mouth was at the back of my neck, his tongue sliding back and forth across the spot that drove me wild.
“Sam,” I whispered. “We can’t. Charles.”
He spun me around and I dropped the clean pants as he grabbed both sides of my face and pulled me into a scorching kiss. Blood rushed through my ears and headed south, my knees nearly buckled, and I had to grab Sam’s muscular arms for support. He pulled off the kiss, panting.
“Oh, fuck,” he hissed. I turned to glance at the bathroom door. We could hear Charles hammering away at something just on the other side. Sam grabbed my hand and pulled me to the bedroom door, then peeked into the hallway. “Come on,” he whispered. I wasn’t going to say no.
We fast tiptoed to the study, avoiding detection, which was a good thing because Sam was the only one wearing pants. Inside, he stopped to look into my eyes, and my heart flip flopped around in my chest. I lost focus on anything but Sam. I stepped closer and planted my lips on his, which instantly parted and sucked me in. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and his hands found my ass, kneading and pulling and probing through my underwear.
Suddenly it felt like I had on way too many clothes, and I stepped back, frantically pulling at the buttons of my shirt. One went flying under the desk, but I hardly noticed. I ripped my t-shirt over my head, and pushed my underwear to the floor, flicking them under a chair with my foot. Sam was smiling, his blue eyes dancing to my movements.
Sam took two steps forward and picked me up. I kissed him again, and he groaned with lust. His fingers grazed my hole and I whimpered against his lips. He carried me to the couch and more or less dropped me there, then stepped back.
I practiced breathing in and out as he bent down to remove his shoes, then his socks. His sexy toes wiggled against the carpet as he unfastened his jeans, the ones with the rips I liked. He grinned at me, amused by my lust. I grinned back and nodded my approval. He lifted his white t-shirt, revealing his hairy abs and chest until his nipples peeked out. I stood up to go to him but he held up a hand and I stopped.
He pulled the t-shirt over his head, and I so wanted to face plant into his hairy chest. I needed to feel the hairs surrounding his nipples tickle my tongue as I nibbled on them, driving him crazy with lust. Sam dropped his jeans to the floor and stepped out of them. He stood before me in his blue boxer briefs, the obscene bulge of his rigid cock taunting me. He wagged a finger, drawing me to him like a moth to a flame.
I grabbed his hand and sucked that finger into my mouth, running my tongue all over it. He tried to pull it out, but I held tight, telling him with just my eyes to push it in deeper. He got the message, and slowly added fingers to my mouth, one at a time, until I was slobbering on all four at once.
Sam reached down with his other hand and gathered dripping precum from the end of my dick onto the tip of a finger, then waved it under my nose. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth as he replaced the fingers from one hand with the slippery end of another. I savored the sweetness of my precum on my tongue and continued sucking.
He leaned in, his lips close to mine, and I reluctantly let go of his finger, only to have my mouth invaded by his tongue. At some point he started maneuvering us to the couch again. Sam pushed me down into a sitting position, then straddled my waist, facing me. I don’t remember when he had shucked his underwear, but his naked, rock hard dick was now poking me in the stomach as he gyrated his ass against my cock.
I wasn’t expecting this. I looked deep into his eyes and he nodded. I spit into my hand and coated my dick, then spit again and pushed as much as I could into his hole. Sam’s eyes rolled back as he groaned with lust. I reached down and held my dripping cock straight up as he leaned back and sat down on it. He winced as his ass ring gave way, then moaned in intense pleasure as I slid deeper into him. The velvet heat of his ass nearly sent me over the edge. I remained perfectly still waiting for Sam to control our movements.
“Fuck me,” he whispered, leaning forward slightly to give me room to move. He put his hands on my shoulders and I started slow, pushing up into him as far as I could and his eyes rolled back in ecstasy. I knew that feeling well.
I leaned closer to suck at a nipple as I gradually increased the pace of my pistoning in and out of his hole. He hissed and pulled back, his eyes on fire. His mouth pounced on mine and I groaned against his tongue.
We settled into a slow and steady rhythm. Something inside Sam’s ass yielded and I pushed in deeper. He gasped, then moaned and pushed down on me even harder. I held onto his waist as I increased the pace of my thrusting while he nodded up and down, urging me on.
The electric sensations coursing through my dick were so intense, my orgasm came on much too fast. I tried to slow down but Sam kept bouncing on my dick and stroking his own. I yielded control, and within seconds I was cursing against his lips as I filled his ass with my cum. He kept fucking himself on my cock.
Suddenly he threw his head back. “Oh, fuck!” he hissed, and sprayed cum all over my chest. His lungs were heaving for oxygen as the flush of our lovemaking faded. I put my head back and he leaned forward, touching my nose with his.
“Sure you don’t want stay home with me?” he teased. I smiled, wrapping my arms around his back. I leaned sideways and dropped back on the leather couch, pulling him down on top of me. My softening dick popped out of his ass and we both chuckled.
Sam lay on top of me, his chest hair rubbing in the cum all over mine, as he kissed me gently. Tender sweet kisses. No tears, no angst, just an intimate moment between two guys who loved each other more than we understood.
I was worried about Charles hearing us in the shower in the other bathroom, since it was right next to the pink one being remodeled. But I couldn’t very well go to work smelling of sex. Although the thought of smelling Sam on me all day wasn’t altogether a bad idea.
Sam checked the hallway for Maggie, then grabbed my hand. We ran naked to our bedroom, carrying our discarded clothes. Sam smiled when he saw me covering my genitals with my underwear. He yanked them from my hand and my protest was stifled by his tongue in my mouth.
Next thing I knew, I was in the shower, water pouring across my head and down my body as Sam rubbed soap in my ass crack and made predator noises in my ear. I moaned when a finger invaded my hole, and he pushed me against the wall. His finger was quickly replaced by his cock, stretching my ass open and filling me up like nothing else can.
Sam fucked me slowly, making it last this time. He nibbled on my neck and whispered sexy things to me. I concentrated on squeezing my ass against the slippery cock sliding in and out of my hole, and relished his quick gasps of pleasure. More than once I thought shower wall handles would be a great addition to our bathroom remodel.
Clean again, and totally spent, we dried each other with damp towels from our earlier shower. I put on clean clothes while I watched Sam slide his sexy ripped jeans up over his thighs. I might have whimpered a little. God, he was sexy as fuck. I blushed with the thought.
“What?” asked Sam, seeing my red face and neck.
I grinned. “You’re just…you’re hot. What can I say?”
He laughed and pulled me to him. His jeans were still undone, the bulge of his hardening dick poking out past the zipper.
“Say you’ll come home to me as soon as you can,” whispered Sam.
“Can I play with this?” I said, running my hand up and down his cock.
He smiled against my lips. “Absolutely.”
Ben said nothing when I slid into the back seat of the BMW. He was in a dark mood as he deftly maneuvered the car through morning traffic. I received grunts and one word answers to simple questions, so I gave up and focused on reading emails on my phone. After the drama with the Smyths I wasn’t interested in poking the bear behind the wheel. I let him be.
Ben still wasn’t speaking as we walked from the parking garage to my building. I asked how Peggy was, and he only grunted. His attitude was starting to piss me off. We parted ways in silence as the elevator doors opened with a ding. I shrugged and headed toward the kitchen for a water bottle.
The office was jumping. There were several faces I didn’t recognize. And a collection of strange people in one of the conference rooms pouring over documents. Oh crap! That was the meeting I was supposed to be in. I totally forgot.
I sloshed water on the carpet as I ran to my office. Robbie smiled as I passed his desk. Margie saw me coming and pumped a palm toward the floor to encourage me to slow down.
“Easy, Jack,” she said. “Why are you running around like a crazy person?”
“I’m late. I’m supposed to be in that meeting in the conference room. Those are the consultants, right?”
“Uh…yes, they are. And no, you’re not part of that meeting. Your meeting is this afternoon, after Todd and Danny finish setting up the ground rules for the project.”
I exhaled, relieved I hadn’t screwed things up for my team. “Oh…okay. In that case, what’s on the agenda for the morning? Or what’s left of it?” I moved into my office and Margie followed, carrying her yellow legal pad and chewing on her pen.
“Check out the letter on your desk,” she said. I gave her a quizzical look and she just smiled. I threw my suit coat on the table and scurried around my desk. A letter on Washington University letterhead lay right on top.
I snatched it up and started reading. “Dear Mr. Schaeffer, The Olin School of Business at Washington University is pleased to offer you a position in our MBA program this fall…” Oh my God, I got in. “Margie, I got in!”
Margie laughed. “Of course you did. Did you really think you wouldn’t?”
I grinned. “I don’t know. It was so late in the process. What if they were full? What if my undergrad work wasn’t good enough? Or my test scores weren’t high enough? Who knows?”
“Well, now you know. You’re in. And it means you only have a few weeks to put a ton of things in place around here before you go.”
“Wait…what? What are you talking about?”
She planted her feet and leaned over my desk. “Jack…how many times do I have to tell you, you are the leader of this company. You…not Todd, not Simon, not Danny. You. You’re what makes all this work.”
“But I hardly do anything. I mean, I sign stuff and I nod my head when Todd says we should buy this or sell that. I mostly don’t have a clue what he’s talking about. That’s hardly leadership. I’m a…um…a figure head, which is why I need to go to school and learn about all this finance crap so I can understand what’s going on.”
“Understand what?” said Todd as he sauntered into my office. Margie stepped back from my desk and Todd grabbed his wife around the waist. He looked into her eyes and kissed her gently. It was such a sweet, tender moment I felt tears well up.
Not letting go of her, Todd turned to me, mischief in his eyes. “I hear it’s official. You’re all grown up and going off to college like a big boy. Next thing you know, you’ll be pledging a fraternity and staying out all night, drinking and skipping classes and getting into all kinds of trouble with the other boys. Where did we go wrong with him?” he said seriously to a laughing Margie.
“Ha ha, very funny. Like any of that is me,” I said. “Sounds more like you.”
Todd smiled wide. “Hey…I met Margie at one of those parties. Best night of my life.” He kissed her cheek and she giggled.
“Do I need to leave the two of you alone?” I asked.
Todd sort of blushed. At first Margie gave me a lustful look like, “Could you, please?”, then got control of herself. She let go of Todd, popped her pen back in her mouth, and smoothed her skirt, which didn’t need smoothing. I smiled. Gotcha.
“Did you come in here only to harass me, or do you need something?” I asked Todd.
He grinned. “Teasing you is the fun part of my day, but I do have a few things to go over with you when you have time. And Simon and Danny are expecting you in the meeting with the consultants after lunch.”
“Got it. Anything I need to do to prepare? I asked Danny last Friday, and he said he didn’t know.”
“Honestly, if I were you, I’d leave the heavy lifting to Danny and just observe. Ask questions if you have any.”
I looked away toward the mountains in the distance.
“What?” asked Todd. I didn’t reply.
“Why did you look away. Talk to me, Jack.”
I turned to him. “I feel so stupid in these meetings. You all talk about stuff way over my head.”
“Sure, but don’t we always answer your questions?”
“Well…yeah, you do. But that’s different.”
“How so?”
“You guys…I mean…we…we work together. You know me. You know I don’t understand everything, and you’re used to my questions. These consultants…they don’t know me from Adam. I’m not in their league. They’re gonna think you let a crazy person in the room.”
Todd glanced at Margie and she nodded. He looked me in the eye.
“Jack…take a look around. None of this happens without you. Yes, we work well together. We have a great team. But that is mostly because of you.” I rolled my eyes.
“No…hear me out. I am being totally serious now,” said Todd, his eyes fixed on mine. “Look, I get it. From the very beginning you were thrown for a loop with the trust and the money and everything else. I joke around with you because I don’t want it all to overwhelm you. Me and the guys, we try to present things in bite size pieces, so you can get comfortable with them. And you’re doing it, Jack. You’re killing it. Don’t forget, the only reason we have those consultants here today is because of you. You’re the one who had the vision for how to make it all work. That’s ALL you. Those people in that conference room owe this whole project and the money they stand to earn from it to you.”
“Fine, so I had a good idea. But that’s different than understanding how accounting systems work or how to integrate different ones together.”
Todd frowned. “Can’t you see, there is no integration without you?” He looked to Margie for help.
“I hear what you’re saying, Todd,” I said. “I’m not explaining it right. I can’t…”
“Jack,” said Margie. “it’s okay if you feel stupid in a meeting.”
“What?” said Todd, turning to his wife. “Why would you say that to him?” he whispered.
“Because it’s true,” she whispered back.
“You know I can hear you, right?” I said.
Todd looked at me, then back to Margie. Finally he threw his hands up. Margie took over.
Turning to me, she said, “When you’re sitting in a meeting, with anyone, and you don’t understand the details, the specific things they’re discussing, take a mental step back and observe. Take in the body language, the attitudes, the stuff not being said. That’s where you shine, Jack. You see the things Todd and Simon and Danny can’t see. Danny’s focused on the nitty gritty accounting. Simon’s running numbers in his head backwards and forwards. Todd’s thinking about the ROI of this deal and six others at the same time. But you…you’re in the moment. You have eyes and ears nobody else has. Use them. We need that from you.”
The intensity of her words shocked me. I looked at Todd, who was smiling at his wife again. “Is what she said true? Is that how you see me?”
“Absolutely. She said it perfectly. And I know the guys would say the same. You’re not stupid, Jack. Far from it. Your knowledge and abilities are just different than ours. We know our stuff, you know yours. And we need both.”
I sighed, sitting down behind my desk. “Sorry. I get in my head sometimes.”
“No, really?” said Todd with dripping sarcasm. Margie caught a look in my eye and jumped in.
“Husband, dear…if you want half a chance to finish what you started this morning, you need to give it a rest.” I grinned. So did Todd.
“Okay, fine. I’ll behave,” he said. “But only because…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get out of here and go make some money,” said Margie. Todd leaned over and kissed her cheek, winked at me, and left humming to himself.
“He’s certainly full of himself today,” I said.
“Don’t I know it,” said Margie.
“It’s awesome how much he loves you.”
“Yeah…it is.”
“I don’t mind his teasing, you know.”
She pointed her chewed up pen at me. “As long as he doesn’t go too far with it. If he ever crosses the line, you need to shut him down hard. He bounces back pretty good.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
My cell phone rang. It was a number I didn’t recognize, but the area code was the same as Sam’s sister, Kat.
“I need to take this. I’ll come get you when I’m through,” I said to Margie. She nodded and walked out, closing my office door.
I punched the answer button and said, “This is Jack.”
“Hey, little brother, it’s David.” I smiled. I had a pretty good idea what this call was about.
“David, what’s doin’?”
“Like you don’t know.”
“Why, whatever do you mean?”
“We got the job! Mason just called. He said his father was very impressed with Harry and me when we presented to him last week in Chicago. Put us right over the top.”
“Wait…slow down. You went to Chicago?”
“Yeah. Didn’t you know?”
“No. I’m not involved in Mason’s business directly.”
“Sure, whatever you say. But yeah, they flew Harry and me out last week to show Mason’s father our work, some of the projects we’ve done, and all the rest. I guess he was impressed enough to give the thumbs up to Mason. And get this— he’s giving us a tiny piece of the action.”
I smiled. “What does that mean?”
“It means no more working like a slave and not sharing in the fruits of our labor. It’s not a lot, but it’s a start.”
“So it’s a done deal? You and Harry are jumping ship to work for Mason there in New York?”
“Damn right. This ship is sinking so fast, in another month there won’t be a ship. We lost two more accounts this morning. Word is out, this company is going down.”
“Good timing, then.”
“I’ll say, and it’s all because of you.”
“Woah…I made one phone call and one introduction. That’s it. I have not spoken to Mason since that day on the beach. This was all you and Harry. I had nothing to do with it.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I still can’t thank you enough, Jack. I don’t know what I would have done if this opportunity—which you made happen—hadn’t come along. It’s really bad around here today. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Well, I’m glad you and Harry have a nice place to land. When do you start with Mason?”
“We already have, though it’s informal for now. We’re meeting with a potential client tonight for dinner with Mason. He wants us part of his team as soon as possible. Harry and I are giving notice later today.”
“Wow. Things are moving fast. Is Kat okay with everything?”
“Definitely. I think she’s relieved I’ll still have a paycheck, but mostly that Harry and I can keep doing what we love and maybe make some forward progress, too.”
“That’s great. I’m happy for you guys. Have you told Sam?”
“You were my first call, as soon as Harry told me he was solidly on board with the move.”
“Can you still come for the big camping weekend?”
“Wouldn’t miss it. The boys are so excited, they pulled all their gear out of the garage. They ask me every day, ‘How much longer till we go to Uncle Jack’s house?’”
“I hope nothing comes up work-wise to prevent you coming with,” I said.
“I already talked to Mason about it. He was cool. Said his father has a rule—no client meetings on Fridays unless absolutely necessary for legal reasons. So I’ve got three days. I’ll come out with Kat and the kids, then I’ll book a flight back Sunday by myself. I think the rest of the family is staying longer, right?”
“Sam said they were talking that way. We’ll see how it works out. We have a wedding in Chicago the following Friday. And you will not book a flight. My guys will take you home whenever you need to go.”
I heard him suck in a big breath of air. “Jack…you don’t have to do that. That’s crazy expensive and totally unnecessary.”
“You know what else is expensive? Having a plane that sits on the ground too much. My main pilot, Ron, tells me it needs to fly at least ten hours a month, twenty would be better. And my co-pilot, Justin? You met him at the airport? He needs more hours of flying time to finish his certifications for full captain status, or something like that. So you would actually be doing me a favor by flying with my guys and not going commercial.”
He sighed. “Fine. Twist my arm. I’ll fly on the jet if it’ll make you happy.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said. “Trust me, you’ll get used to it in a hurry.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t live in your stratosphere.”
“Neither do I, David. It’s just a tool. It simplifies things, but at the end of the day, it’s a glorified taxi service.”
“Hah! Tell that to Sam.”
I laughed. “I know. If I took his plane away, he might up and leave me.”
“Not a chance, Jack, not a chance. I know Sam. I’ve watched him up close for over ten years now. He’s stuck like super glue.”
I nearly choked on the sudden lump in my throat. “I hope so. I do like having the big guy around.”
“Trust me, Sam’s not going anywhere, fancy plane or not. Hey…I gotta run, Harry’s waving to me. We’ll talk soon, okay?”
“Okay. Bye.” He hung up.
I smiled and called Sam. He was elated with David’s good news, and even more so when I told him I was officially admitted into Washington University. He promised to show me his thanks when I got home. Hot diggety.
I called Margie back into my office. I needed her help. But first she stood in front of my desk and handed me a dozen documents to sign, one at a time.
“What are all these?” I said, my hand starting to cramp.
“Let’s see. Insurance policy changes – we’re now moving into a bigger group policy. Contract for the consultants – they demanded two signatures, one had to be the CEO. That’s you. The rest are the usual crap that Simon and Todd can’t sign by themselves.”
“Bigger insurance group? Why?”
“New hires. Haven’t you noticed we’re growing every week. More work means more people.”
“I did see a lot of unfamiliar faces this morning.”
“And we have more starting next week. This hotel thing is bigger than we thought.”
I felt a twinge of panic race up my spine. “Are we in over our heads?”
“Relax, boss. We’re just moving some people from their former corporate headquarters to here. Makes things more efficient.”
I stood up, flushed. “How many? Did people lose their jobs? Who decided this? Why wasn’t I told about it?”
“Jack…calm down. Per your instructions, we offered positions here to every person working for the original two hotel groups. Most declined, not wanting to move. To those we gave a very generous severance package. I promise you, none of them were complaining. And this way, we get the dedicated ones who are passionate about the hotel business. Win-win, just the way the boss likes it.”
“You’re sure everyone was taken care of properly?”
“Yes. I saw to it myself. I have all the agreements on my desk, if you want to review them. I didn’t think you wanted to overwhelm yourself with that kind of detail.”
“What kind of severance package? Todd and I talked, but I don’t know the final outcome.”
“Every employee received one month’s pay for each year they had worked for the hotel group, regardless of position. We capped it at one year’s salary, which is more than fair. Executives and other leadership positions received an additional six month’s severance, since they will have a harder time finding alternative positions in the industry. If they had separate employment agreements, we honored those to the letter. Again, more than fair. You did good, Jack.”
I nodded. “Okay. What about the people moving here? What did we do for them?”
She looked at me and shrugged. “What do you mean? They have their jobs here.”
“I mean are we helping them with the move? Did they get some kind of signing bonus or incentives to join us?”
She smiled. “I don’t think so, but that’s a fantastic idea. We might just get a few more to bite, which could save us a ton in the long run with hiring and training costs. You want to talk to Simon or you want me to do it?”
“I’ll do it. I have to ask him about something else anyway. Anything else you need?”
She shook her head and gathered up the signed documents from her side of the desk and I sat down. She made a neat pile and sat down in front of me.
“How are things looking for Sam’s birthday party?” I asked.
“Ron is all set. I gave him the itinerary you requested. Todd confirmed the discharge for Wednesday morning. Green lights all around. If everything goes according to plan, Sam will have one hell of a birthday surprise.”
“If I can keep it a secret. I’ve never planned something this elaborate.”
“What’s elaborate? You’re having a small, intimate evening at home with your friends. You sure Sam won’t be put off that it’s smaller than your big celebration?”
“That was all his doing. I never wanted a huge to-do. He doesn’t either. He asked if it could just be us and Billy and Jerome. I think he just wants time with little Jayden. He’s gone goofy over that kid.”
She smiled. “I think it’s cute. When are you having a sleepover?”
I grimaced. “As soon as Jerome is willing to share. According to Billy, he’s a bit of an overprotective mother – his word, not mine.”
“I take it you’re not looking forward to it?”
I sighed. “Let’s just say I’m not pushing it. But Sam’s super excited. He wants to buy a crib and a swing and the whole nine yards, just for the occasional visit. But if it gets the baby thing out of his system for a while, I’m all for it.”
“You’re so cynical about babies,” she said.
“No I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Every time the subject comes up you have nothing nice to say about it. What gives?”
I looked away from her steady gaze and stared at nothing out the windows. “I don’t know why. I’m not against them, as a species. I just…I don’t know. I have zero confidence around them. They make me nervous. It’s like riding a horse, right? They sense you’re nervous, so they get upset, and before you know it, everything falls apart.”
“The baby, or you and Sam?”
I gave her a hard look. She didn’t back down, just sat back and chewed her pen. Damn her insight.
“Sam would never leave you over a baby, Jack. You know that, right?” she said, pointing her pen at me. “Aren’t you the one who had his nephews calling you Uncle Jack the first day you met? They clearly like you. And babies are easier. They only care about two things: food and a clean diaper.”
“Neither of which I can do,” I said with an attitude.
“Only because you’ve never tried. You’ll learn. So will my husband. I guarantee it,” she said with a big smile. I couldn’t help but smile with her. Poor Todd.
I do like learning new things. Changing dirty diapers? Not so much.
I stayed in for lunch. I asked Margie to get me a sandwich, and she said there was plenty in the kitchen. Apparently we had catered for the consultants. I walked past Ben on my way to the kitchen and he was scowling at his phone and making notes. He didn’t even look up at me.
I grabbed a second bottle of water from the fridge and set it on his desk as I walked by. I said nothing but kept walking. He didn’t acknowledge me. Something was definitely not right with him.
I thought about calling Peggy to get her take. She was catering Sam’s party, little did he know. Ben agreed to keep it a surprise. Now I wasn’t sure I wanted him there. What a grouch. In the end I decided to respect his privacy and leave it be. When he was ready he would talk to me.
I found Simon in his office, pouring over a thick document. He looked up when I knocked on the door frame.
“Hey, boss. Come on in,” he said. I sat down in front of his desk and took a swig of water. “You ready for the big meeting?”
“No. Todd told me to leave it to you and just observe. Is there anything you want me to do?”
He pointed a finger at me. “Exactly that, observe and listen. These guys are smart, but they want to do things their way, and not all of it is going to work for us. Danny’s losing patience—you know how he gets. I might need you to step in and smooth ruffled feathers. You’re good at that.”
“I am?”
“Of course,” was all he said. I shrugged. Whatever.
“Hey,” I said. “I have a question. Where are we at on that building we’re buying downtown?”
“The rehab project?”
“Yeah. Is it ours yet?”
“Should be by the end of the week. Why?”
“What are we doing with it?”
“Making thirty-six upscale apartments, four to a floor, and hopefully leasing the street level for retail, maybe a coffee shop or deli.”
I looked out the window, trying to find the right words.
“You want to do something else with it?” asked Simon.
“Could we?”
“We can do whatever you want. It’s your building. What do you have in mind?”
“I’m thinking about housing for homeless youth.”
Simon sat back and put his finger tips together. “I see. Not exactly a money maker. And folks in the neighborhood might object.”
“Why? You said you were making apartments?”
“Well, yeah…but you’re talking indigent people with no money. They tend to not take care of things.”
“Says who?”
His eyes flared, but he covered it well. He didn’t reply.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t mean to be snippy about it. I just want to help. I’ve been looking into Hope City. It’s already up and running, and they’re doing great work. But once the kids turn eighteen, they have to push them out to make room for the even younger kids.”
Simon sat forward. “Geez, are you serious? These are kids out on the streets? Where are their parents?”
“For most of them, their parents are why they are on the street. They’ve been disowned or neglected or, in some cases, assaulted even.”
“Who would do such a thing to their kid?”
“People who think having a gay son or daughter is a fate worse than death, and a blight on their character. You’d be surprised how fast a parent can turn on her kid.”
Simon looked at me funny. For some reason, I suddenly found it hard to breathe. My heart started racing. Simon was talking, but I couldn’t hear him for the blood pounding in my ears. I squeezed the chair arms until my knuckles were white, trying to get control of my body, but I was losing it. What was happening?
I saw Simon stand up with a strange look on his face as I slid down in my chair. I could feel drops of sweat run down past my temples. Why was I sweating in an air conditioned office? The light in the room was fading. Somebody help me…
“Jack? Jack? Are you okay? Talk to me, man,” said Simon, rubbing my hand still gripping the chair.
“What happened?” I whispered as everything came back into focus.
“I don’t know. One minute we were talking about the homeless shelter, the next you were slumped down in the chair and hyperventilating.”
“How long was I like that?”
“Less than a minute, I guess. You want me to call someone? I didn’t want to leave you. I was about to yell for help.”
“No…no, I’m okay. I think. That was weird. Is it hot in here?” I asked, pulling at my tie.
“Um…no. Actually, it’s a little chilly. Why? Are you sure you’re okay?”
I sat up straighter in the chair. I wasn’t ready to try standing, but Simon didn’t need to know that. I unbuttoned the top button of my shirt and took a deep breath.
“I’m fine. Let’s finish.”
“You’re sure?” asked Simon. “I can go get Ben.”
“No,” I said, a little too sternly. The last person I needed was Ben.
Simon walked around his desk and sat down, studying me.
“I’m really fine, I promise. Sorry about that. I don’t know what happened, but I’m okay now,” I said. I’m not sure if I was trying to convince him or me. I swallowed the rest of my water bottle and sighed.
“Where were we?” I asked.
“You were saying you wanted to maybe use the new building as a homeless shelter.”
“Sort of. I was thinking we could offer some of the apartments as our own version of affordable housing for those aging out of Hope City. We could set the rents based on their income.”
“Aren’t there government programs for that sort of thing?”
“Yes, but there are waiting lists, and families with children probably get preferred placement. These kids, they’re all alone. They have no one. I want to help.”
Simon’s mouth cracked a very small smile.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he said, his smile widening. “I was just remembering a similar speech when you were trying to convince us all to leave the bank and join your little crusade to change the world.”
“Don’t you want to?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “One question. These kids—where do they get the money for whatever rent we charge?”
“Well…don’t be mad, okay?”
He grinned. “I’m not your dad, Jack. I won’t be mad.”
I swallowed hard. “I was thinking we could operate those retail places on the bottom floor and offer jobs to the residents to run them. We could even work with a local college to help some of them get enrolled and earn their degree. Then they can help us run the shops. Or whatever. What do you think?”
“You mean S&A would open franchises and run them so these kids who have no families, no education, and no money can run them on our behalf?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Well, sure, why the hell not?” he said, throwing his hands up.
“See, you are mad,” I said, wishing I had never said anything.
He took a breath and studied me. “Jack, I’m not mad. I’m…confused.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s not what I usually do. I had us making a hefty profit on that place. Rents for apartments in that part of town are increasing every year. Now you want to make them practically free. Does Todd know about this?”
I looked down at my trembling hands. “No. I was afraid to tell him. I thought if I could convince you, you might work on him.”
Simon laughed. “Good luck with that. But I’ll tell you what, your idea about franchising isn’t a bad one. If other people can make money slinging coffee, I don’t see why we can’t. Can we at least try to rent the upper floors to paying customers? I’d like to try to break even.”
“I guess so. I don’t really know how many apartments we would need for the homeless kids. We can figure that out later. Won’t it be awesome to help some kid have a roof over his head?”
Simon grinned. “Yes, that part is awesome. The red ink, not so awesome.”
“Come on. You guys make more money in a month than we would lose in a year on rents, right?”
He shrugged. “Probably…I guess.”
“So you’ll help me?”
He looked at me, thinking it over. I knew I was asking him to step out of his comfort zone and take a different kind of risk. I needed him on board. It might be my company, but I needed these guys to make everything I wanted to do possible.
“I’m in,” said Simon, “on one condition. You have to tell Todd. I’m not getting my ass chewed off with this one.”
I grinned. “Done. But you have to come with me. And maybe Ben. Lydia, too.”
Simon laughed. “Anything else?”
“Yes. Margie told me we have a number of people joining us here from the hotels. Did we do anything to help them with their moves?”
“Uh…no. They got to keep their jobs. Why?”
I swallowed. “Well…I’m thinking it has to be tough to uproot and move all the way here. I mean, where will they live? What if they can’t sell their home where they are now? Don’t companies do things like a relocation allowance or something?”
He smiled. “Yes, some do. We didn’t think of it in this case, because of the sheer number of people involved. But less than twenty percent took us up on our offer, so we can put something together for those joining us.”
“Are there any key people you really wanted, but they declined?”
“A few. We offered them a very generous package, but no go.”
“What if you quietly suggest some help with their move? Who knows? It might be enough to push them over to our side.”
“Tell you what. I’ll kick it around with Danny and Todd, and let you know what we come up with.”
“Cool. Thanks.”
“Anything else?” asked Simon.
“Well, I do need one more teensy tiny thing,” I said.
He rolled his eyes. “What now?”
“I need a construction crew out at the house. Charles and Sam are trying to remodel the bathrooms and it’s really more than they can handle.”
Simon nodded and reached for his phone. “That I can do, no sweat. When do you want them to start?”
“Is tomorrow too soon?”
He lowered the handset and gave me a look. “I should have never let you in here today.” I smiled apologetically.
He sighed. “Fine. I’ll let you know what I can put together before you leave. And remember what to do in the meeting. If it starts to go sideways, I need you to step in, okay?”
“Okay,” I said, much less confident than he was in my abilities.
I made it back to my office with ten minutes to spare before the big meeting with the consultants. Todd was talking with Margie and followed me in.
He started to say something, but I interrupted him before I lost my nerve. “Before you say whatever you came to say, I was talking with Simon, and I had an idea…”
He let me share the whole plan, and surprisingly he didn’t freak out. He had a couple of questions, and an idea or two of his own that made a lot of sense.
“So you’re cool if Simon and I pursue this?” I asked.
“I guess so. It’s what we do, right? Change the world for people?”
“Yes! Exactly. You get it. I’m not sure Simon’s there yet.”
“Give him time, Jack. He and Danny are running balls out to make this company a success, and for them, that means generating profits. It’s how they’re wired. That’s not a bad thing. Did Simon fight you on it?”
“Not exactly. It took him a few minutes to come aboard to the idea. He still wants to rent out as many apartments as he can for full price.”
“You want my advice? Find a compromise you can live with on this one. We’ll learn how to do this new thing together. And once we’ve got a handle on it, we can maybe expand the operation to other parts of the city. Who knows?”
I smiled. “Thanks, Todd. That’s awesome.”
“I can’t imagine putting my kid out on the street. I mean, it’s not even here yet and I would kill someone who tried to hurt my baby.”
“Let’s just concentrate on helping as much as we can. Fixing the parents is way above our pay grade,” I said. “So what did you need me for?”
“Margie said she told you about the new hires, right?” I nodded. “Things are getting tight already down here. I’m thinking we might want to consider building out the top floor sooner rather than later.”
“Works for me. Whatever you think. I want the best environment we can put together for our team. I suggested to Simon we offer a relocation package to help with all the moves. But I need my bathrooms fixed first.” I looked at my watch.
“What?”
“Nevermind, talk to Simon. He’ll fill you in. I’ve gotta run to this meeting. Hope I don’t screw it up.”
“Just do what you do.”
“And what’s that again?”
“I don’t know, but you seem to be able to do it to me all the time,” he said with a big grin as he left.
I smiled the whole way to the conference room.
It turned out I didn’t have to do anything in the meeting. Danny had done a little stealth negotiating over lunch, and all objections to our way of doing things magically vanished. It might have had something to do with a certain young blonde who was one of the consultant team leaders.
I listened as they laid out the project plan and all the deliverables. I understood most of it, until they immersed themselves in techno speak and accounting gibberish. I did what Margie said and ignored the words, instead focusing on body language. By the time the meeting ended, I knew who the real leaders were in the room.
It was late when we broke up, and people were tired. Danny seemed very chipper, though. I walked with Simon and Danny to the kitchen after we showed everyone out to the elevators. The rest of the office was deserted.
“That went well, at least the parts I understood.” I asked, reaching into the refrigerator for a water bottle.
“Better than I expected, that’s for sure. What did you say to them at lunch?” Simon asked Danny.
“I appealed to their sense of business,” he replied.
“Let me guess. You took the subtle approach and told them it was our way or the highway?” asked Simon.
“Something like that. What do you care? It worked—and I have a date tonight,” he said with a big grin.
“With who?” said Simon.
“My guess is Tina,” I said. Danny looked at me, shocked. Simon smiled.
“See, Jack. You’ve still got it,” said Simon.
“And I’m gonna get some tonight,” said Danny, and Simon and I groaned.
“Don’t screw this up for us,” said Simon.
“Literally,” I said.
“Relax,” said Danny, grinning ear to ear. “I’m just messin’ with you guys. I’ll be a perfect gentleman. You boys have a nice night.”
Danny walked off toward the elevators and Simon excused himself to retrieve his briefcase. I walked toward the elevators and Ben appeared out of nowhere, scaring me half to death.
“Holy crap! Are you stalking me?”
“You ready to go?” he asked. I nodded. He turned without another word and led us to the elevators. The silence on the way down was deafening.
The drive home was tense. I was exhausted. We were almost home when I couldn’t stand it any longer.
“You okay up there?” I said.
Ben looked at me in the rearview mirror and a strange expression crossed his face. He wasn’t happy with my question.
“You’ve been acting a little off. Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Why does there have to always be something wrong? Why can’t I just have an off day? Why do you have to over analyze everything? Can’t you just mind your own business?”
He started to cross the dividing line on the winding road leading up to the house. He swerved back into our lane, narrowly missing a car. The sound of a car horn faded behind us. I gripped the door handle and hung on for dear life.
Ben’s face was red, but he did slow down and get control of himself. Geez, it was a simple question.
“You trying to kill me?” I said. He gave me a harsh look but didn’t reply.
“Whatever. Sorry I asked. Excuse me for caring. I can’t help it if I see things. Believe me, it’s not like I’m trying to get all up in your business. Far from it. Your business is the last business I want to be involved in. I want nothing to do with it. No siree, bub, leave me out of it. You can solve all your own problems, you’ll get no help from me.” I put a hand up, warming to my smart-assed commentary.
“Talk to the hand, mister. I’ve got nothing to say. Move along now, nothing to see here. Problems? Did you say problems? I’ll tell you about problems. I’ve got more problems than a math teacher. I’ve got no bathroom and no pot to pee in. The lady who cooks and cleans for me is pissed and her husband nearly throttled my partner today. And my chauffeur slash body guard is in a bad mood and is trying to kill me. And that’s just my personal life. Don’t get me started on the office…”
Ben looked at me and took his foot off the gas. The car slowed and he pulled over to the side of the road. Uh oh. I knew it. I went too far this time. This is where he drags me out of the car and shoots me in my big mouth.
Instead he sighed heavily and turned in his seat to look at me. “We need to talk…”
We pulled into the garage twenty minutes later. I was numb. Ben mumbled something about me having a good night and trudged up the stairs. I stood in the mudroom, not sure what to do. That’s where Sam found me.
“What the hell happened to you guys? You should have been home half an hour ago,” he said. I fell against him and nuzzled under his chin. He put his big strong arms around me and pulled me in.
“We have a big problem,” I whispered against his chest. “Ben just quit.”