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didn’t already know he was one of the wealthiest men in town, she’d think she was trying to shake him down for his last cent.  She couldn’t imagine being that big of a penny pincher.  What was the point of having money anyway if you couldn’t enjoy it?
    Finally, Max made his decision.  “Alright, we have a deal.”
    Daisy smiled.  “Great.”
     
     
     
     
    ***
     
     
     
     
    With the deal struck, Max and Daisy left his office to get a check cut for the redecorating job.
    Before they had a chance to make it to the bookkeeper’s desk, Max stopped at the desk of his paralegal Jennifer Webster. 
    “Have you made a break in the Stanton case yet?” he asked. 
    Jennifer was a mousy woman in her early thirties.  She looked like a high school librarian with her unflattering glasses and long, loose-fitting dress.  Compared to the other women in the office, Jennifer looked more homely than ever. 
    A half full yogurt container sat at the corner of her desk which was clearly left over from breakfast, as well as what appeared to be the world’s largest coffee travel mug.  Jennifer was the kind of woman that spent most of her day at her desk, whether by choice or by job design.     
    There were stacks of papers and a pile of law books all around her.  Daisy felt so bad for her.  Jennifer had the kind of job that no one envied.  High stress, low on the totem pole, with no appreciation.  It looked like she was doing the work of three people. 
    “I haven’t gotten to that yet.  I’m still busy working on the Bosley case,” Jennifer replied.  
    “You have to pick up the pace.  I really need to make headway on the Stanton case,” Max insisted.
    Jennifer gave him a reluctant nod. 
    Max then started walking away.  
    Daisy meanwhile caught Jennifer muttering under her breath. 
    “Jerk,” Jennifer grumbled, to herself.
     
     
     
     
    ***
     
     
     
     
    Finally Max and Daisy reached Jackson Madsen’s desk.  Like so many of the other employees at the law office, Jackson looked burnt out.  He was the onsite bookkeeper.  It was very much a ‘jack of all trades’ kind of office with each employee wearing a number of hats.  For Jackson, that meant handling accounts payable, accounts receiving, payroll, and general bookkeeping. 
    He was around Daisy’s age, but looked much older because of the stress lines on his face.  He looked like he was ready to pull his hair out. 
    Jackson had short sandy brown hair, light blue eyes, and a body that could only be attained through frequent trips to the gym.  Unfortunately, the only thing Daisy saw when she looked at him was a bundle of stress.  She even saw a bit of graying around the temples in his hair.   
    Some people had a way of staying cool under pressure.  They could keep a level head about them even when things were getting hot around the collar.  Jackson was just the opposite.  He wore his emotions on his sleeve for everyone to see, and they weren’t pretty. 
    Daisy felt bad for him.  It was clearly a pressure cooker of an environment to work in.  Jackson had a large stack of papers in front of him.  He looked ready to crack at any moment. 
    Max meanwhile was as cool as could be. 
    “Jackson, I need a check cut for Miss McDare,” Max said.
    When Jackson looked up from the papers he was rummaging through, he had the most peevish look on his face.  As if the thought of doing one more thing on top of everything else he had on his plate would send him over the edge. 
    Daisy had seen disgruntled employees at other workplaces before, but they usually tried to hide their unhappiness better.  Here the employees let their bitterness simmer just under the surface. 
    “Ok.  Just write down the amount and I’ll try to get to it before lunch,” Jackson replied, annoyed. 
    “I need it now,” Max insisted. 
    Jackson sighed.  He moved his stack of papers to the side and put on a fake smile for Max.   
    “Coming right up then,”