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but that’s about it.”
    “Looking at your main server told me that already. No worries, though. We’ll get it all straightened out.” Guy folded his arms straining his already snug black t-shirt around his biceps. So that’s what water polo does for you .
    “I was just looking over Bill’s schedule.”
    “Any problems?” he asked.
    The schedule called for both individual and whole server backups and upgrades along with new software installations. “No, why would there be?”
    “I don’t know. Some people get nervous when I start poking around in their computers.”
    “You shouldn’t have any problems here. Our staff is professional and hardworking.” I paused for serious contemplation effect. “But … will you do me a favor?”
    “Sure. What is it?”
    “Come to me first if you find something you’re unsure about. We’ve got a great company here, and I’d hate to start pointing fingers at people I count on every day.” I meant every word even though I was deflecting attention from myself. A lot of hard work went into building these relationships, and it’s not easy gaining respect from people that were there before you. Howard says I’m like a steaming Jacuzzi. When you first get a feel for the water, you might wince and recoil. But once you get inside and get used to it, it’s comforting and you don’t want to leave. I love that about him. He knows me better than anyone else and always seems to find the good in me.
    “Of course. I totally understand,” Guy said with a reassuring smile.
    “Great, thanks.” Then an awkward pause put a halt to our first sincere conversation.
    After a couple of moments, Guy eased himself out of the chair. “Okay. I’ll let you get back to work now. I’m just going to check in with Unc, I mean, Bill.” Then he inched toward the door.
    “Well, let me know if you need anything.” I turned to my computer, but still felt his presence. I looked up again. “Was there something else you needed, Guy?”
    “I, uh, wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings between us. About the other night?” He glanced from side to side, looking for anyone within ear shot.
    Hadn’t I just been accommodating and polite ? I thought. “Not at all. It caught me by surprise, that’s all.”
    He let out a breath and offered a grin. “Great. I wanted to make sure, since we’ll be working so closely together on everything and we’ll need to spend time together on the launch.”
    “No, it’s all good,” I said, brushing him off and turning back to my screen.
    “And especially with us doing MediaWest together,” he said as he backed through the doorway.
    “Yeah, I—” What?
     

Chapter 5
     
    “All right, look alive, you old farts. Who had the roast beef?”
    “Right here,” Lou answered with a whistle instead of words. That was half of his vocabulary.
    “D’you get my corn chips, Emma Jean?” Fred asked from the other side of the table.
    “Hold your dentures, old man, they’re here somewhere.” Pop and his friends were the only ones I allowed to use my middle name. I rummaged through the bag until I found Fred’s addiction. “Got it.” I tossed the bag over to him a little too hard. He reached up and caught it with one hand. Lou gave a long slow whistle indicating it was a nice catch.
    Once a month I did my duty picking up sandwiches for Pop and his Hugh Hefner–wannabe buddies for their poker night. I loved to complain about it, but I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Pop raised me after mom died, and Lou was like an uncle. A smart-ass, swearing uncle who slipped me dollar bills when he needed me to behave, but an uncle none the less. There were times in my life where I considered these guys my closest friends. They were my life line, my back-up plan for weekend nights. And I cashed in more than I should have for a young, semi attractive adult.
    “So you gonna stick around this time?” Pop asked when I finished doling out the grub.
    “You might be able