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walk by.
    I make it to my car and remove my jacket before I get in, and I turn the AC on full blast as soon as I turn the ignition on. While waiting for the AC to cool the interior of the car and me, I think about the best way to get to my house south of the city. I hit the home button on the GPS and have Siri worry about getting me there in the shortest time.
    For the first time in a while, I think I might actually stay at home and sleep in my bed. There’s a calmness over me I haven’t felt in years. Maybe the kids wore me out with tossing the football around and playing a few games of hoops. I told the boys I let Emily win, but she smoked me, twice. I guess I’m a little rusty. Mmm. The way our bodies touched, the smell of her perfume; I won’t soon forget Emily Janes.
    Pulling onto the road that runs in front of the center, I head toward the interstate. As the familiar scenes of the city fade away, I know I’ll be home in under twenty minutes. I can’t wait to get these shoes off, they aren’t meant to play basketball in.

 
    A fter the hour drive to Mom’s last night, I crashed after dinner. The celebration was superb, and I’m excited that we had such a huge turnout. However, it made for a very busy and long day. Mom and I have an appointment at the spa this morning. We’ve only visited the spa a few times and she said this was something we needed to do; we need to take care of ourselves.
    We arrive early, and the receptionist asks us to take a seat until they are ready for us. There’s a side table full of magazines and I pick one from the stack, not paying attention to which one I grab.
    Flipping through the pages of the magazine, none of the stories grab my attention, and I’m about to shut the magazine when a picture of a familiar face catches my attention. I open the magazine to view the full article about CU Gold Company’s New CFO Patrick H. Matheson.
    I read the article, and I see he’s single to my surprise, he’s a graduate of the University of Nevada Reno and interned at CUGC—so that’s how he got into the company? Skimming through the fluffiness of the piece, the mention of losing his mom has me backing up to reread word for word the rest of the article.
    Wow, his mom passed away from a heart attack when he was seventeen. Sounds like he lost his main supporter, but found comfort from the Carlino’s, the owners of the store where he worked as a teen. He credits them for him being where he is today. Reading the last couple of paragraphs, he wants to put CUGC on the map for their effort to help end childhood hunger and poverty.
    The article floors me, could this be the same guy I was spending time with less than twenty-four hours ago? I met the self-assured and well composed business man yesterday, but this article describes a complex, compassionate, and in a way, a quixotic man who wants to change the world.
    I put the magazine down and replay the conversations I had with Patrick, and—
    “Are you okay,” my mom asks from the other side of the side table.
    “Yes, just thinking about this guy I met yesterday,” I say, thinking of Patrick’s drool worthy suit clad body.
    “Oh?” Her curiosity is piqued.
    “The man who presented me with the check yesterday at the celebration, the magazine I was reading had an article about him, and the way they painted him seemed different from the man I met yesterday.”
    “Which one do you think is really him?” She raises her eyebrow at me.
    “Possibly a little of both. I think he was out of his comfort zone yesterday, but after reading the article, it’s possible the center hit too close to home.” I sigh, wondering if made a fool of myself by flirting with him.
    “You’re normally a good judge of character, I’m sure you’ll figure it out if you see him again.” She reaches across the table that separates us and pats my hand.
    “Not if…I have to schedule a meeting with him next week to discuss a project of his.”
    “I’m sure that