sheet of paper.
Jessica looked at the numbers, at me, at Max and back to me
again.
“That’s it?” she asked.
“That’s it,” I replied with a smile.
Jessica began dialing and Christine couldn’t help but pipe
up.
“Oh for God’s sake, that’s never going to work,” she said.
“No one does these ruse calls anymore, because they don’t work.”
“Well, we’ll just see won’t we?” Max said. He was eyeing me.
I knew he was wondering if I could pull it off. No one hoped that more than I.
I watched Jessica and was amazed at her confidence, how she
took direction and applied it immediately. This was obviously foreign turf for
her, but she picked it up without blinking an eye.
“Hello?... yes… this is Susan at extension 337 at the
Clarion offices... Right… someone just called… no, I don’t know who it was… he
was asking for names out of the company directory… no, he didn’t say who he
was… no, I don’t know!” Her voice was more emphatic this time and I wondered if
our mask of deception might be slipping. “He left this number, though… yes…”
She read him the number, thanked him and hung up.
“Very nicely done,” I said.
“Really?” Jessica asked. Her face was hopeful. I hadn’t been
around anyone like this. Eager to learn, not jaded or cynical.
“Absolutely.”
“I don’t see what that accomplished,” Christine said.
“You’re not any closer to recruiting that person now than you were before.”
“Do you really think he’ll call?” Ellis asked. He saw
through the posturing and bull to what the entire point of the exercise was, to
get Chris to call me.
I raised my cell phone and looked at the display. I wasn’t
grandstanding. I wasn’t putting on a show. I waited… a beat… then two… I could
feel everyone watching me… and then my phone rang. I allowed myself the
smallest of smiles before I answered.
“Hello, Christopher.”
“Oh, son of a bitch…” He said, his voice barely a whisper.
It was him. No number of years could make me forget that
guy.
“I thought you were dead…” he breathed.
“Those rumors have been greatly exaggerated,” I said. “Got a
minute? Or would you like me to come down to your office for a visit?”
“No, no, no… don’t come down here,” he said. Chris was
panicky. I could imagine him looking for a conference room or his office,
anywhere that he could talk and not be overheard. “Ok, go ahead. I can talk
now.”
“Been behaving yourself?” I asked.
“Yeah, yeah… straight and narrow, man.”
“Good. Hate to hear otherwise. Look. I need something.”
“Wh-what is it?”
I smiled to myself. I had his attention and he knew that
there was nowhere on the planet that he could hide from me. One way or another,
I’d track him down.
“I have a little project I want to talk to you about with
the Federal Government…”
“Oh my God…”
***
We walked out of the office after
the call and I hung back to walk out with Jessica. She smiled at me.
“Thanks for including me on that,” she said.
“Oh, I was glad to do it,” I said. “You were perfect.”
“Yes, it looks like it actually worked,” Christine offered.
She’d been walking out ahead of us, but couldn’t help but interject her
opinion. “Congratulations.”
Christine gave me a pinched smile before she turned and
walked away. Somehow I couldn’t help but feel like I’d won a battle but was
losing the war with her. Like winning an argument with your wife… you don’t
really win.
Standing next to Jessica, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d
done some good though. I was getting the impression that maybe she trusted me a
little, maybe even liked me a little. Not that I was hoping for anything. I just
wasn’t looking for enemies.
“I really couldn’t have pulled that off without you,” I
said.
“You would have thought of something,” she offered.
“I did. You were the best idea I’ve had all week.”
She smiled and we
Jessica looked at the numbers, at me, at Max and back to me
again.
“That’s it?” she asked.
“That’s it,” I replied with a smile.
Jessica began dialing and Christine couldn’t help but pipe
up.
“Oh for God’s sake, that’s never going to work,” she said.
“No one does these ruse calls anymore, because they don’t work.”
“Well, we’ll just see won’t we?” Max said. He was eyeing me.
I knew he was wondering if I could pull it off. No one hoped that more than I.
I watched Jessica and was amazed at her confidence, how she
took direction and applied it immediately. This was obviously foreign turf for
her, but she picked it up without blinking an eye.
“Hello?... yes… this is Susan at extension 337 at the
Clarion offices... Right… someone just called… no, I don’t know who it was… he
was asking for names out of the company directory… no, he didn’t say who he
was… no, I don’t know!” Her voice was more emphatic this time and I wondered if
our mask of deception might be slipping. “He left this number, though… yes…”
She read him the number, thanked him and hung up.
“Very nicely done,” I said.
“Really?” Jessica asked. Her face was hopeful. I hadn’t been
around anyone like this. Eager to learn, not jaded or cynical.
“Absolutely.”
“I don’t see what that accomplished,” Christine said.
“You’re not any closer to recruiting that person now than you were before.”
“Do you really think he’ll call?” Ellis asked. He saw
through the posturing and bull to what the entire point of the exercise was, to
get Chris to call me.
I raised my cell phone and looked at the display. I wasn’t
grandstanding. I wasn’t putting on a show. I waited… a beat… then two… I could
feel everyone watching me… and then my phone rang. I allowed myself the
smallest of smiles before I answered.
“Hello, Christopher.”
“Oh, son of a bitch…” He said, his voice barely a whisper.
It was him. No number of years could make me forget that
guy.
“I thought you were dead…” he breathed.
“Those rumors have been greatly exaggerated,” I said. “Got a
minute? Or would you like me to come down to your office for a visit?”
“No, no, no… don’t come down here,” he said. Chris was
panicky. I could imagine him looking for a conference room or his office,
anywhere that he could talk and not be overheard. “Ok, go ahead. I can talk
now.”
“Been behaving yourself?” I asked.
“Yeah, yeah… straight and narrow, man.”
“Good. Hate to hear otherwise. Look. I need something.”
“Wh-what is it?”
I smiled to myself. I had his attention and he knew that
there was nowhere on the planet that he could hide from me. One way or another,
I’d track him down.
“I have a little project I want to talk to you about with
the Federal Government…”
“Oh my God…”
***
We walked out of the office after
the call and I hung back to walk out with Jessica. She smiled at me.
“Thanks for including me on that,” she said.
“Oh, I was glad to do it,” I said. “You were perfect.”
“Yes, it looks like it actually worked,” Christine offered.
She’d been walking out ahead of us, but couldn’t help but interject her
opinion. “Congratulations.”
Christine gave me a pinched smile before she turned and
walked away. Somehow I couldn’t help but feel like I’d won a battle but was
losing the war with her. Like winning an argument with your wife… you don’t
really win.
Standing next to Jessica, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d
done some good though. I was getting the impression that maybe she trusted me a
little, maybe even liked me a little. Not that I was hoping for anything. I just
wasn’t looking for enemies.
“I really couldn’t have pulled that off without you,” I
said.
“You would have thought of something,” she offered.
“I did. You were the best idea I’ve had all week.”
She smiled and we
Similar Books
