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“How’s he doing?”
“Good, I think. He took off on a vacation not long after I hired him, which sorta upset me, but he’s back now, and he’s been checking in every day. He’s gonna give me a report this morning on the latest. He’s been nosing around Clarice’s operation undercover, he says, trying to get some info from her staff. He says he has some new leads, and he’s gonna fill me in on them soon. He took a look at my personal laptop, too. I had a bunch of details about the launch plan on there, and he thinks someone got onto it. Maybe even broke into my place to do it.”
Jordan curses under his breath. “Man, you’re talking about spying, right? Like, someone’s all up in your business.”
“Looks like it.”
“That’s rough.”
“No kidding. I don’t have time to deal with this, but that’s what he’s for. He’ll figure it out. He better. That last failed launch really messed with my profit margins for the last quarter.”
“Sorry, man.”
“I don’t want pity. I’ll be fine. If I can get to the bottom of this and stop it, the next launch will be better.”
I know my company puts out good products. Products people want. And I know how competitive business can be, too, so I’m not going to waste time feeling sorry for myself about the situation.
Fit For Life can use underhanded strategies—spying, trespassing, stealing information—if that’s the game Clarice wants to play. But she won’t get away with it. I’ll figure out what she’s up to. I’ll learn exactly how she stole information from me, and then it won’t happen again. I will get lawyers involved. She’ll learn that Brock Benson is not a guy to mess with.
Jordan heads for the showers.
I perch on the bench and take a minute to sort through a couple of messages and emails. Kate texted me from Alaska. Though I usually ignore her texts, this time, I write out a response to ask how it’s going.
Gwen passed on a few updates from her yesterday, and they actually touched my heart. Kate’s nervous about the moment when Sawyer’s boat will get in tomorrow morning. Apparently, she’s had a lot of time to think up there in Alaska. She’s realized how much she wants a family.
When Kate has her baby, I’ll become an uncle.
How will that feel? What kind of uncle will I be?
Gwen and I talked a little bit last night about that, too, while we rambled around with the dogs. She said her aunts helped raise her. She got all sappy when she talked about them and how special they are to her.
It’d be pretty freaking cool if my niece or nephew ever talked about me like that.
Maybe my mom and Gwen are both onto something with this advice they’re giving me about Kate.
I am her older brother. I should try to be involved and supportive.
Jordan says I’ve changed, more than I can see, since my young-adult years. Maybe the same is true about Kate.
I respect how attentive Gwen is when listening to people. That’s a cool skill to have. I should try to be a little more like that.
I do get too caught up in my own stuff. My own world. I could be better.
Jordan heads out to start his day, and I make my way toward the weight room.
I do a few quick sets, still distracted. This is the extra that I’m known for putting in. I like to go above and beyond what other people are willing to do.
I push myself.
I always have.
When the sets are done, I take a quick shower and then get dressed. As I head out of the locker room, I place a call to Bailey Marks. He has a big fight coming up, and I need to reschedule the session that I canceled last night.
More importantly, I need to make sure our friendship’s still strong.
We catch up as I walk down the long hallway. He’s winding down his day while I’m just getting fired up. Though he sounds wiped out, he also sounds positive and confident, and I tell him so. He gets pumped up as we talk, and so do I.
It’s good to hear that he’s not upset about the canceled session. As I near the shipping department, we wrap up the call.
