These Troubled Days by James Tarr

Author:James Tarr [Tarr, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: N11
Published: 2021-05-25T04:00:00+00:00

SPRING

Chapter XIII

Harold Maguire stood near the windows in one of the corners of the large function hall, off and away to himself after a few hours of nonstop schmoozing. He looked out over Boston from Arbitrage Tower, finishing his cocktail as some of the city’s elite Party members and corporate types laughed and drank and traded gossip and told great tales. Harold fiddled with the cherry stem as he stared out at the city skyscrapers and the sea of construction cranes lit up at night. What a difference a few weeks makes, he thought.

A waiter made the rounds. Harold adjusted the pocket square in his suit and ordered another Manhattan as his old friend Joe Grant approached him.

“Harold! How are you holding up here?”

“Doing fine. Just taking a break from the beautiful people. Great views here. I haven’t been in a skyscraper this high in ages. When I was, it was the observation deck.”

“Picture windows,” said Joe with a laugh. “Get used to them. Play your cards right and you’ll be doing all your work out of the Tower. You know, you’re a big hit at this get together. You’re doing everything right, and I think a lot of people are excited about what we’re planning with the Facility. Our strategy could be replicated nationwide if we get this right.” A fair woman in her early forties and a slim figure came up behind Grant and placed her hand on his shoulder, enveloping him in an embrace. “Speaking of me getting it right…”

Harold smiled timidly and extended his free hand to shake hers. “How are you, Jackie?”

“Harold, it’s wonderful to see you. I trust Joe has been treating you well. You can tell me you know. I’ll straighten him out if he’s not treating you right!”

Joe laughed. “That’s right, she will!”

Harold looked down at his empty glass.

“Harold,” said Jackie as she readjusted her tone. “I want you to know how much this means to us. I know that it means the world the Joe that you said yes to working with him. Particularly after everything.”

“Thank you, Jackie,” said Harold. “I’m learning to go on. There’s still work left to be done.”

“This is why everybody loves you, Harold!” Jackie gave him a hug. She held him by the back of the head. “You’re the strongest man I know. I feel honored that you’re in our lives.”

They must be half in the wrapper, Harold thought. He’s bright pink and she’s doing the weepy drunk shit. Jackie relinquished her grip as the waiter came back and handed the Manhattan to Harold, who traded in his empty glass and had a good gulp of his third cocktail. “How’s your son doing?”

“Tony’s taking a semester off,” said Joe. “He went with his friends to Bali for the Spring Term.”

“Does that have you guys nervous?” Harold thought of how he had deliberately kept Aiden away from Tony Grant after a certain age. Aiden was growing into such a wonderful child. Tony was a snot from the get-go, a brat who acted like his entitled sneers were divine commandments.

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