Sutton
The following week got harder with each day that passed. It wasn’t like I’d expected flowers, but I’d stupidly gotten my hopes up that Jagger would makesomecontact. But it was already Wednesday, and I hadn’t heard or seen hide nor hair of the boss. The fact that I knew he was somewhere in the building made it even worse. Because it would’ve been so easy for him to reach me.
My disappointment was palpable. There was a pet store a few doors down from the coffee shop I stopped at every morning to pick up a bagel, and this poor basset hound sat in the window staring outside, looking so sad. I’d realized today when I passed that I felt like he did.
I needed to pull myself out of this glum mood, but that was easier said than done when Jagger’s name was frequently mentioned at work. Today it was because he’d been personally named in a lawsuit the DOJ had filed against Apex, alleging that their algorithm violated the rules against price-fixing stocks, though somehow without ever having direct communication with the companiesthemselves. It was way above my basic legal knowledge, but I’d listened intently as one of the executives explained the government’s position during the morning briefing. A little while later, I was at my desk reading more about it when Jack stopped by.
“Hey.” He lifted his chin to my screen. “I see my department isn’t the only one trying to figure out how the hell the DOJ is making the connection between the algo and price fixing.”
I smiled. “Yeah, it’s definitely interesting.”
He smiled and held up his mug. “I’m guessing this might not be my last trip of the day to fix myself the good stuff. Looks like we’re going to be here all day and night. I already heard Langston is on the warpath and expects us to understand the nine-hundred-page document the DOJ put together by morning, even though we found out about it at the same time he did today.”
Maybe this was the reason Jagger hadn’t made contact this week. Maybe it had nothing to do with me. He was just tied up putting out a potential fire. I exhaled and nodded. “That should keep you all busy.”
“I need to get back downstairs, but I’ve been meaning to stop by and talk to you. Have you ever heard of Big Snow?”
“I don’t think so?”
“It’s an indoor skiing and snowboarding place near the Meadowlands.”
“Really? Indoor?”
He laughed. “I know, seems odd. But they have chairlifts and everything. A couple of my buddies and I went in May when they had a special snowboarding event, and we had a blast. I wanted to see if you’d be interested in going next weekend.”
“That sounds like fun. Are your buddies who are going people from work?”
“Actually, my buddies went last time. I was asking ifyouwanted to go—just me and you next weekend.”
“Oh.”
I was grateful that my desk phone rang, interrupting our conversation. “Excuse me.”
The digital preview told me the call was coming from inside the building, yet I still wasn’t prepared for the voice that spoke.
“He has much more pressing things he should be working on.”
Jagger.My eyes widened. He was watching me over the security feed again.
“Umm…hi.”
I turned back around to face Jack, but my gaze stretched over his shoulder to the round globe in the ceiling. I hadn’t realized how obvious I was until Jack turned and followed my line of sight.Shoot.Not wanting to explain, and definitely not wanting to answer the question he’d asked me while on the phone with Jagger, I pointed to the receiver and then covered the mouthpiece of the phone. “I need to take this.”
He nodded and lifted a hand in a silent wave as he started to walk away, so I took my hand off the mouthpiece—just as he called over his shoulder, “Let me know about next weekend whenever you have time.”
Jack was barely out of my earshot when Jagger’s voice came through the line.
“What’s next weekend?”
I looked up at the camera. “How long have you been watching me?”
“Today or in general? And you didn’t answer my question.”
“Well, both, I guess. And I’ll answer your question after you answer mine.”
The line went silent, but I knew Jagger was still there. “Since your first day, and you were later than usual this morning.”
“I stopped into the pet store a few doors down to ask if I could pet one of their dogs that looked like he needed it.”
