Rooms - James L. Rubart [28]
Late Thursday afternoon he went to his office window and watched little beads of rain scurry down the pane like ants on their way to a picnic. His team was working like a Swiss watch—precise and efficient. It was the best of times. RimSoft had just announced a 23 percent rise in sales for the quarter. The week before a vendor handed him a Seattle Seahawks suite. Another gave him an Italian cruise for eight friends and him aboard the Wind Surf anytime he wanted to go. And market share for each of their products was climbing.
Micah paced in front of his desk and tried to feel like a little kid at Christmas again. These were grown-up presents few ever found under the tree. He should be thrilled. He sat at his computer, and a few seconds later a satellite image of Cannon Beach filled his screen. After a few minutes of staring at his house from above, he shot an e-mail to Shannon giving her the Italian cruise. She would enjoy it much more than he would.
He scratched the back of his head and stood, then continued pacing. What was wrong with him?
That weekend he stayed in Seattle to break up his routine. That’s what he told himself. Reality was the house had spooked him into staying in town. Maybe Rick was right; God was in it. But maybe his dad was right, and Archie had built a haunted mansion that would eventually kill him.
Micah played basketball on Saturday, then took himself to a movie that night. He should have seen it with Julie. Why didn’t he ask her? She was smart, beautiful, and perfect at those cocktail parties where she always seemed to meet just the right people to bring them more contracts worth millions. An ideal business partner in the boardroom and on the schmooze circuit. They were perfect for each other. And they looked great together on the cover of Fast Company. Perfect couple. Perfect life.
Next month they’d be featured on the cover of Wired.
He tried to care about being on top of the world, but the emotion flitted away like a startled hummingbird. His life with RimSoft and Julie was a movie set. Picture-perfect buildings from the front, every blade of grass in place; but when you went around the back, there was nothing but two by fours propping up a facade.
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Monday morning Micah walked through Schmitz Park, a lush green paradise even longtime Seattle residents sometimes weren’t aware of. Earmarked in the early 1900s for preservation by the city, it boasted long, winding paths running from the north side of Alki Point almost two miles south into the heart of West Seattle’s residential district.
In the center of the park, he sat down and gazed at the massive maple tree above him. A seedling whirled slowly down, back and forth like it was on an invisible string, till it landed on his knee. A feeling of peace flavored with hope and adventure settled on him. An emotion he never felt in Seattle anymore. One he felt almost constantly in Cannon Beach.
After roaming the trails for a few more minutes, he called Shannon.
“You’re not at the office,” she said.
“I took a walk.”
“A what? A walk? You took a walk?”
“Yeah. In a park.”
“Instead of coming in to work?”
“Yes.” Micah ambled toward his car.
“The temptation to ask why is bubbling out of me.”
“Don’t.”
“Then at least tell me if you came to any great conclusions about life, liberty, and the pursuit of software.”
“Actually, I did. And because of those conclusions, I need you to check and see if Julie’s free for lunch today. Or for an afternoon meeting. And if that’s booked, then dinner or breakfast and so on.”
“My internal radar says big change is coming.”
“Yeah.”
“Should I notify a disaster cleanup crew about the meeting?”
“Not a bad idea.”
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At one o’clock he walked toward Julie’s office with his heart ticking at least a few beats faster than normal. It wasn’t every day you dropped a nuclear bomb on your partner’s desk.
She didn’t look up as he walked in.
“We need to talk, Julie.”
“Okay.” Her eyes stayed riveted