The day was starting at McKinley Engineering. Chad Breyer was a new engineer. He saw a woman in the coffee room, sighing as she poured her coffee.
"It's not that bad," Chad said, teasing.
"Oh, yes it is," she said. "You're young. You don't know what can happen.
He smiled. "I'm new here. My name is Chad Breyer."
"Breyer, huh," she said. "Are you any relation of Toby Breyer?"
"My little brother! How do you know him? You don't look like a gal who would be into his band's music."
"No, but my daughter is."
"What's your name?" he asked her.
"Patti Polk," she said. "My daughter's name is Taryn. Have you met her?"
"No," he said. "So does she like the Dissenters?"
"Oh, yes, and she likes Toby very much. They're even dating, so I'm surprised you don't know."
"Toby keeps that close to the vest unless he can't avoid it," Chad said. "It's like he waits for it to reach a certain stage of seriousness, you know?"
"I guess so. Maybe that's good news. Taryn is just graduating from high school this year."
"Oh, no wonder. My mother would never approve of that," Chad said. "I mean, sorry, I didn't mean that if it's OK with you it's not OK. Just that my mother can have some very strict standards."
"It's OK," Patti said. "Toby actually seems like a nice guy to me, even if he is the guitarist for one of the grungiest bands in the universe. I've heard them, a lot, going over to the London Underground with Taryn. Don't you go to see them?"
"Not as often as I'd like. I end up with other things to do and they're always playing somewhere, so it's one of those things where I think I can always go."
"Really, they get a lot of gigs?"
"Lately it seems that way, but they were always rehearsing somewhere."
"Yes. Taryn goes to the barn where they rehearse sometimes."
Dan Connor came in. "Hey, guys," he said, getting a cup of coffee.
"A lot of work to do today?" Chad asked Danny.
"Oh, sure," Danny said. "You'll get all of it too, rookie."
Chad laughed. "I know how that is."
A little while later, Patti was at her desk. A man came in, looking uncertain about where he was. He was an Asian man in his thirties.
"Can I help you?" Patti asked. He didn't look like the people who normally stopped by, that was, his clothes were not typical of engineers.
"I am looking for someone," the man said. "It is someone who worked here the last time I was in town. His name is Joseph Quinn."
"Joe, Joe Quinn," Patti mused. "He doesn't work here now. He retired."
"Oh, yes," the man said, as if he hadn't thought of it, but it sounded reasonable. "Do you know if he still lives in town?"
"I'm pretty sure he does. Danny Connor would know, and he still works here."
"Yes," the man said, "Danny Connor will know."
Patti buzzed Danny, "Who shall I say is calling?" she asked the young man.
"Jimmy," the young man said.
A few minutes later, Danny Connor came out. "Jimmy!" he exclaimed. He went over to Jimmy, shook his hand, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Danny, hello," Jimmy said. "I am looking for Joe."
"How is your mom? I hope it's not bad news."
"Sort of bad. I wanted to get help from Joe. I hope he will talk to me."
"Of course he will, old man! He's retired now."
"Can you tell him I am in town and want to talk to him?"
"I'll tell him you're here."
"Thank you, Daniel," he said. That reminded Danny of the old days, and how Joe sometimes called him "Daniel" as a sort of nickname, ironically.
"Just one favor," Danny said. "Let me tell him first, so he has a warning."
"He's not in bad health?"
"Oh, no! He's in great health for his age. Takes good care of himself. You'd know that. I only thought since he hasn't seen you in so long, that it might be easier on him to get a warning."
"OK, Danny," Jimmy said. "Thank you," he said to Patti. He gave Danny his phone number.
"Wow," Danny said, after he had gone out.
"Who is he?" Patti said.
"Joe's ex-stepson, Jimmy Nu. Joe was married to his mother a long, long time ago. She left him. Joe hasn't seen Jimmy since then."
"You still recognized him."
"He was almost grown up when I last saw him. So he only changed from young man to what he is now. Heck, I've changed less," he grinned.
"Oh, right," Patti laughed. "Me too."
Duane opened his eyes, not sure where he was. He was in a room he had never seen in the light. Sarah wasn't there, but there was a sounds of someone moving around out in the apartment and the smell of coffee.
He did not even remember going to sleep. He could only feel the shock of her skin against his for the first time, and remember how she had wrapped her legs around him. They had gone on and on, for a long time, and repeatedly. He had never been like that, even when he was young.
He felt like she had wrung every bit of tension and stress out of him. He had slept a dreamless sleep that let him open his eyes now and feel completely alert.
Sarah was watching the coffee pot, feeling very relaxed. She remember how exciting it had felt when she had become aware he wasn't resisting her any longer. Then his confidence took over, and that had been a thrill, because once he made up his mind to it he went on, determined and strong, taking off her shirt, unhooking her bra, taking everything off of her without losing anything himself. She just sighed and let him do it. He pushed her onto her bed and only then let her take his shirt off of him.
She knew she'd made a good choice; he was passionate, as she had guessed he would be once he gave in. It had been just the way sex was supposed to be, she thought. All out, in total concentration. She vaguely recalled falling asleep in his arms and waking up feeling like she had never slept so well in her life.
Finally, she heard him get up. He got dressed and came out. She handed him a cup of coffee.
"Thank you," he said.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked.
"Very. You wore me out."
She laughed and took a sip of coffee. "You wore me out," she said. She was wearing a red, silky looking robe.
"But did you sleep OK? Why are you up?"
"I did, and I must need less than you. That's individual differences, not youth."
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, good," he said. He drank some more of the coffee.
He went closer to her and looked down at her. "I forgot, your injuries. Did I hurt you?"
"A little, here and there, but it was worth it."
"No, you should have told me."
She put her coffee cup down and ran her hands over his arms, and pulled him closer. He bent his head a little and put his down too.
"I'll tell you what," she said, kissing his neck. She drove his crazy with that. "I'll tell you if you promise to just change your moves and go on and not feel guilty and apologize."
"That sounds fair enough," he said. He put his arms around her and kissed her, hard. "This is all over my head," he said. "I don't believe I'm here."
"You don't have a problem with that," Sarah said. "Anyway, it's me who is in over my head. You have had an extra twenty years of scheming, trickery and chicanery. You will outsmart me any time."
"That's not true," he said. "You're smarter than I am. I am right, because I can remember when I was your age. You can't know being mine."
"Maybe we are equal then, baby."
"I don't know about that," he said. "You got back on a horse after it threw you and you had a concussion."
"How could you possibly have known about that?"
"I have all your medical records."
"Oh, you mean, for the case?"
"Yes, Sean found out all about your previous injuries, in the dippy hope, I guess, of proving your current problems were due to the old accident."
"But that's silly."
"So he found out. But how did you get back on a horse after that, at thirteen years old? I think your are the toughest being in existence."
"Thanks for thinking that," Sarah said. "It was my fault, I wasn't wearing a helmet. I made some mistakes, but I knew then not to make them again."
"I bet you won't," he said.
Later, when Duane was leaving, he said, "Call me. I'll leave it up to you."
"I think it is your turn now," she said.
He had called her in the past, but she seemed to have made the first move most of the time. He considered this, and could see the justice in it. He was burdening her with everything.
"You are amazing," he said.
She smiled and put her arms around him. She hugged him as though it was a wonderful chance to have, to get to hug him.
"Just don't make a game out of trying to go as long as possible without calling me," Sarah said. "This is a rough point on my ego."
"I won't," he said, kissing her hair. "I promise, Sarah."