business, young lady.”
She waved at him as she walked away. “I’m counting on it!”
SIX
“We need to talk,” Angie said. Those four words were never good. Especially when they were spoken in a serious voice after Dylan had gone to bed. They usually meant that she thought Craig had done something wrong and that he was about to get a lecture.
Sure enough, Angie put down the magazine she’d been reading, picked up the remote and turned down the volume on the television. “You’re spending way too much time at work. I don’t like it and neither does Dylan.”
“What are you talking about? I take one day off and go out with Tyler and some of the guys—”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”
He was silent.
“Even when you’re here these days, you’re not here . Where was your head at dinner? Did you even notice that Dylan ate all of the hummus I put on his plate? Dylan! Hummus!”
“That’s great.”
“Last night, you were online for nearly three hours. Lately, it seems like you’re on that computer every night. I’m surprised you’re here with me right now. And it wasn’t just the one time you went out with your buddies; each day you’ve been coming home later and later, leaving earlier in the morning—”
“I told you, while the consultants are here I have to—”
“I get that. I do. But when Dylan was born, we agreed that we would take up the slack for each other. I make his breakfast, make his lunch, take him to school, pick him up, take care of him in the afternoon, and I cook dinner for all of us. You’re supposed to help me out at night. You can’t spend all your time hiding in your study.”
“What can I say? Things are…up in the air right now. We had personal interviews today with the consultants. Or, rather, everyone else in the division had interviews; interviews so top secret that they were forced to sign confidentiality agreements promising they wouldn’t talk about what they talked about. Me? I didn’t have to sign anything. They asked me a few generic questions and sent me on my merry way. Phil, too.”
“What does that mean?” Angie looked worried. “Do you think you’re out?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what it means. But it doesn’t look good.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“I’m telling you now.”
“But you weren’t going to. You sat here in silence watching TV, and you wouldn’t’ve mentioned a thing if I hadn’t brought all this up.”
He said nothing. She was right.
“We need to communicate,” Angie said. “You can’t just keep things to yourself. We’re in this together, and we should be able to talk about it.”
“You’re right,” he told her. “You’re right. I didn’t want to worry you, but that’s no excuse.”
She put a hand on his arm. “Should you be sending out résumés? How serious is this?”
He sighed. “I don’t know. I thought I was safe. But this weird interview thing threw me for a loop.” He shook his head. “The problem is, it’s a bad time in the industry to be job hunting. That’s why CompWare’s in trouble. It’s not just that our market share is down—the whole market is contracting.”
“Yeah, but you have great qualifications. And you look good on paper.”
“Hopefully, it won’t come up,” he told her. “Right now, I’m just going to ride it out and see what happens.” Smiling, he patted her hand. “And I’ll be there more for you guys. I promise”
“I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
“It’s not,” he said. “And I’m sorry.”
She picked up the remote and turned off the television. “Why don’t we go to bed.”
“Why? It’s kind of early. Are you tired?”
She looked into his eyes. “No.”
Grinning, he stood, pulling her up and off the couch. “Let’s go.”
****
Angie was still asleep when he awoke on Saturday
She waved at him as she walked away. “I’m counting on it!”
SIX
“We need to talk,” Angie said. Those four words were never good. Especially when they were spoken in a serious voice after Dylan had gone to bed. They usually meant that she thought Craig had done something wrong and that he was about to get a lecture.
Sure enough, Angie put down the magazine she’d been reading, picked up the remote and turned down the volume on the television. “You’re spending way too much time at work. I don’t like it and neither does Dylan.”
“What are you talking about? I take one day off and go out with Tyler and some of the guys—”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”
He was silent.
“Even when you’re here these days, you’re not here . Where was your head at dinner? Did you even notice that Dylan ate all of the hummus I put on his plate? Dylan! Hummus!”
“That’s great.”
“Last night, you were online for nearly three hours. Lately, it seems like you’re on that computer every night. I’m surprised you’re here with me right now. And it wasn’t just the one time you went out with your buddies; each day you’ve been coming home later and later, leaving earlier in the morning—”
“I told you, while the consultants are here I have to—”
“I get that. I do. But when Dylan was born, we agreed that we would take up the slack for each other. I make his breakfast, make his lunch, take him to school, pick him up, take care of him in the afternoon, and I cook dinner for all of us. You’re supposed to help me out at night. You can’t spend all your time hiding in your study.”
“What can I say? Things are…up in the air right now. We had personal interviews today with the consultants. Or, rather, everyone else in the division had interviews; interviews so top secret that they were forced to sign confidentiality agreements promising they wouldn’t talk about what they talked about. Me? I didn’t have to sign anything. They asked me a few generic questions and sent me on my merry way. Phil, too.”
“What does that mean?” Angie looked worried. “Do you think you’re out?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what it means. But it doesn’t look good.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“I’m telling you now.”
“But you weren’t going to. You sat here in silence watching TV, and you wouldn’t’ve mentioned a thing if I hadn’t brought all this up.”
He said nothing. She was right.
“We need to communicate,” Angie said. “You can’t just keep things to yourself. We’re in this together, and we should be able to talk about it.”
“You’re right,” he told her. “You’re right. I didn’t want to worry you, but that’s no excuse.”
She put a hand on his arm. “Should you be sending out résumés? How serious is this?”
He sighed. “I don’t know. I thought I was safe. But this weird interview thing threw me for a loop.” He shook his head. “The problem is, it’s a bad time in the industry to be job hunting. That’s why CompWare’s in trouble. It’s not just that our market share is down—the whole market is contracting.”
“Yeah, but you have great qualifications. And you look good on paper.”
“Hopefully, it won’t come up,” he told her. “Right now, I’m just going to ride it out and see what happens.” Smiling, he patted her hand. “And I’ll be there more for you guys. I promise”
“I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
“It’s not,” he said. “And I’m sorry.”
She picked up the remote and turned off the television. “Why don’t we go to bed.”
“Why? It’s kind of early. Are you tired?”
She looked into his eyes. “No.”
Grinning, he stood, pulling her up and off the couch. “Let’s go.”
****
Angie was still asleep when he awoke on Saturday
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