Quarantine Pet - His Pet

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “How’re things in the Hamptons?”

“Great-great,” I assured him. “Sandra’s been a real help.”

“Uh-huh,” he replied skeptically. “You’re unbelievable sometimes.”

“What?”

Kelton would not elaborate. There was a division between him and me. We were both friends, but he was my employee. He knew that once he crossed that Rubicon, there’d be no coming back from it. It was best he didn’t know all the details.

“Anyhow, the wife’s out getting supplies,” he explained. “Turns out, women are a lot less vulnerable to this virus. Did you know that?”

“Hadn’t heard.”

“Yeah, I’ve been reading everything about it. Thankfully, the kids are the least likely to get it,” he noted. “Unless you have some kind of serious underlying condition for comorbidity.”

“Wow, you really have read up on this.”

“Yeah, well, it’s all anyone’s talking about on TV,” he sighed. “The wife was freaking out. The kids got a little scared. Then they started playing fireman and sort of forgot what we were talking about.”

“Sounds like the family is going to pull through.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know about you guys, but we’re constantly cleaning everything now. We’ve gone through like three bottles of spray bleach. Everything that comes into the house has to be wiped down.”

“Wow, you guys are really going gung-ho.”

“You have to, boss,” Kelton said seriously. “Even if you order something through Amazon. I heard one of the warehouses had an infection. The box, the packaging, the item, you gotta get rid of it or wipe it down. And then you have to wipe down anything it touched on the way in and then wash your hands, maybe even your clothes.”

“Don’t you think you’re taking it to the extreme?” I asked.

“Not taking any chances,” Kelton replied. “If one of us gets it, we’re all gonna get it. And the weird thing is, the wife and I are more at risk than the kids. Ain’t that something?”

“I’m sure they’ll come up with a vaccine soon.”

“Takes sixteen years.”

“What?”

“That’s what I read online. For a real vaccine that works, sixteen years is the average time.”

“No, way. They said eighteen months!”

“That’s just the first one they allow people to take,” he corrected. “No, the first one that’ll work on a large scale? Sixteen years on average.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah, right?”

The door suddenly opened in Kelton’s room, and the noise level instantly shot up. The girl was screaming that one of her brothers stole her favorite doll, while one of the kids whined about lunch.

“I gotta go,” sighed Kelton. “Text me if you need anything. I’m going to be elbow deep in lunch for the next hour or so, though.”

“Thanks, Kelton. Good luck,” I chuckled.

Kelton’s domesticated life was something to envy. He already had three kids. What did I have? A hedonistic lifestyle and no legacy. Could I have that with someone like Sandra? Could I have both? It was hard to tell from where I was sitting.

Chapter Seven – Sandra

I’m not sure what to think about quarantining with Jack. I mean, does he do this with all the women he’s with? He’s definitely hiding something behind those eyes, but I can’t exactly tell what. Seems like it would be kind of boring if it was just sex. Not that I’m saying I wouldn’t have sex with Jack. He’s definitely a hottie and all, but I’m sensing there’s something — that wouldn’t be enough in this scenario.

Shore Communications was a telecommunications company along the river, thus the name. Whether or not Davies and Sons would represent them was a big deal, and there were plenty of other law firms in the city that could do it. The question I had to answer was: why Davies and Sons?

Then it hit me. Davies and Sons started on the river too with their original offices. I checked into it, and it turned out, they still had those offices. While the primary firm moved downtown, they had still kept the original. That was the connection. Two companies that started by the river had to stick together. It was an angle that would separate us from the competition. I presented my findings to Jack, bubbling with excitement.

“Hmm, yes,” he agreed neutrally. “Both companies started on the river. That’s very good. Something personal that will get us in. Thanks, Sandra. Why don’t you draft an email pitch for my approval and we’ll get that right out.”

It took a great deal of effort not to let my whole body deflate. That was it? What happened to the secret reward he pitched? Where was all that? Was he fucking with me? Did he do all this just to get free work out of me?

If that was true, then Mr. Harris could forget about anything else. God! What a fool I was! Here I am thinking he’s interested in, well, something sexual, I guess, and he’s just using me for my lawyering skills! So weird. I feel like I’ve been stood up.