Awakening, 2nd edition Read Online Free PDF

Marketing.”
    Summers went silent. Chris waited patiently. The art of not asking unnecessary questions was among the skills Summers valued in him the most.
    “I’ve been informed about an interesting workshop that you might find useful, ” Summers said finally. “We need somebody just like you. It ’s a bit unconventional, but sounds quite attractive. Takes a week. Would you be interested?”
    His question sounded very casual.
    This time it didn’t take Chris even a second to respond.
    “Of course,” he said. “I appreciate your support and your trust.”
    Summers nodded.
    “You can pick up the paperwork from my office tomorrow. Cindy knows. And now you ’ll have to excuse me. I need to talk to these folks. Want to make sure they don ’t get any wrong ideas about these taxes.”
    Chris smiled politely.
    “Certainly. See you tomorrow, Arthur.”
    “Take care.”
    That was a good choice , Summers thought as he went towards the mingling “blockheads .” He ’s definitely the right man for the job .
    Taxes , thought Chris as he left the conference room. Like I don ’t know that you ’ve just made that up. There was nothing wrong with these taxes and we both knew it. But if the old guy wants to remind me who ’s in charge here , so be it. For now I need him more than he needs me. For now. . .
     
    Alex
     
    “Seven! Ei-ight . . . Ni-i-ine . . .. Go! Go! Go! Push! Push! Ten!”
    With a loud bang that rolled across the vast gym, the barbell returned to its place. Alex sat up on the bench, catching his breath and feeling the blood pumping up the muscles. He liked that burning sensation after the last set when it felt as if the over-hardened enlarged muscles would tear apart the stretched skin.
    “Nice job,” commented Dan, with a rare note of respect in his booming voice. “Didn ’t think you ’d make it with th o se two weights.”
    Alex looked over at the mammoth barbell. A guy at the next bench stared at it with eyes full of astonishment. It wasn ’t clear , though, whether his astonishment was directed at the barbell itself or at the two massive figures next to it.
    “That was close, ” Alex replied, slowly rolling his immense shoulders. “Maybe not enough though. We ’ll add more next time.”
    Dan nodded.
    “Sure thing. Pity it ’s a lost cause.”
    “Again?”
    “You bet, again. What do you need this for with your hissy -pissy job?”
    Alex grimaced.
    “Hissy-pissy . . .”
    “You bet,” Dan began counting his sausage-like fingers. “A manager? A manager. Gotta be nice to everybody? Gotta be nice. Gotta please a client? Gotta please. Can ’t punch a thing? Can ’t punch. So, no use for all these muscles you ’ve got. You ’d be better off at my place.”
    “Doing what? Breaking up drunken fights every night? No, t hanks.”
    “Who said they need to drink for that? These folks sure know how to pick a fight , even with no booze. You get more fun this way. Say, last night—good action, no booze. Three boys and a chick, that ’s all. The chick . . . man you should ’ve seen her. Eleven out of ten, ” Dan kissed tips of his fingers and rolled up his eyes in a hopeless attempt to describe what an eleven out of ten girl might look like.
    “But you’re not allowed to touch them.”
    “Sure can’t. But who said I can ’t watch?”
    Alex smiled—that was typical Dan.
    “She came with a boyfriend. Business as usual—some dancing, some kissing, some schmoozing . . .”
    “And you watching . . .”
    “That’s right. Why not? I sure do. And then there ’re these two boys. Big serious fellas, a bit like you. Eh . . . close , anyway. I had my eye on those two ever since they showed up. That kind, that ’s what they come for to places like ours. Didn ’t take them long to get too excited about the chick. One asked for a dance, she said no, so the second one got curious with his hands . . . But that boyfriend—he was something, you know. Didn ’t think for a second. I ’m telling