Big Jack Is Dead Read Online Free PDF Page B

attractive. I envisioned fucking her from behind, kneeling in the passenger seat of the convertible.
    A man and a woman walked along ahead of me, pushing an expensive-looking stroller. I marveled at them as I went past, even more impressed with the stroller. The thing looked like an off-road recon vehicle, with huge knobby tires and a web of straps that resembled climbing gear. Their baby rode along smoothly on the pram's complicated shock absorbers and suspension system. I wondered what his life would be like…organic foods from farmers' markets, trips to small islands, private schools, and a social environment filled with architects and CEO's.
    The man must have been fifty, but was in better shape than I was in my early thirties. A phrase arose from somewhere… twelve percent body fat . There was a silhouetted figure on the woman's shirt in a yoga pose. Briefly, I saw the two of them fucking like actors on a porn set…smooth and tan, executing perfectly for exactly half an hour before coming in unison. My mind was awash with sex. Maybe there were too many beautiful people in Sunnyvale. Maybe the place itself was so manicured and health-conscious that it inspired lust and corruption.
    I passed a restaurant and a boutique then turned into the courtyard of a small business park. Identical office windows hemmed me in on three sides, running up several stories. Workers clustered in the plaza or on narrow balconies above. A copse of trees stood near the center of the courtyard. All year long, their leaves were vivid purple, which never ceased to amuse me. No one else at the office seemed to think that purple trees were odd. I made my way over to one corner of the courtyard and entered my access code.
    Our slogan was etched in glass: CONNECTING PEOPLE. As the doors slid open, the words split apart. Cool air closed in around me as I passed through the foyer and the magnetic lock thucked at my back. All the lights flickered on in the hallway ahead.
    My office was small, dark except for the light coming through the courtyard window. The overhead fluorescent lights killed me, so I left the sensor off. Slumping into my chair, I let it twirl around once before flipping the lamp on. It blinked a few times and cast a cone of light up the wall. The monitor on my desk came to life as soon as I bumped the mouse. I responded to email messages for an hour, sending people documents, providing minor direction changes and in a couple of cases crafting small bits of text for the people on my team to use in various ways. My inbox was empty when I stood up.  
    I stretched, eyeing the clock in the corner of the desktop. My first meeting was about to start. My assistant Mandy appeared in the doorway just as I was about to leave the desk.
    “Welcome back,” she said.
    “Hey.” I looked up and smiled at her. She had curly hair, strawberry blonde and natural. It was tied up on her head with clips and a cloth wrap. Freckles ran across the pale skin of her face and breasts.
    “I saw your message earlier and wanted to remind you about the proposal meeting.”
    “I'm ready to go,” I said.
    Walking down the hall, we passed an enormous window that looked out onto a street corner. Mandy said, “I just ground some coffee. It should be ready by now.”
    In the kitchen, I dumped cream and sugar into my mug. A young Hispanic woman cleaned the counter at our backs. Mandy took the mug and filled it with coffee. She handed it to me and passed me a spoon. I watched her move as I stirred.
    “How was the conference?” she asked.
    “Good, I guess. Pretty calm. I stayed with some friends.”
    She smiled and led the way out of the kitchen. “I've traveled with you. I know how you unwind.”
    “No, not this time. I just stayed longer because I needed a break. Nothing crazy.”
    “I bet.”
    We slept together despite her engagement, usually when traveling for work or after drinks at a company event, and she flirted with me whenever we were alone at the