Tilting at Windmills Read Online Free PDF Page B

it’s pretty much out of my system. It’s just . . .”
    “You’re happy for Maddie, right?”
    “Couldn’t be happier,” came my monotone reply.
    “So then what’s the problem? Do I have to force it out of you?”
    “It’s not easy to say this, Justin, not after so many years here.”
    “Whoa. Stop right there,” he said, again halting my conversation with his upraised hand. “You sound like a person who’s getting ready to quit. And that’s not possible. Brian Duncan is my star, and he’s back after a stint on the disabled list, but hey, come on—it’s back to the game and let’s win some. You know what I’m saying . . .”
    His face sank as he realized his sports analogy wasn’t working.
    “I’m sorry, Justin, but it’s something I’ve got to do.”
    “Got to?”
    “Have to.”
    “You’ve got another job offer? You know I’ll match it—hell, I’ll better it.”
    “There’s no other job. I’m taking a break.”
    “A break? From working? Christ, Brian, you’ve just had a six-week break, which, may I remind you, was a break with full pay.”
    “It’s not like I was off seeing the world, Justin. I had a pretty major illness. And now . . . and now I’m not sure I want to return to the daily grind of nine-to-five, put on the shirt and tie and be creative on demand. There’s got to be more to life, more to—”
    “What does Maddie say about this?”
    He surprised me by mentioning her. “Nothing. I haven’t spoken with her.”
    “Oh,” he replied, suddenly uncertain. “Look, Brian, I’m not sure where all this ‘more to life’ stuff is coming from, but if you’re not ready to return to work, I’ll give you a couple more weeks. Get the rest you need, and then come back. Maybe six weeks wasn’t long enough for you to recover and it’s the sickness that’s hampering your decision process. What do you say? We need you, Brian, more than ever since landing Voltaire. It’s going to be high pressure launching this new drug and we need the best creative mind in the business. And that mind happens to be yours. Hell, it’s how we landed the account in the first place, all your great ideas. So come on, take two weeks—go somewhere and lay in the sun—and then come back refreshed and ready to work. Hell, I’ll even spring for the airfare. You can’t pass that up, can you? Consider it a bonus for helping us land Voltaire.”
    “That’s a generous offer, and anyone would jump at the chance. You’re being very accommodating, Justin, like you have been during these past six weeks. But I just can’t accept. I realize this is unexpected, but I’ve already made my plans and they don’t include the Beckford Group—pardon, the Beckford Warfield Group.”
    I didn’t mean for it to sound snotty, but that’s how it came out, and suddenly Justin’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared in anger. “Aha. Pieces are falling into place.” He stood up, placing his hands on my desk and leaning in close. “Listen, Duncan, I’ve got no room at this agency for petty jealousy. So your girlfriend just got a major promotion. So what? Are you afraid of Maddie’s success? Jealous that she beat you to the top? Pissed off that I didn’t give the job to you because you’ve worked here longer?”
    “No, no, Justin. You’ve got it wrong; that’s not it at all. Maddie has nothing to do with my leaving . . . well, her promotion doesn’t have anything to do . . .” I stopped, realizing it was futile. This was why I wanted to talk with him earlier, but how was I to know the morning would unfold with such drama? Clearly Justin thought my decision to quit was related to this morning’s shakeup, that I was leaving out of jealousy and anger and some petty, childish revenge motive. Which I wasn’t. I was quitting because the boss had screwed my girlfriend and I didn’t feel like dealing with it. Wasn’t it easier to just remove yourself from the situation?
    “Well, Duncan? I’m right.”
    I shook