Chapter Five

Lucas wasn't sure what changed in him after learning that Chuck was gone. He felt it in the morning. He woke up with an attitude. He woke up with a chip on his shoulder. It was great. It was actually great to feel something. Every morning for the past 4 years was greeted with apathy. When Chucky was dying he was starting his job.

Luke pulled out his suit. Made sure that it wasn't wrinkled. He buffed his shoes and bee lined for the office. He grabbed his coffee from the Café and headed up to his office. Maybe it was the look on his face, or the way he walked, but Luke felt like everyone was moving out of his way.

He opened his first email of the morning and read the hubris from the Marketing department. He then read the second email and released the feral smile that was threatening all morning.

He clicked the reply button and fired back a concise response for everyone to see. He posed it as a question, but it was sharp enough to show a serious flaw in the project design.

Two other emails were shot down in a previous manner. Each with abstract reasoning. Think big, but also small. He wanted to carve those words in stone and hang them around his neck.

Create something that can be a foundation to something bigger and better. But don't do so if it sacrifices efficiency and common sense.

By 2PM he had re-designed his last project and laid the groundwork for some interesting development. His manager had called him, commenting on the insight of the emails. Luke could hear the shock in the man's voice. He could see the confusion on his face. The manager could not remember the last time that Lucas disagreed or voiced any opinion over anything. Luke never appeared to be smart enough, or motivated enough to care.

All Lucas could think was, "Wait till you get a load of me. You ain't seen nothing yet."

Six months later Lucas was one of the design managers. His view didn't change much, except he was now in an office. He was making decisions and trying to change the way new ideas were received. The company was doing well, but he was entertaining some other ideas of his own. He was kicking around the idea of doing some of his own consulting work. Maybe use that as a springboard to his own company. He was going to sneak off at lunch and take a look at an available office in the building next door.

He walked next door later than he wanted, but fires popped up that needed to be extinguished. Fires were not something to be proud off. They showed an area where the process had failed.

He got on the elevator lost in thought as someone else got on board. Up it went dinging away. He walked to the glass doors of beautiful suite of rooms and asked for Jessica Hill. He paused before saying anything more to the receptionist.

He was planning to sit in the waiting room for a little bit. It was only fair. He looked at the art work on the walls, and thumbed through an industry magazine.

"A little late aren't you?" a soft voice drawled.

"Would you believe I forgot to adjust for the time... zone?" Luke finished on a flat note looking up. It was her. This was Jessica Hill. His supermodel brunette.

"Time zone. From here to the building across the street?" she asked with an eyebrow arching.

"You didn't hear the legislation where they added the new US prime meridian. Right here, right between our buildings. I'm surprised you didn't hear. It was in all the papers."

"Follow me to my office. I'm not buying this story of yours for one second."

She was dressed in black and tans. Her tan pants were just short of form fitting and her beautiful ass just swayed ever so gently back and forth as she walked.

He could feel his mouth water as she led the way, waved him to sit and shut the door. He wasn't the same man that he was when he met her six months before. He still had his reasons for doing things, but he was more confident in himself now.

Luke sat after she did.

"Lucas Bennet, pleasure to meet you Ms. Hill."

"So tell me a story Lucas. It's Jessica by the way,"

"Sorry, I had a fire that needed tending." He felt sheepish at the havoc he must have played with her schedule.

"Well, unfortunately I have back to back meetings today. So you are going to have to follow me as I get a bite of something to eat, or we can re-schedule."

His stomach took that moment to announce itself. "Actually, that sounds great. I haven't eaten yet. It's my treat. All the hotdogs you can eat." Luke didn't know how he became so comfortable talking to her. But the words just seemed to fall off his tongue.

She leaned back stretching the black blouse tight across her breasts. Don't look, don't look. Look at her face.

As she looked down to her planner, he let his eyes drop for a brief second.

"Good god, those poor breasts held hostage by that evil shirt. They looked so ready to be freed." He thought to himself.

He crossed his legs and looked up quickly, hoping to hide his sudden erection and his roving eye. He beat her by a full 5 seconds.