Page 163 of Tech Bros

I think he’s right.

“Let’s do it,” I say. “And you don’t need to hire Polytech, yet. I think I can help with all that.”

“Seriously?”

I’m not trying to be an asshole or steal from Isaac. I’m just being honest. If Four Points Freight needs an overhaul, and they’re bleeding money, I’ll need to earn my keep, and if Isaacthought I could manage the account on my own, then I need to believe that about myself, too. If I can’t do it, Polytech isn’t going anywhere.

“When do you think you’ll be here?” I ask.

“I can rent a U-Haul right now and be on my way.”

“Shouldn’t you be at work?”

“I am working. It’s called onboarding. Surely you’ve heard of it.”

That pulls a small laugh from me. “Okay. I’ll send you the address of where I’m staying, and I guess I’ll see you soon.”

“Perfect.”

“By the way, I have a dog. A big one.”

He laughs. “I love big dogs.”

“Good,” I say. “Then we’ve got a deal.”

39

ISAAC

Jake’s injury is the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me. The loss of control alone, coupled with my total inability to fix it, threatened to send me into a spiral. I don’t spiral, though. I can’t. Nothing else mattered when I was sitting by his ICU bed waiting for someone to come and explain to me what happened to him, but more importantly—what would happen to him now?

He took a brutal beating resulting in a broken cheekbone, nose, arm, and swelling around his brain. That was why he was in the ICU. By noon, the swelling was better, and they diagnosed him with a severe concussion before they started talking about discharging him in the morning.

While I was horrified that they’d send him back out onto the street in that condition, Jake was having some lucid moments and expressed his wishes that he, too, wanted out of the hospital.

My first impulse was to call Evan. Not because he has any expertise on caring for injured people, but because I rely on him when I can’t think straight. My call went to voicemail, and when I tried him at the office, the phone call rolled over to one of the other assistants who said Evan was out of the office.

Deacon is still around even though I told him he didn’t have to wait for me. I could tell how overwhelmed he’d been when we got here in the middle of the night. He said he wasn’t going anywhere, but I haven’t seen him. We text each other about once an hour, checking in.

On my second morning waking up in a hospital chair, I open my email.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Re: Letter of Resignation

Dear Isaac,

Please accept this notice as my official letter of resignation. Recently I was given an opportunity to head up workforce management at Four Points Freight, and I’ve decided the time and opportunity is right, and it’s what’s best for me and my career.

Please know your mentorship has been invaluable. I never would have had the confidence or the skills to accept a position like this if it hadn’t been for your generosity and your support. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me and for believing in my ability to be more than an assistant. Thank you for everything,

On a more personal note, I want to assure you that despite my inability to give you adequate notice, I’m not leaving with any anger or bitterness. I do, however, regret not being able to do more. I hope you understand.

Be well. Take care.

Best,