Flash

Olivia's cabin.
    "Morning, Sloan." Andy gave Jasper an ingenuous smile. "Didn't know you were such an early riser. Early morning conference with your new business partner?"
    Jasper walked deliberately toward him along the narrow hall. "If I see one word of this in your column, I will personally feed you to a shredder, Andrews."
    "Hey, I cover regional business issues." Andy put up his hands, palms out. "I'm no gossip columnist."
    "The hell you aren't." Jasper kept moving forward, taking up most of the room in the narrow hall.
    At the last instant, Andy hastily flattened himself against the wall in order to get out of Jasper's path.

16
    « ^ »
    "Y ou're sure this is what you want to do?" Al asked.
    "I'm sure." Jasper opened another drawer in his desk and began removing the items stored there. He stacked them neatly in the carton on the floor.
    It was Sunday morning. Al Okamoto had reluctantly agreed to meet him here today to finalize the sale of Sloan & Associates.
    It felt strange to be cleaning out his own office after all these years. But it was the right move. He knew it with that same, inexplicable sense of certainty he relied on when it came to making all his business decisions.
    "You and your stepbrother built Sloan & Associates from nothing." Al shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "How can you just walk away from it like this?"
    "It's time, Al." Jasper placed his collection of expensive pens into the box. "I've got a new company. I'm ready for the change."
    Al watched him with troubled eyes. "Maybe it was a mistake to send you off on vacation."
    Jasper smiled briefly. "The vacation had nothing to do with it."
    "You're certain that you want to go through with this deal?"
    "I'm certain."
    Jasper glanced around the office that had served him well for over a decade. It was on the thirtieth floor of a downtown highrise. The windows gave a sweeping view of Elliott Bay and the Olympics.
    His new offices down the street were considerably less plush, he thought. The decor was more utilitarian. The view was not nearly so panoramic. But he already felt more at home in Glow's executive suite than he ever had here at Sloan & Associates. He did not know how to explain that to Al. He could not even explain it to himself.
    Jasper knew that everyone assumed he had a strong sentimental attachment to Sloan & Associates, not only because he had helped found it, but because of its connection to his stepbrother. As far as he was concerned, however, Fletcher was a specter who haunted the offices of the firm that he had once brought to the brink of scandal and ruin.
    In the year following Fletcher's death, Jasper had been forced to fight hard, not only to salvage Sloan & Associates, but to conceal Fletcher's embezzlement and fraud. He had won the battle, but he had never successfully exorcised Fletcher's ghost.
    Jasper glanced at his watch. It was nine o'clock. He figured he'd give Olivia another hour or two to catch up on her sleep, and then he'd show up on her doorstep. He did not intend to call ahead to warn her that he was on his way. She might decide not to be at home.
    "I've got the papers in my office," Al said.
    Jasper closed the drawer he had just emptied. "Let's get them signed. I've got a lot to do today."
    "Whatever you say." Al studied him for a moment, dark eyes filled with concern. "What happens if you decide you don't like the daily grind of running a company like Glow? How can you be sure you won't miss the adrenaline of the venture capital game?"
    "There's plenty of risk involved in keeping a company like Glow profitable." Jasper thought about how Olivia had shuddered in his arms. He smiled. "Don't worry, I'll find some way to get my daily dose of excitement."
    Al gave him an odd look. "Funny you should mention that. I was wondering how to bring up the issue of your continuing dose of excitement."
    Jasper peered into the back of a drawer to make certain it was empty. "What the hell are you talking about?"
    "Don't get me wrong. I, for one, am happy to see that you're developing a social life, but I've got to admit it came as something of a surprise."
    "Damn it, Al—"
    Al cleared his throat. "I take it you haven't seen the special edition of
Hard Currency
?"
    Jasper went very still. "
Hard Currency
usually gets faxed to the office on Mondays and Thursdays."
    "This edition is dated yesterday." Al handed him the single-page newsletter.
    Jasper frowned. "Saturday?"
    "Yeah. Fresh off the boat, you might