Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 10

couple suits, and I couldn't wear the same one two days in a row."
    "Ah, I see, and you got a haircut?"
    "Last night on the way home."
    "This wouldn't have anything to do with our new client would it?"
    His dad ignored the question, motioning for Jason to sit down. "Non-fat caramel something-or-other," he said as he pointed to the disposable Starbucks cup in front of Jason.
    "I'm impressed," he said. "You remembered."
    "And I decided to try something more daring myself."
    "Oh?"
    "Kona blend."
    Jason started laughing. "Well good. Before you know it, you'll be drinking lattes and cappuccinos and you'll have your very own customer rewards card."
    "Uh… I don't think so. Baby steps. Okay?"
    "Baby steps are fine," Jason smiled. "But seriously, you look great. I like your haircut. And your suit."
    His dad took a deep breath, and for a second Jason was concerned, sensing something may be wrong. Finally his father spoke. "Jase, I gotta ask a favor."
    "Sure, anything."
    "Would you mind manning the booth this afternoon by yourself? I need to take off around four."
    "Not a problem." Well that was a relief. He thought something was wrong. "Is something wrong?" he asked, just to be sure.
    "No, not at all. I got a call last night from Laura. You know, the new client. She asked if I could have dinner with her, and I sort of… uh… made reservations."
    Jason beamed at his father. "Cool. Go ahead, have a good time. If you want, take the whole day off. Dad, I can handle the trade show by myself…"
    "No, no, no. I don't need the whole day. Leaving a couple hours early will give me plenty of time. Our reservation isn't til five."
    Day two at the trade show proved to be busier than the first, and Jason was surprised how quickly the hours flew by. When he looked at the time on his cell phone that afternoon and saw that it was already after three, he reminded his father that he'd better get ready to leave.
    "You sure you can handle this by yourself?" his dad asked. "I can reschedule…"
    "Dad, don't be crazy. We haven't been that busy."
    "Okay, then. I think I'll head on out then, make a pit stop in the restroom and then meet Laura at the bar." Jason thought it was a good plan. Maybe his dad would get there in time to toss one back before she got there, calm his nerves a bit. His dad was like a sixteen year old preparing for the junior prom.
    "I got it, Dad … just please, don't drink and drive."
    His father gave him an incredulous look, as if to say "Are you crazy?" It was an odd role reversal, and Jason laughed as he realized he was giving his father his own advice.
    "Don't worry," his dad said, "I haven't completely lost all sense of responsibility." He winked at his son, clapping him on the shoulder before he took off.
    The remainder of the day wasn't too exciting. Jason got a chance to mingle a bit with the techies from the booths on either side of him. He was at a nearby table talking to one of these vendors, a young lady from Seattle, when he noticed a customer over at his own booth. He excused himself and spun around to head back to his station but noticed that the "customer" was Glenn Braeburn.
    Jason took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and headed to his display. "Hello again," he said in his most formal tone.
    "Hi," Glenn said, offering a thin smile. "I wanted to stop back and apologize for yesterday."
    "Hm, what do you mean?" Jason decided to be a bit coy.
    "I mean… well, I didn't mean to offend you. I wasn't calling you a geek…"
    "Well, I am a geek," he admitted. "Nowadays, that's a compliment."
    "Regardless, I shouldn't have said what I did. You're anything but geeky… I mean, at least in terms of your appearance." He took a deep breath, then reached up to rub his forehead. "Am I making a fool of myself?" he asked, laughing nervously.
    Jason smiled. "No … well …. Yeah."
    Glenn shook his head rapidly back and forth. "I thought so. Can I start over?"
    "Look," Jason said. "No harm, no foul. I'm not offended. I will say, though, that I'm a little sore. After you called me a nerd, I got up this morning and went to the gym. You motivated me to do an extra strenuous workout, and now I'm feelin the burn."
    "Aw, well, now I do feel like a jerk, but by the looks of you, this wasn't your first workout."
    "I could say the same of you," Jason observed. Again Glenn was dressed casually. Today it was a button down short sleeve shirt, displaying the man's beefy biceps.
    "Getting old," he conceded, "and I have to work hard