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He has a sip. “Mmm, that really is good. 2013 Taste of Diamonds. Just over two mil per bottle.” Setting the flute down, he says, “Now, onto the exciting news. In a couple of days’ time, my sendoff will commence, and no, it won’t be some drab funeral. It’s going to be a five-day epic trek kicking off in Lima, Peru. Because of the scope of this adventure, and the fact that we can’t very well shut down all of our businesses and projects for that length of time, each team will be required to send a delegate—someone who will well represent what Napper-Sterling Bio-Tech Inc. stands for—innovation, integrity, and wellness for all. Because of the physical requirements for parts of the trek, only those who are in good health will be able to attend. My ever-faithful assistant, Rohan—I’m assuming Rohan is still with me at this point, if not you’ll be hearing from whoever his replacement is—will be contacting you shortly to provide details of the event and to arrange logistics. If this is far enough in the future, perhaps you’ll be taking flying cars to Lima, although it’s highly doubtful that they’d have the range required. It’s a fun thought, anyway.”
He pauses and has another sip of his drink. “Ahhh. Well, that’s it for me. I shall sign off one last time. I wish you all the best in life—wealth, health, and experiences. And remember, the key to life is to stay curious and be brave.”
The screen goes dark and I sit, staring at it, half-expecting him to reappear and say, “BOO!” but he doesn’t.
This is really happening.
I close my eyes and rub my face with both hands.
My phone buzzes and I open one eye, thinking it might be another message from Richard.
Donna
A five-day trek in Peru? Seriously?
Apparently.
Donna
You go stock up on sleep. I’ll find out whatever I can about what you’ll be doing.
I appreciate that. Good night.
Donna
‘Night, boss.
I get up and wander through the house and down the stairs to the theater, then sit on the sectional next to Michael and watch the rest of the documentary with him. It’s on the spiders of the Amazon rain forest and just the sight of them makes my skin crawl. I have a very bad feeling I’m about to end up seeing one up close and personal.
4
The Science of Beauty
Gwen
“Okay, team, I know it’s been a turbulent fifteen hours so I wanted to make sure to meet with you all first thing this morning. Did anyone not watch Dr. Napper’s final video last night?” Keenan asks.
When no one seated around the large table says they missed it, he nods. “If anyone needs to speak to a counselor about what happened, please let me know and I’ll arrange for someone to come in right away.”
Chad, the assistant manager and world’s biggest butt-smoocher, says, “Or come see me. I can also help you in finding a therapist.”
“Thank you, Chad,” Keenan says. “Now, with Dr. Napper’s untimely loss, I’m sure you’re all wondering if Ty Sterling is still one of the heads of the foundation, and as of this moment, the answer is yes. We don’t know why, but we do know the paperwork wasn’t completed before Dr. Napper passed away.”
Groans can be heard around the room, and sweat forms under my arms. My dream of homeownership is about to go up in smoke, isn’t it? I’m going to be stuck living in my cramped apartment with a view of the dumpster forever, aren’t I?
“Nobody panic, though,” Chad says, holding up both hands in a way I’m sure he believes is reassuring. “Dr. Edwards and I have a plan.”
Keenan smiles at him. “We certainly do. Now, is it bad that we’ve lost our biggest benefactor and the man left in charge has publicly and repeatedly stated how much he hates our project? That would be a resounding yes. But fear not because there’s still much we can do to make sure we keep our funding.”
“That’s right,” Chad adds. “All is not lost.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Chad,” Tina, our chief engineer, mutters. “Let the man talk.”
Chad shoots her a look while Keenan continues. “The first thing we need to do is choose the right delegate from our team to go on the trip to Peru. That person will have access to Mr. Sterling for the entire time. If handled correctly, it is certainly long enough to convince the man not to pull our funding.”
“So who are you going to send?” Allie asks.
“That’s what we’re here to decide,” Keenan says. “My hip precludes me from going, but really there’s no reason any one of the rest of you can’t go.”
