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He settles in, unable to hide the smile across his face. I almost forgot, he’s got news! He’s the one who told me we were getting together tonight.
This isn’t supposed to be about me and my feelings at all.
First things first.
“So?” I grab his hands on the table and shake them a little. “Tell me! It’s been ages since you sent me a text in all-caps!”
Terence giggles. Full-on kindergarten-style giggles, and I know it because I was there when he used to giggle that way. It’s been so long. Too long.
“I laid it out for them, Alli. I was a star. I was like, ‘Here’s where the business is rocking and rolling—I used fancier words, like profitability and promising ventures and such—and where they had administrative fat to trim.”
“Them? I thought you said it was just for the big boss.”
“That’s what I thought, too!” His voice goes up a notch. “I was so nervous to find a crowd when I arrived. I mean, three more people. One of them was a futurist, Alli. A futurist!”
No idea what a futurist is, unless they read the future, which I find it hard to believe that Terence would buy into.
“A futurist, huh? Wow. What a lot of extra pressure.”
“I was sweating like a fiend. Thought I might pass out for a second there. But then I thought, no. This is what they hired me to do. They want me to be making presentations like this. Challenging the paradigm, pushing the corporate limits.”
I nod like I know what he means, but it doesn’t matter anyway. Terence is bouncing with excitement. That’s what counts.
“And? What about your idea? Come on, you’re killing me with anticipation!”
“Alli,” he leans in, “it was incredible. The words came to me without my even realizing it. Mountain rescue service. An underserved sliver of the alpine economy, with promise for both brand and profitability.”
“That’s what you said?”
“That was my starting point. But when they challenged me on it—what did I know about mountain rescue services—that’s when I really got to show my stuff!”
I swear he’s going to explode off the chair.
“I took them through the search strategies, from multiple burials and deep burials to understanding the canine drive and the handler-canine connection.”
He squeezes my hands. “It was incredible, Alli, to watch their faces light up with the idea. Like they could picture it. What I’ve been dreaming of became a reality in their imagination.”
“So many years you’ve invested in this. It’s finally coming to fruition.”
His eyes are full of emotion.
“You, Alli, you knew it all along.”
His gaze is intent, stronger than I was prepared for.
“It was nothing, Ter-Ter.”
“It was everything. When I was in there, I remembered all your advice. When I was too nervous to get a word out, I remembered what you did at that singing recital a few years ago.”
I gasp. If it’s true, then Terence really is changing. “The naked thing?”
His impish smile tells me everything. “It wasn’t a pretty sight. But it worked. They’ve asked me to draw up a detailed implementation plan!”
“No way! Wait, does this mean it’s happening?”
“I’m designing the function now!”
I stand up and applaud to the restaurant of four diners on a Tuesday night. “I give you Terence, everyone. The newest leader of Hampton Falls’ mountain search and rescue!”
