Morning came, and Emma was still asleep. He left her as she was, took a quick shower, and headed out. Honestly, he felt a slight relief at not having to talk to her. It was calmer this way. On his way to the car, he remembered the last cigarette stashed in the glove compartment. He summoned his willpower and didn’t reach for it. He wanted to keep something like that hidden away—a comfort to know that when things got really bad, he could just grab it and soothe his troubles. Or maybe he’d deal with them instead.

  He pulled up to his office. He loved mornings. The streets weren’t yet crowded with people or cars. Traffic jams plagued the city, but his route skirted its edges, sparing him the endless waiting.

  “Good morning, Daniel,” the parking lot guard greeted him.

  Daniel returned the greeting. The guy was friendly, though Daniel could never quite recall his name.

  He worked three days in the office and two from home. Today was supposed to be a home day, but one of his bosses had called him in urgently. They’d offered him the option to work the entire next week from home instead. Daniel had agreed.

  In the office, he had his own room, separate from the others. Back when he was lower on the ladder, he’d despised those who shut themselves away in private rooms, avoiding everyone else. They seemed like people who looked down on others. He’d vowed never to become one of them—but he had. Now, every time he stepped into his own space, he felt a quiet relief. He could stretch out his legs, fire up his laptop, and work in peace.

  He wasn’t on bad terms with any of his colleagues, though he sensed they talked about him the same way he’d once talked about those above him. Maybe it was just how things went.

  A knock came at his door. He didn’t respond. The door opened anyway, revealing a short girl with long chestnut hair. She was slim, with wide hips, dressed in black jeans that hugged her from the waist down. He knew her—Stella. He was pretty sure she had a crush on him.

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  “Can I?” she asked, sitting in the chair across from him without waiting for an answer.

  “Sure,” Daniel said, more to feel like he’d made the call.

  “Some clients reached out to me.”

  “To you? What business do they have contacting you?” He sometimes tried to sound like a boss, though he didn’t put much heart into it.

  “Well, they’re my acquaintances, actually. They want the company to do a project for them. Specifically, they insist on our firm handling it.” She said it with all the confidence in the world.

  “Those things get discussed at a higher level, Stella. Not here. I can’t do anything about it.”

  “I know. I just…”

  “They can submit a request through the usual channels, and we’ll meet with the higher-ups to discuss it. I’ll call you in too if it means that much to you.”

  “It’s not that important, actually. I just thought…”

  “That you’d write their program yourself without involving the company?”

  Stella looked at him, slightly startled, with a hint of embarrassment in her eyes.

  Daniel knew that move. He’d pulled it himself back in the day. Instead of asking his boss, he’d just do it. No one at the firm caught on—not even the clients. It might’ve been a bit unethical—some could call it theft or even extortion—but there were no victims. He’d hire or pick two or three quiet, eager-to-learn youngsters, give them tasks, and at the end of the month, treat them somehow. He’d done it before, but he wouldn’t allow himself to now. Nor could he greenlight it.

  “Anything else, Stella?”

  “Not really. I’ll tell them you’re thinking it over.”

  “Tell them you’ll do it.”

  She looked at him again, and the spark returned to her eyes.

  “But we won’t involve the company,” Daniel added.

  “Right, but they wanted the firm.”

  “Aren’t you part of the firm?”

  “I am.”

  “So? If they trust us, they’ll trust you. If you’re up for it, I’ll talk to some of the younger guys to help you out after hours. But you’ll have to pay them.”

  “And the company?”

  “If they want it through the firm, they can file the request. I feel like we’re going in circles here.”

  Stella nodded, glanced at the wall behind him for a moment, braced herself on the desk, and stood. On her way to the door, she turned as if to say something more but thought better of it and left.