“You look handsome in your sports jacket.” Aedon greets me at our table with a kiss on the cheek. She brushes the lipstick off with the tips of her fingers. Wren stands, shaking my hand. The curls of his long dark hair lay across the collar of his freshly-pressed, light grey shirt. His piercing blue eyes cut to Aedon.

“Did I miss something?”

“No, I’m just surprised we beat you here.” Wren sits down across from me.

Aedon’s all-white dress is very classy. It’s cut high around the neck, with short capped sleeves, and it hugs nicely around her curves. Wren slips in behind her before she sits, pushing her chair in for her. Almost as soon as she sits, she stands again.

A tall thin, young black man with dreads and thick, black-rimmed glasses stands beside her. “Ashe, I’d like you to meet Ander. He’s your new secretary.” He holds out his hand. I grip his hand firmly, but he returns a limp handshake. “It’s nice to meet you,” I say.

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Dr. Manning,” he says, walking around the table and taking the seat across from Aedon.

“I wanted Ander to be here tonight so he can get a firm grasp on what our company is all about. He will be able to hit the ground running.”

“Have you done this type of work before?” I direct my question at him.

“Yes, sir. I’ve been an executive assistant for a couple of years for the Vice President of FEMA. I’ll be able to assist with any snafu’s you may run into with the government.”

“That’s always a plus. I hope you brought pen and paper to keep notes tonight.”

“No, sir. I have an excellent memory. No notetaking required.”

“How about we make a toast first before we start up with any business talk,” Wren says, lifting his glass of water. “To our new company: may we be very successful at saving lives.” We all lift our glasses and tap them together, filling the room with soft clinking noises.

“I say we make this toast again when we get some real drinks,” Ander says, laughing with his hand against his mouth like he let something slip out.

“Hear, hear! I totally concur.” Aedon raises her glass again, laughing with him.

Almost on cue, our waitress appears. “What can I get you to drink?” She bats her eyes at me and places her hand on my shoulder. She’s cute, but her red lipstick is smeared on the corner of her mouth. I prefer more subtle shades, like the pale pink Aedon has on her full lips. I watch Aedon dab the corner of her mouth with a napkin in an attempt to politely tell the waitress she needs to fix her lipstick. I find it very entertaining. The waitress never takes the hint. She takes our drink orders and disappears. I can’t help but smile over at Aedon.

“I tried,” she says, shrugging.

She comes back a few minutes later with our drinks. Her lipstick smear is gone, but replaced by a deep pink flush on her cheeks. She doesn’t look at me when she takes my order, instead planting her hands firmly on the table. I guess she was too embarrassed to flirt with me anymore.

Our meals come and Aedon spends dinner pushing the food around on her plate with her fork, never really eating more than a couple bites.

Wren notices. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” He stops eating, placing his thick steak knife and fork on the table.

“I kind of feel bad celebrating a business while we are sitting around waiting for a disaster to happen. You know it means people will die.” She reaches for her martini and takes a sip.

“You can’t look at it like that. Think about how many lives we will save by being in the field, getting them care quicker than the overloaded hospitals could manage.” Wren picks up his fork and knife, cutting into his last bit of steak.

“Wren is right. You know the odds of mortality are higher if we can’t get to them.” I throw my white cloth napkin on my plate, leaning back in my chair. “Damn, that prime rib was good,” I say, rubbing my overfilled stomach.

“I happen to think it’s a very noble cause. I lived in California and experienced the destruction of an earthquake firsthand. There were injured people everywhere crying out for help. A lot of them died because they didn’t get medical care in time.” Ander wipes his mouth.

“I’ve compiled a rescue team of 500 men and women. As soon as a disaster happens, they board planes and head to the area. Search and rescue is their only focus. The teams that we have created go directly to the injured in the field and are equipped to perform whatever procedure is required. If they can’t, that’s when they call one of us in.” I wave to the waitress to indicate a refill on my drink.

“So, you three fly to the area together and then branch out?” Ander asks.

“We only fly in together if it is a major disaster. Our teams have spent months in intensive training. Every one of them has a Bluetooth link in their ear.” Aedon finally takes a full-size bite of her food.

“That’s where you come in,” Wren places his elbows on the table, directing his conversation at Ander. “You become our motherboard. All calls come into you and you dispatch us. You will have a state-of-the-art computer system set up with lightning-speed Wi-Fi.”

“So, maybe Secretary isn’t a good title for me. How about Director of Operations?” He smiles, winking at Aedon as he sips his drink.

“You can have whatever title you would like, as long as you’re good at your job.” I tell him.

“I will be the best Director of Operations you have ever had.”

“That wouldn’t be too difficult being you are the only one we have ever had.” I tell him and everyone laughs.

Wren reaches down into his camel-colored man-bag and pulls out a list, handing it to me. “Here is my team of 25. Ten of them are doctors; the other 15 are critically-trained trauma nurses.”

“Here is mine too.” Aedon gives me a folded piece of paper.

I scan over them, recognizing the names of many of the physicians that have volunteered to help. “You guys did well. These are good lists. Have these e-mailed to Ander as soon as possible so he can get each of them linked into our system.”

“When do I start?” Ander seems very eager.

“Bright and early tomorrow morning.” I take my business card out of my wallet, handing it to him. “Here is the address. I know Aedon interviewed you on the computer and you haven’t been by the office yet.” He takes it from me, reading the address.

“Wow, downtown Manhattan. You really don’t do anything half-assed.”

My gaze skirts in Aedon’s direction. “What?” She picks up her martini glass, putting her lips on the rim to mask her smile.

Our waitress breaks in before I respond. “Would you like some dessert?”

“No, I think we are all good,” I reply.

“Speak for yourself, boss man. I’d like a slice of the carrot cake I saw her bring out to that table.” Ander points to the couple sitting two tables down.

“I’m going to like this kid, I can tell already,” Wren sits back in his chair with his hands behind his head, laughing.

We make small talk while Ander devours his carrot cake. Every now and then, I see Wren looking at Aedon. It makes me wonder if something more than friendship is going on between them. She has every right to be with someone else, but a dose of jealousy rises in me. I like Wren. I consider him one of my best friends, but I don’t like the idea of the two of them together. I sit back and pay attention to the little gestures between them, and suddenly I’m certain there is something more going on with them.

“Here is the check, sir.” The waitress lays the bill on the table.

“Our first company expense,” Aedon winks at me.

“I was thinking that Ander here should pay for it since he ate the most of food.” I push the check in his direction and his eyes grow as big as golf balls.

“I…uh…”

Aedon bursts out laughing. “The first thing you’re going to have to learn is to know when he is teasing you.” She snatches the check and throws it back at me.

I chuckle and fish my wallet out of my jacket pocket. “You are just too easy,” I tell him.

The only one remotely interested in riding in the limo is Ander. He propels himself into the backseat as soon as the door opens. “I’ll see the two of you in the morning.” I hesitate before getting in, watching Aedon and Wren walk off together. He says something to her. She giggles and nudges him with her shoulder.

Ander’s head sticks out the top of the limo’s sunroof. “Come on, Dr. Manning, let’s get this party started.”

This boy is not intimidated by me in the least. I’m going to like this kid. He chats my ear off on the short ride to his apartment.

“That’s me up there, the one with the cat sitting on the ledge.” Outside the limo, he points to the third story. The building is old but well-maintained and in a decent location. “Thanks for the lift, Dr. Manning. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Do you have a way to get to work?”

“Yeah, that’s my bike. I mean, no… you can send your limo driver to pick me up.” He flashes a fake wide smile.

“Ah, funny man. After the dessert you ate, I think you could use the exercise.” I climb back in the limo, laughing. I have the driver sit and wait until he is safely inside.