Blizzard Ch. 16

Turns out I hurry faster when I have an enemy. I arrived at work about five minutes early, when I had worried I was going to be late. I rushed up to the boss's office. Nope, he didn't have to be on time. He just had to be here when his bosses peeked in. Yeah, I had hours. The seconds ticked by like needles in my spine.

I knocked on his door just after eleven. He'd been in for an hour, but this was the first moment I could corner him. "Hey, Steve. A word?"

"Yeah, how's the waterfront project coming?" Five bucks said he couldn't name the client without looking it up.

"I'm crushing it. Way ahead, actually."

He raised an eyebrow. "You say that like you're looking for more work."

"More responsibility. More money."

"I don't think a raise is on the table yet and-"

"And I've got one hell of an offer, check it out." I slid my phone across to him so he could see the email. "Thing is, I'm proud of the waterfront project. I want that feather in my cap. It's kinda hard to stay in Halifax playing fifth banana when-"

"There's no way I can match this." He looked white. "This is what he thinks you're worth?"

"It's what I think I'm worth. I think he was relieved I undersold myself."

"OK, but-" he said as my phone buzzed. He had mastered the cadence of a properly spat-out "Motherfucker!" The perfect timing couldn't be better.

Peter Stint was calling me.