* * * *
Mike waited in apprehension as Adam digested everything they had talked about. The other man had arrived promptly at noon. Lance had also surprised him with a homemade lasagna. Apparently, he had baked this morning and had brought it with him in a tightly covered container, concealed within a big cloth bag. Now he understood why Lance had told him earlier not to plan anything for lunch. He had thought they would be eating lunch outside.
After they had eaten, the children continued playing while the adults remained seated in the dining area. He had agreed that Lance should be the one to summarize everything they’d discussed earlier so that Adam could catch up to them. Now he wanted to hear Adam’s opinion.
“Hey, Mike. Can I ask you something?”
He refrained from making a smart-ass comment like, “You just did,” because that might annoy Adam. He had plenty of courage in a business setting, but he was not as brave when it came to matters of the heart. “Sure, go ahead.”