He motioned to Diane that he would be wrapping up the call shortly.  She nodded her head, and smiled at him nervously.  Poor kid, she must still be getting over that thing – was it a nervous breakdown or something like that? – Mark thought. 

“John,” Mark said, “you up for a drink later? I’ve got something to show you from the brochure I got from Prince Yachts today.”

“What?”

“If I tell you it would spoil the excitement.  Actually, it’ll probably be your excitement more than mine that would be spoiled because I just don’t have the cash to burn on a beauty like this.  But I know you do, given the nice return you made on that divestment we advised you on!”

“Got me there, Mark.  Well … ok.  Let me clear the squash game I’d scheduled with Logan.  If I tell him you’re suggesting it, I’m pretty sure he won’t grumble much.”

“Yeah, tell him it’ll be worth skipping the game.  You can thank me later.”

“Why don’t I ask him to join us?  He’s got more money than Croesus, you know.”

Mark laughed, “Yeah, I know.  Besides, I think he’s in the market for a boat, himself.   Every time we go sailing in my boat he mentions something about getting one, and I think his wife is more and more on board with the whole idea.”

John laughed, and with self-deprecating humor said the suggestion of meeting for drinks would help John escape “another beatdown in the court from Logan!”

They’d agreed on meeting at Core, an ultra-exclusive members-only sports/dining/bar/cinema club in the upper east 60s, and then hang up.

“Sorry about that,” Mark told Diane after jamming the “off” button of the speaker phone.  He was still smiling as he tapped an entry into his calendar app.

Finally, he pushed his tablet to the side, and clicked on a button on his desk-phone.

“Terry … no calls for the next half-hour, ok?”

“Ok.”

Mark smiled warmly at Diane, and leaned back, stretching his massive frame out.  He was seriously testing the integrity of that chair, Diane thought, as she observed him.

“So why are you still here in the office, Diane?  We closed the books on that deal you were working on for the past few weeks this morning, right?  I thought I told you – ordered you – to go home and get some rest, didn’t I?,” he asked, shaking his head.