The Merger – 6

 

Saturday evening Josh walked from his apartment to Thirty-One Twelve, arriving just after eight. He'd spent most of the day second-guessing himself about what he and Mike had planned—not meeting at the bar, but the whole going-into-business-together proposition.

Can I really work with someone else? On a personal level, being close with someone had never ended well. He had two exes who would attest to that. Both of them had walked out after deciding he was too anti-social—at least as far as going out and having what they'd called a "good time". So I'm not a party guy. What's wrong with that? Not everyone wants to spend their weekends hanging out with a bunch of people who are trying to prove they have lives outside of work.

But merging their agencies was work, he'd decided, not personal. It's very different. Mike seems to be dedicated to what he does and not averse to expanding if it brings in more clients—for both of us. We didn't butt heads when we were figuring out what we needed to do for the merger. That's a good sign.

"Now to hope that holds true after we find out more about each other," he said under his breath as he pushed the door open to enter Thirty-One Twelve. His gaze went to the bar. Every stool was full and none of the men were Mike. Scanning the room, Josh finally spotted him at a table well away from the band and the dance floor. I didn't know we'd be trying to talk over that kind of noise. The band wasn't playing last time I was here. Another reason I never liked barhopping with my exes. He wasn't a music snob—his tastes were fairly eclectic—but the decibel level in a bar… Shaking his head, he walked over to the table.

"You made it," Mike said when Josh was seated. 

"You thought I wouldn't?"

"Not really." Mike looked around, spotted a waiter, and flagged him down. "Do you want a non-alcoholic beer?" he asked Josh as the man came over.

"Yeah." Josh grinned. "I could order a Roy Rogers or a Shirley Temple."

"You are not a kid."

"Not recently," Josh agreed, telling the waiter he wanted a near-beer, while Mike ordered a real one.

"Is there a reason you don't drink?" Mike asked when the waiter left.

"I don't like losing control."

"I guess I could have figured as much, although for some people it has to do with growing up with alcoholic parents."

"Not me. My folks were very normal. My life was very normal."

"Any siblings?" Mike asked.

"An older brother," Josh replied without hesitation. "You?"

"Two sisters. They're married now with kids of their own."

Josh thanked the waiter when he returned with their drinks, took a sip then set it down. "Why did you decide to become a PI?" he asked Mike.

Mike laughed. "I watched too many detective shows on TV? Not really. I looked up to my uncle, who was—is—a cop. I majored in criminal justice when I was in college then decided I'd rather strike out on my own instead of joining the police force. Too many restrictions. What about you? Why security?"

"I was always into gadgets, even when I was a kid. When it comes down to it, the things you need to set up a good security system are gadgets. Fancy ones that you have to know how they work and why if you're going to use them effectively. College wasn't an option, so I got a job with a security firm." He grimaced. "I did a lot of door-shaking before I convinced my boss I wanted to learn how to set up security, not check businesses to make sure no one had broken in. He was a good teacher. I stayed with the company for two years then decided to see if I could run my own business, rather than working for someone else."

"Did he teach you how to be a bodyguard, as well?"

"Nope. I hadn't even considered that until a client asked if I could keep him safe while he made bank runs. At that point, I had to tell him no, but it put a bug in my ear. I found a tactical training center, took some courses in hand-to-hand and using Tasers and knives, and was certified." Josh took another drink before saying, "They didn't understand why I wouldn't take all the gun courses, but since I was well above par for everything else, they passed me anyway."

"What is it with you and guns?"

"Let's just say they're not my thing and never will be. I can defend against them, which is all that matters." Josh was certain Mike would try to find out why he didn't use firearms and gave him kudos when he let the subject drop. He'll undoubtedly bring it up again, once we're working together. I'll face that when it happens—or not.