Chapter 20: Who is This?

Way to not plan, author! I realize Anya and Romy and I rewrote part of the story—and we’ve been having a lot of fun with it—but you have to take responsibility for some things.

So, this author cleverly introduced characters in the first chapter and then never mentioned them again. Now he expects you will know who the hell he’s talking about eighteen chapters later. He calls it foreshadowing or setting up a future event. I suggest he should be checked for Alzheimer’s because he just forgot about them for almost 50,000 words!

Back in my college days, I had a girlfriend at home and a roommate in college. My roommate and I spent much of our four years in school together talking about successful and sustainable business models and the ethics of capitalism. I’m no communist or socialist! I think people should be able to advance as they contribute. But that doesn’t mean others shouldn’t advance with you. Vince Gordon and I built a business model and complete fifteen-year plan that would make us and most of our employees rich. And we factored a reasonable return for shareholders as well.

We had it worked out in great detail with dozens of spreadsheets modeling the entire operation and several that modeled upsets in the economy, supply chains, and inflation. We determined that we could apply our business model to any number of industries. We talked about hospitality, construction, financial services, retail, wholesale, and real estate. We might even have ignored some of our actual studies over the four years in college in order to hone our business model. We did that all without AI!

Then I got sick. Diabetic shock put me in a coma for six months, just before our diplomas were issued. I got mine—though a little late. I spent another three months recovering at home with my parents, when I decided I needed to contact my girlfriend, Lindy—remember her?—and get us back on track. I discovered, instead, that she married the high school bully, Simon Johnson, and was pregnant with their first child.

Get this. I was out of touch with everyone for nine months and the entire world changed. I can’t even describe what having Lindy’s betrayal meant to me. My state of shock was little short of my diabetic coma. I closed all my social media accounts without explanation. I closed my email account. I closed my bank account. Everything. One night, I packed my bags and left town. I had no real destination in mind, but got off the bus in Cedar City.

As soon as I got there, I filed a dba as Cal Levin CPA and except on a few legal documents, like my drivers’ license, marriage license, and income tax forms, that was the only name I used.

Okay, fast forward to the Global Gala. Who walks in the door, but the president of Global Warehouse and Distribution, my old roommate Vince Gordon!

Rex Laughlin was at the front of the crowd to gladhand Vince. What a schmuck.

“Mr. Gordon, welcome to our fair city of Cedar Park,” Rex said, as if he were the mayor greeting a foreign dignitary.

“Thank you,” Vince said casually.

He brushed past Rex and continued past to other people. He stopped and shook hands with several people. He stopped at our table and shook hands with Leon.

“I hope you’re doing well, Mr. Kendall,” Vince said. “I was saddened by your loss of Mrs. Kendall and then Bernie Davis.”

“Thank you, Mr. Gordon,” Leon said, a little bemused.

Vince’s eyes swept across the others of our table, apparently not recognizing me. I kept my head down and I was sure he didn’t recognize my blond hair and shaved face. He stopped to talk to other of the old-timers at the gala as if he recognized many of them personally. I was pretty certain this was his first visit to Cedar Park. He was just really good at working a crowd.