Of Kings and Aces

02| One Year Ago

One year ago

It was almost eleven on a Friday night, yet we were still at the office trying to figure out how data from our client was breached using their previous security system. I made myself comfortable on the couch in my office while Bart, the head of IT, was on my desk, crouched behind the computer. An empty pizza box lay open on the coffee table in front of me, and there was another unopened box underneath it. Empty soda cans and bottles of half-consumed energy drinks stood beside the boxes.

I was in meetings the whole day before I sat at my office at five and worked on the computer 'til around eight in the evening then Jaxx called to tell me he finally got his friend to accept the work proposal he had been offering him ever since he was still in the States. He said the guy would be at the office by Monday. This was good news because we needed another experienced, computer-brained geek working for us, not just a pretty face with an astounding resumè.

"How's it going over there? Any leads how they altered the data?" I asked Bart while I replied to emails on my phone.

"Not sure. But have you seen this line over here? It looks suspicious," he stopped scrolling and guzzled the remaining soda, screwing the cap back on before placing the bottle back on the table. 

Bart was a few years older than Jaxx and me, but everybody thought he was just our friend from school because he was so childish and loved pranking people at the office. Right now, though, he looked ten years older because he was unshaven, his hair was curly and unruly, and his eye bags were the size of fortune cookies.

"God, forget I asked. I think I'm stuck on this couch," I groaned and covered my eyes with my forearm. I just sent the last email confirming that I received the new guy's resume as per my COO's insistence. I trusted Jaxx's judgment. So if Jacob Kingston came highly recommended for his experience and work ethic, who was I to disagree? Besides, he's already hired the guy.

"Get up and check this out, boss," he said mockingly. When I didn't move, he threw the empty Coke bottle at me.

"Ouch! For crying out loud, let me rest a while," I glared at him and returned to covering my eyes.

"For fuck's sake, get up and look at this! I don't want to continue working just so you can disagree to it tomorrow when I can get the answer from you right here, right now," he complained.

"Bart, you're the champion IT guy. I have full faith in you."

"Ace, you're the security analyst hotshot. This is your job, not mine! We didn't make their program, and all these firewalls and dead ends are pissing me off."

"Go around them, then! Surely you know how to do at least that," I scoffed.

"This is your job!" he griped.

Bart and I jumped in surprise when my phone suddenly rang, cutting through the bickering. When I picked up the call, loud music, guitars, and people shouting greeted me.

"Seb, what is it?"

"What is it? What do you mean 'what is it'? Where are you?" he shouted over the music.

"Oh shit. It's today. I'm still at the office. How much time do I have before we start?" I quickly got up, put on my shoes, stuffed my laptop and necktie in my bag while pressing the phone between my ear and shoulder. We still played in Camachile Sky occasionally, but it had been a while since the last time.

When Jaxx went to Wharton, he left quite a mess behind, precluding us from playing. Seb still wasn't confident with his percussion skills. I had to run the company alone physically. Chino was in law school. Val was busy with residency then, and she really wasn't interested in the band.