He nodded.
I remembered the Greg who used to change shirts three times before a barbecue and wouldn’t get in a swimming pool on vacation.
“You’d know it was real.”
“I was proud of you before anybody noticed,” I said.
Greg looked at me.
“I’m proud of the work you did. I’m proud that you have more energy and feel better.” Then I pointed at Brittany. “But she doesn’t owe you a reaction to it.”
Silence.
“I was proud of you before anybody noticed.”
This time he didn’t answer immediately.
Finally he looked at Brittany.
“I think I kept pretending you were impressed because I liked that version better.”
Brittany nodded.
“I figured.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
This time he didn’t answer immediately.
A few seconds passed.
Then Brittany reopened her laptop.
“Please remain clothed during quarterly sales meetings.”
Greg almost smiled.
“Deal.”
Greg almost smiled.
I picked up the print-shop mockup.
He noticed.
“So you really ordered that thing?”
“The little one, yes.”
“What about Gigantic Greg?”
“Approval pending.”
“So you really ordered that thing?”
His eyes narrowed.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I haven’t approved it.”
He exhaled.
“So you weren’t actually going to send a six-foot shirtless version of me to my gym?”
