He did, though --- he almost extend his hands from under his desk to balance the options --- hope we'd be a happy family working together to produce a..."quality cultural artifact". He actually used that phrase. I should have sensed the landing net sliding under me, instead he landed me without even a flicker of resistance.Little fish watch bigger fish who watch bigger fish still. Jan was my boss and his boss was the owner-publisher. His idea of in-depth journalism was discovering yet another. “I better not stay too long” I said to Rocky, “I don’t want to leave Steve alone too long when he’s sick and feeling rough”“We’d better drink up then if I’m going to get one or two more dances with you, then I’ll let you go” replied Rocky moving closer and putting his hand back on my knee. Although it was kind of weird having another man’s hand on my knee, I rationalized that he was just being friendly and at least keeping it on my knee by not attempting to take advantage and slide up any. Until I heard Alex and Mark coming to me."Are you ok!?" Alex asked grabbing my shoulders and shaking me. "Does it hurt anywhere!?" he continued."Y-Yeah...my shoulders you just squeezed..." I said."S-Sorry..." He said releasing me."That guy is gonna pay!" Mark screamed."Hum...he's cool...no problem...in fact...I never noticed him there..." I said."Oooh..I see where this is going..." Alex said."Shut up...let's go home..." I said."Gatorade...."Mark said looking at me with puppy eyes....damn...he. That wasn't the kind of "talking" Oliss was now intimating. Something was on his mind, something that was troubling him greatly."Yes, Martin," Carmel said. "About what?" I..." Oliss pursed his lips. "Here, let me buy you another drink." He hooked a finger toward the bartender."Well, if you don't want to tell me..." It isn't that, Roger. It's..." He bit his lip. "Ah, hell. I'll be blunt. Sometimes we don't want to spill something to a friend because it's private and personal. You know what I.