Free The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart Page A

flavors this year and each one of them is pegging red on the in-coffeepots-everywhere meter.”
    Ron rose and went to the full-length windows that looked out over Lake Washington. The setting sun put him in silhouette. “The outside looks peachy, but the fruit is rotting on the inside.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “It’s my fault.” Ron turned and wandered back over to Brock. He sat, leaned forward, and straightened the four issues of Golf Digest magazine that sat in the center of the table between them.
    “Tell me what happened, Ron.”
    Ron flashed Brock a sick, lopsided smile. “Do you remember when we were kids, and we used to play Monopoly with Vince Capastano and his sister? Remember how Vince always seemed to have more cash than he should? How he was stealing it from the bank when we weren’t looking?”
    “I remember how you beat him up when we found out.”
    “He never cheated again.” Ron pushed back his hair. “Wish I could do the same thing right now.”
    The truth washed over Brock like an icy wave. “Who stole our money, Ron?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “How can you not know?”
    “It’s not there. No trace of where it went. We can’t find it. Our IT guys say the hackers were brilliant.”
    “When did this happen?”
    “When do you think? While you were off gallivanting around the world in China, and Costa Rica, and Japan.”
    “Working. Not gallivanting.”
    “Whatever you want to call it.”
    “Are we going to start in on this again?”
    “No.” Ron slumped forward, head in hands. “I’m sorry.”
    “You’re sorry? Why didn’t you come to me?” The words came out louder than Brock intended.
    Ron blew out a long breath and turned his head toward Brock but didn’t respond.
    “We’re going to find a way out of this.”
    “There isn’t a way out, Brock.”
    “There’s always a way out. We’re going to battle this insanity with everything we have. Right?” Brock leaned forward and tried to keep his breathing steady. “Right?”
    “I told you, it’s over. I’ve been fighting it with everything I have. I’ve pulled every string. Called in every favor. We are finished.”
    “Then let me ask again, why did you keep this from me? Why didn’t you tell me this was going on?”
    “This was my war to fight, not yours.”
    “That’s an asinine answer.” Brock slammed his fist into his chair. “I’ve given my life to this company. Everything I own, everything I am, is wrapped up in Black Fedora. It goes down, so do I.”
    He’d told Karissa for years to wait just a little longer and the breakthrough would happen. And it had. The past six years had been stellar. This coming year was supposed to be even better, the one that would set them completely free. But now the dream was crashing and burning with the power of a nuclear warhead.
    “The company was my life too.”
    “And you leave me out of the greatest battle it’s ever faced? For the third time, why didn’t you come to me?” Brock stood and paced on his brother’s tan carpet.
    “Like I said, this was mine to fight.”
    “Tell me the real reason. The deeper reason. Time to get real, brother.”
    “You’re the artist, the one with heart and a palate that creates coffee flavors the world loves. The one who talks to the media, the spokesperson, the face everyone loves.”
    “I never wanted to be the spokesperson. The PR firm said it should be me, and you agreed, and even then I said no.”
    “But once we talked you into it, you learned to love the limelight, didn’t you? Made you feel good. Made you feel needed. Told you you were worth something.”
    “What does that have to do with what’s going on right now?”
    “I have to spell it out? You’re the face and heart of the company, I’m the mind and the strategist. I don’t spend a lot of time in your part of the company and you don’t spend a lot of time in mine.”
    “Nice try. Once more. The real reason.”
    “What do you want?”
    “The