Free Larkspur by Claudia Hall Christian

He knew Katy should be sound
asleep. He just hoped he might see them. He stood at the door
pouting for a moment before going into the kitchen. He used his
hands to take off his Lipson shirt while he used his psychokinetic
skill to get a beer from the refrigerator. He popped the top of the
beer while it was sliding across the counter toward him. The beer
hit a seam in the granite just as the cap came off. Beer and foam
spewed onto the counter and floor. Jacob hopped around the counter
to clean up the mess. When he looked up Jill was standing there.
Her smirk indicated that she had seen the whole thing. He
laughed.
    She got out the mop while he worked on the
counter. Before she could wipe the floor, he took the mop from her
and made quick work of the small space.
    “ Sorry,” he
said
    She laughed. His head jerked to look at her.
He laughed. She went to the refrigerator to get another beer. She
reached into the refrigerator and then looked to her left.
    “ What?” he
asked.
    “ I think we have some
feral cats,” Jill said.
    “ Cats?” Jacob
asked.
    She turned around and gave him the beer.
    “ I keep seeing them,” Jill
said. “You know, out of the corner of my eye.”
    “ What kind of cats?” Jacob
used his hands to twist of the cap.
    “ Black cats.” Jill
shrugged.
    “ Like
panthers?”
    “ Like cats,” Jill said.
“They look like Cleo but all black. I was talking to Delphie one
morning in her apartment. Cleo hissed and arched her back at
something. I saw this black cat scamper off.”
    “ It’s always possible,”
Jacob shrugged. “We could have an entire wing of cat housing and
never know it.”
    Jill smiled.
    “ How are you?” Jacob
asked.
    “ Good,” Jill smiled. “Dr.
Anna liked the space. She hinted that she wouldn’t mind working
there all the time. It’s better than the clinic she
has.”
    “ I’ll talk to Delphie,”
Jacob nodded.
    “ I doubt she wants it full
time,” Jill said. “But a day downtown… That’s what she said
anyway.”
    “ Why don’t I talk to her
and see what makes sense?” Jacob took a drink of his
beer.
    “ How was today?” Jill
asked. “Aden said it was a little wild.”
    “ Wild,” Jacob nodded.
“Yes. I just left Tres. We put more money on the books today than
we did any of the days at the big project.”
    “ How?” Jill
asked.
    “ The employees,” Jacob
nodded. “Excuse me, the owners. They came up with little ways to
make money. Wanda’s dad, Erik, and the plumbers sold most of the
toilets we bought for the large project. By mid-day I was talking
to our supplier about getting more. A team out in the Highlands
stumbled on a guy who’s rehabbing almost an entire block. He needs
his basements dug out. We’re taking down a couple garages near
here. I…”
    Jacob nodded and drained his beer.
    “ Employee-owners come up
with solutions,” Jacob’s head moved in a small nod. “It never
occurred to me that they would have great ideas and, because
they’re owners, be ready to make the sale.”
    “ Top-down management means
top down sales?” Jill asked.
    “ That’s exactly right,”
Jacob said. “I figured I’d be bidding on jobs and finding work for
the albatross for the rest of my life, but today, the
employee-owners found their own work. They’re really excited too,
like getting jobs was a kind of game. Our estimation team went from
certain extinction last night, to working a fourteen hour day
today.”
    He set the bottle down.
    “ Would you like another
one?” Jill asked.
    “ No,” Jacob said. “Can you
make me one of your special peanut butter sandwiches?”
    “ Sure.” Jill went to get
the supplies from the refrigerator.
    “ Any word on Experiri
Genetics?” Jacob asked.
    “ None,” Jill said. She set
out two slices of soft wheat bread. “I’m going to see the old
doctor tomorrow morning.”
    “ Would you like me to go
with you?”
    “ No.” Jill shook her
head.
    “ They’re my boys
too.”
    “ Because you’re likely