Several moments passed as the two men started to finish off the last bucket of balls, Zed's skills growing stronger as he went. 'I can see how this could be relaxing. ’Course, you could always try what Tad taught me.'

'I take it that it wasn't business and golf.'

Zed smiled. 'Cricket game and a pint. But I always just had milk. Being only nine, and all.'

Mac paused mid stroke. 'Right. I'm sorry. I'd forgotten you lost him that young.'

Zed merely shrugged. 'It's fine. He still had time to teach me plenty by example. Hard work, self-sacrifice, family first. Closing a door is really opening a window. The usual. He worked for the same factory from the time he was fifteen years old. Twenty-two years of service, then laid off without notice. But, that didn't stop him from finding a brand new job the very next day. Didn't skip a beat. The day he lost his job I just sat on the step, crying. I thought it was my fault. He had been late to work that day to help me with a school project. But he said something I’ll never forget; “Sometimes you can do everything right and still come up short, anyway. That’s just life”.’

Mac leaned on the club, staring at his fellow. 'What kind of a heartless company would lay off an employee that loyal?'

'Hamilton Inc.'

Mac’s face screwed into a look of confusion. 'That place was bought out years ago. By—'

'Angel Corps. And when they purchased it, they cut two hundred jobs. One of which was my Tad.'

'So what you're saying is; my father sacked your father.'

Zed paused his swing, turning to his friend. 'Funny ol’ world, innit?' After a moment of looking at each other, the two men broke into laughter.

Mac shook his head. 'Never ceases to amaze. Such different lives, leading to the same place.'

It wasn't long before the two had finished off the last of the buckets. As they headed back to the car, Zed had a thought. 'You know, that Newcastle deal was huge. Absolutely massive. Would have been all we could have handled and more.'

Mac scoffed. 'Yes, thank you for that reminder just as I'd started to get over it.'

'No, just— listen. If we'd taken that deal, we would have had to cancel other accounts just to fill it. And Angel isn't that much larger than we are—'

'So, if they're about to cancel dozens of smaller accounts like we would have— And taking them on wouldn't affect our workload. We could take them and not have to drop anyone else!'

'It won't be hard to guess which they're going to cancel. It's a simple process of making a list, logically determining who'll get the boot, and poaching them before they have a chance to even look at other companies!'

Mac looked as though he was jumping out of his skin with excitement. 'Zed, I could k—' but the next words seemed to die on his lips. Instead, Mac seemed to opt for rapping on the hood of his car, clearing his throat very loudly.. 'We can get started tonight! You call the team and—'

'It's after five, already. They've all gone home.'

'Call them back in, we can't wait—'

'No.'

Mac looked as though he'd never before heard that word so definitively spoken. '”No”?'

Zed took a very deep breath. Even after being promoted, he'd never once questioned Mac this way. But this was too important an opportunity to pass up. 'We can do the leg work ourselves tonight. We'll get some takeaway, do the research and work out the numbers. Then, in the morning, we can have the team make the calls.'

Mac sighed, throwing the clubs into the boot and shutting the lid. 'I haven't done legwork in years.'

'I think it's about time you started, then, MacIntire.'

Mac looked back at Zed as if considering him before letting a small smirk slip. 'Fine. How about a Chinese? And you're buying, Higgins.'

Zed smiled broadly as they both climbed into the car. 'Only fair.'