“He didn’t seem happy about me working here,” Trevor told Doug as they walked down the hallway to the break room. 

     “That’s just Garrett,” Doug replied as he held the door open for a female employee. “He’s always been Mr. Pinkerton’s right-hand-man when it comes to hiring and security measures.” 

     “He’s that good?” wondered Trevor. 

     He took the mug of hot coffee Doug handed him and watched his direct supervisor pour his own. 

     “My brother is responsible for turning this place around from the brink of disaster,” Doug answered. “About six years ago, all of the agency’s old skeletons resurfaced, nearly destroying the public’s trust.” 

     They stepped out into the common workspace, where the regular office staff and new recruits like Trevor had cubicles rather than private offices. 

     “Life goes fast and people tend to forget mistakes and even intentional criminal behavior,” Doug continued. “Social media has a way of making people remember, even when someone has made amends ten times over and when the victims would rather move on and live in peace.” 

     “How dare victims live in peace when we didn’t get a turn to save them!” declared a feminine voice behind one of the cubicle walls. 

     A chestnut-haired head peeked over the divider, the owner of the tightly pinned updo grinning upon seeing both men. 

     “Laura, did your mother never teach you eavesdropping is unbecoming of a lady?” teased Doug, and he grinned when he saw the faint blush from his gaze. 

     “Doug, did you forget to change your calendar from 1956?” she grinned with an uplifted eyebrow. 

     “Who says things like ‘unbecoming of a lady’?” laughed another woman who joined them. 

     “Old-fashioned men like Doug,” Laura laughed. “You know he’s proud of his old clothes, Melissa. You’d think he was seventy-two instead of thirty-two.” 

     Trevor joined them in laughing when he pulled his vest straight and adjusted his tie. 

     “You do look like one of those men from my grandmother’s old magazines,” Trevor chuckled, then straightened and cleared his throat as Doug glared at him. 

    Doug pulled out Trevor’s chair and playfully shoved Trevor into it. He spun it around so Trevor would face the pile of files on his desk and patted him on the shoulder. 

     “I’ll have you all know three-piece suits are back in fashion,” Doug told them. “Sophisticated ladies appreciate the care of a well-dressed gentleman. I wouldn’t expect any of the women in this office to understand.” 

     The two women beside them gasped at the teasing insult and a third lightly slapped him on the back.

     “Misogynistic pig,” the newcomer sneered. 

     He turned and faced her, then playfully pulled at one of her short dirty-blonde curls and let it go, laughing when it bounced back like a spring. 

     “That would mean I’m a sexist toward all women, Monique,” he smiled. “On the contrary, I simply meant to point out the women in this office don’t appreciate the efforts a man like me puts forth to appear decent and chivalrous.” 

     “Aren’t those the same thing?” wondered Garrett as he walked up behind the small group. 

     “Mr. Fagan,” Melissa and Laura quickly greeted. 

     “Hi, Garrett .. I mean, Mr. Fagan,” the blonde said with a strong tone of seduction in her words. 

     “Hello, Monique,” Garrett told her politely. “Melissa, Laura,” he nodded to them in greeting. “You’re being redundant again, Doug.” 

     “How is that?” wondered Doug. “’Decent’ means decent, ‘chivalrous’ means … behaving with chivalry.” 

     “I’ve no time to be your personal dictionary like when we were children,” Garrett gave his brother a crooked grin. 

     He started to continue on his way through the office when Trevor quickly spoke up. 

     “Mr. Fagan,” he said, and both men turned to look at him. “Are you two real brothers or is it like the military when soldiers call each other ‘brother’? You don’t look alike at all. I mean to say … I mean no offense.” 

     “Only a weak man gets offended,” Garrett sharply replied. 

     He didn’t like speaking of personal matters to someone he’d just met, and he still wanted to discuss the new employee with the head of the company. 

     “Garrett was adopted,” Doug quickly replied before the young co-worker dwelled on the stinging remark. “He’s originally from China. My parents adopted him during the law allowing only one child per household. Since they couldn’t have any more children and had friends living there who were affected by the law, they adopted their newborn son. He’s American through-and-through.” 

     Garrett gripped the files in his hand and tried to ignore the unintended implication he should be ashamed of his heritage. Then he started again to walk away.

     “Where are you going, Mr. Fagan?” asked Monique as she followed. “You’ve been gone for so long and you didn’t even tell us hello until just now. Where did you go? What was it like? Did you bring back any souvenirs?” 

     Garrett stopped and glared at her for a moment before answering. 

     “Miss Davenport, you know very well field agents never discuss their assignments, nor are others permitted to ask such questions,” he glowered. 

     He looked around the office and shook his head. “Has this whole place gone mad since I’ve been gone?

     Doug, inform Mr. Pinkerton I’ll be up to see him as soon as I’m done in the vault. We have a lot to discuss.”

     They watched him turn on his heel and storm away, angrily tossing his unfinished coffee into a nearby trashcan. 

     “If he hates the changes so far, wait till he meets her,” Laura quietly uttered. 

     They all looked at each other again as Melissa spoke. “Yeah, but wait until she meets him! The teacher’s pet is about to find out there’s someone closer to Mr. Pinkerton who has full authority over everything and everyone, including her precious modifications.”  

     “Monique has the most to worry about,” Laura almost laughed. 

     “What do you mean?” Monique asked in confusion. 

     “You really are slow,” Laura chided. “He’s Chinese, she’s Chinese. They have more in common already than you ever would.”

     Monique tried to ignore Melissa and Laura’s giggles as she watched Garrett step into the elevator. Her eyes squinted angrily as she stared at the descending numbers on its way down to the file room. 

     “I better run interference,” sighed Doug, ignoring Monique’s mood shift. 

     He hurried to another elevator as the group continued to gossip.