giant leap

let me tell you a story.

first, some background: my friend asked me a few months ago if i could recommend a good divorce lawyer in town as her parents, who have been separated for most of her 24 years, have finally decided to make it legal and get a divorce. naturally, i suggested a lawyer at my firm but i wanted to give her a couple of other alternatives. so, i asked my boss, the Ninja, if he knew of any good family law lawyers (he doesn't practice it himself). he gave me a couple of names and then said, "Joe Smith - he's the one I'd use."

further background to my story... the Ninja has marital problems. serious, serious marital problems. i don't think he knows that i know, but i do.

jump to the present. the Ninja has been very moody lately - kind of sad, tense and a host of other emotions that i've picked up on. we Cancers are very sensitive to other people's feelings and his moods have been killing me lately. he's just been so sad. i finally asked him last week, "are you stressed?" and he said, "yes." and i said, "is there something i can help with?" and he said, "no, it's all self-imposed."

today, he sends me an e-mail and asks me, "does the firm get discounted rates at any of the local hotels around here? if so, can you find out how much?" he has no files that i know of that require clients or witnesses to be put up in a hotel. but then again, he lives out in the valley and commutes every day so i thought, perhaps, he was looking for an alternative to working late (as if!) and then driving home in the late hours in the dark.

the sealer of the paranoid deal for me was as he was leaving today. he said, "ok, i have a dinner meeting with the Board guy. can you do me a favor before you leave today?" dutifully, i say, "sure". he looks skyward and i swear his voice cracked slightly as he asked me, "can you e-mail me Joe Smith's number?"

holy F.