24 hours, 5 years, 10 months(romantic story series)
Posted: 17 Aug 2015 17:37
24 hours, 5 years, 10 months Ch. 01
bywieliczka©
This is a Romance series that starts with a disastrous BTB chapter. I was watching people in their late teens to 30+ years live in their smart phones. I see many have a minimum of security on them. Somebody really pissed could do so much damage quickly and easily. What surprised me was that it wasn't going to take money or high level technical smarts to do this.
*****
Gail walked sleepy-eyed into the kitchen.
I stood up and hugged my bride-to-be. "I really don't like getting up at 5 to be at work by 6:15 so I could drive the 80 miles to that client site. I'm sorry hun for making noise that woke you up." She hugged me back. "I love you so much Gail. Can't wait the two weeks till we get married."
"That's two weeks and three days and 5 hours Jim. I understand you spending all these extra hours working. We have a wedding to pay for. You'll be busy today so you don't have to call me. The traffic getting home will be murder. Take your time and be safe." I got another kiss and I was out the door.
We really do need the money. As a copier repairman for a service firm, I drive all around the metro area, including the neighboring state. This morning I'm scheduled to drive almost 2 hours in rush hour traffic to replace a client's 9 copiers. That supply house is a good client and it's worth the effort for my company and my career.
Out the door at 5:50, I arrive at the shop to pick up the load and the truck. I immediately find out there is a problem, a big problem. Not all the copiers are ready. In fact, two now have a factory defect, a newly discovered defect. The parts are here, but even with all the techs on hand, repairing them could not be completed until 1 at the earliest. The travel time there and the on-site time would mean that I'd have to be at the client's site till 10 PM. This is not going to go over well.
Our firm has a goal of 100% satisfaction and I make an immediate call. Luckily for everyone, the client not only isn't ready, but asked for an additional day to get prepared. They have a rush job that needs immediate attention and were overjoyed at the delay. The installation will now happen on Friday.
I immediately began the repairs. I started at the company as an in-shop tech for several years during and after high school and have a good level of experience. Noon came around and the first copier was done. I let them know that I was going home for lunch because I had not brown bagged it today.
It's a 10 minutes drive home mid-day. I was about to turn down the block, but something was different. There are two cars in the driveway, Gail's Camry and an SUV. I've never seen that car on the block before. I didn't turn and kept on driving by. The nearby shopping center has a lot in the back behind the auto parts store. Lots of early 2000's econboxes to fit in with. Time to think.
There was always something in my gut that made me unsettled about Gail and me. Nothing overt, but a couple of things that could be taken several different ways. Quiet talking on the phone, a protection of her on-line time. In the instant I saw the two cars, I knew that I wasn't sure of anything anymore.
It could be her at home with a friend having lunch, but her work was 30 minutes away. She could have been sick and somebody from work got her home. She could have taken some comp time to prepare for the wedding. It all could be harmless and I could be blowing it all out of proportion. It could also be more.
I was not due back home until after 8 and I left before 6 in the morning. She could be entertaining somebody, male or female. Either way, another person's marriage could be built on that, but not mine. I knew I had to sneak back to the house and find out. I can't and won't live with anyone, even somebody I love, with questions of trust hanging over me.
First things first, phone goes on silent. Camera app is turned on, ready to go. I walk from the parking lot to the north. My house is blocked by others on that side. No one at the house could see anyone approaching that way. It takes me 5 minutes to reach the back door.
bywieliczka©
This is a Romance series that starts with a disastrous BTB chapter. I was watching people in their late teens to 30+ years live in their smart phones. I see many have a minimum of security on them. Somebody really pissed could do so much damage quickly and easily. What surprised me was that it wasn't going to take money or high level technical smarts to do this.
*****
Gail walked sleepy-eyed into the kitchen.
I stood up and hugged my bride-to-be. "I really don't like getting up at 5 to be at work by 6:15 so I could drive the 80 miles to that client site. I'm sorry hun for making noise that woke you up." She hugged me back. "I love you so much Gail. Can't wait the two weeks till we get married."
"That's two weeks and three days and 5 hours Jim. I understand you spending all these extra hours working. We have a wedding to pay for. You'll be busy today so you don't have to call me. The traffic getting home will be murder. Take your time and be safe." I got another kiss and I was out the door.
We really do need the money. As a copier repairman for a service firm, I drive all around the metro area, including the neighboring state. This morning I'm scheduled to drive almost 2 hours in rush hour traffic to replace a client's 9 copiers. That supply house is a good client and it's worth the effort for my company and my career.
Out the door at 5:50, I arrive at the shop to pick up the load and the truck. I immediately find out there is a problem, a big problem. Not all the copiers are ready. In fact, two now have a factory defect, a newly discovered defect. The parts are here, but even with all the techs on hand, repairing them could not be completed until 1 at the earliest. The travel time there and the on-site time would mean that I'd have to be at the client's site till 10 PM. This is not going to go over well.
Our firm has a goal of 100% satisfaction and I make an immediate call. Luckily for everyone, the client not only isn't ready, but asked for an additional day to get prepared. They have a rush job that needs immediate attention and were overjoyed at the delay. The installation will now happen on Friday.
I immediately began the repairs. I started at the company as an in-shop tech for several years during and after high school and have a good level of experience. Noon came around and the first copier was done. I let them know that I was going home for lunch because I had not brown bagged it today.
It's a 10 minutes drive home mid-day. I was about to turn down the block, but something was different. There are two cars in the driveway, Gail's Camry and an SUV. I've never seen that car on the block before. I didn't turn and kept on driving by. The nearby shopping center has a lot in the back behind the auto parts store. Lots of early 2000's econboxes to fit in with. Time to think.
There was always something in my gut that made me unsettled about Gail and me. Nothing overt, but a couple of things that could be taken several different ways. Quiet talking on the phone, a protection of her on-line time. In the instant I saw the two cars, I knew that I wasn't sure of anything anymore.
It could be her at home with a friend having lunch, but her work was 30 minutes away. She could have been sick and somebody from work got her home. She could have taken some comp time to prepare for the wedding. It all could be harmless and I could be blowing it all out of proportion. It could also be more.
I was not due back home until after 8 and I left before 6 in the morning. She could be entertaining somebody, male or female. Either way, another person's marriage could be built on that, but not mine. I knew I had to sneak back to the house and find out. I can't and won't live with anyone, even somebody I love, with questions of trust hanging over me.
First things first, phone goes on silent. Camera app is turned on, ready to go. I walk from the parking lot to the north. My house is blocked by others on that side. No one at the house could see anyone approaching that way. It takes me 5 minutes to reach the back door.