I spent the rest of the week buried in meetings, numbers, and budget wrangling. I promised Sonny that I’d be at the bookstore that Saturday night, but declined all other offers for lunch or dinner. I simply wasn’t up to it.
Saturday morning, I was up bright and early, as was my habit. I did my usual workout in the basement gym of my house on the rowing machine while blaring Avenged Sevenfold, something which Noah had thought was funny. The fact that I, staid and clean-cut Mr. Barfield, liked heavy metal had been unfathomable to him. It just worked for me in this setting. I couldn’t explain it. Next, I did weights, jumped rope, and some sit-ups and push-ups. I was soaked with sweat by the time I was done. It felt good.
After a quick shower and breakfast, it was time to clean the house whi
