The Fifteen Minute Novel is a novel written fifteen minutes at a time with each week day’s section starting with the sentence from the previous day. At least it is attempting to be a novel. For now I am just aiming at one continuous story, worked on for fifteen minutes each day. Started Friday January 1st, 2021 (in case you want to search for the beginning. I can’t wait to see where it ends up. It could be good, or it could be a mess. We’ll have to see. For now, here is today’s fifteen minutes.
Day 114: “He uses the same password for everything,” James said absently. “He always has.”
“He uses the same password for everything,” James said absently. “He always has.”
“Really?” Morris asked.
“I used to warn him about the security risk, but he never listened, so eventually I stopped,” James smiled. “I supposed that he would either not notice that I adjusted his calendar or realized that someone cracked his super secret password and actually change it.”
“A win either way,” Morris replied.
“Exactly.”
“So you added to his calendar?” Morris prompted.
“No,” James said. He shook his head. “I intended to, but there was something already scheduled for the time of the meeting. I let the schedule alone and then shortly before the next meeting swung by Mike’s office to sort of pick him up along the way.”
James closed his eyes, picturing the day. He remembered his annoyance and his curiosity. Mike was a lot of things, but he usually managed to appease the big clients. He like being perceived as integral to their projects and usually didn’t miss the big meetings, even if he skated through the actual working ones. He liked being present at the presentations and smiling benevolently at those who actually did the work.
The annoyance he swallowed back with practiced ease. The curiosity was what had him adjusting his course to walk past Mike’s office. If he was willing to miss a meeting this large, then clearly the client was someone special.
At the door, James knocked and then opened the door before a response could be given. Mike was seated behind his desk and a man was in the guest chair in front of him. Both looked over at him as he entered.
“We have a meeting in five,” James said. He gave a small start as though just noticing the man. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realize you were wrapping something up. I’ll wait for you in the hall.”
“No need,” Mike replied. “Ernie is joining us, he just got here before the rest of the team and we were having a chat while waiting for the meeting to start.”
James opened his eyes. “The man I saw tonight was introduced as Ernie,” James said. “He was meeting with Mike and went with us to a project meeting.”
“Which project,” Morris asked.
“The Wallacetown pProject,” James replied. “But I don’t think it matters.”
“You don’t?”
James shook his head, remembering Mike’s face. Although the voice remained calm and steady his eyes jittered momentarily darting to the left and he tapped his right index finger on the table three times. In poker it was always the sign he was bluffing. In business it meant a smooth lie.
“I think that they were meeting about something else and when I stopped by to remind him of the meeting, Mike justified his presence by bringing him along to the meeting.
“I see,” Morris said. “Do you remember when this meeting was?
“August 19th,” James replied without hesitation. He could still see the calendar in front of his face. The date rankled more because it was also their mother’s birthday. After the workday ended all of them would be assembled at the birthday party and he would have to make an effort to leave his annoyance behind.
“It was definitely August 19th,” James repeated.
Ten til Midnight 