Excerpt
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Coffee, Monte!” Roz vented behind the five-drawer file cabinets by her desk. “Steve had me get coffee for the guys.”
“Easy, Roz.” Monte put up his hands. “Remember? You’re breaking into the good ol’ boy club here.”
Roz placed her hands in front of her, palms down, one higher than the other. “It’s always like this. An uneven playing field. And I’m down here.”
She slowly raised her hand, until it was even with the other one.
“And I have to put in so much energy to come up to where everyone else starts.”
Monte shrugged. “Life’s a bitch, then you die.”
Roz frowned. “Thanks a lot.”
“Hey.” Monte playfully slapped her arm. “I’ve something real cool to show you. Have you ever seen the green flash?”
“Like…The Green Lantern meets Flash Gordon?”
“Good one, Roz.” Monte sniggered. “It’s a scientific kind of thing. From the S*T*C, we can see the sun setting into the ocean. And if we’re lucky, the moment after it sinks into the drink, the green flash appears just above the horizon.”
Near sunset, Roz and Monte trekked out into the parking lot, peering at the Pacific Ocean on the western horizon.
“Always look ahead to the horizon, Roz,” Monte whispered.
Roz saw the sun turn bloody red from haze and pollution.
“The sun travels fifteen degrees per hour,” Monte explained. “It’s about a half degree wide in the sky. So, when it hits the horizon, it’ll sink in two minutes. Maybe three if you consider all the slop from the light leaking over the horizon.”
It was getting chilly. And Roz was glad she wore her wool jacket.
Monte lowered his voice. “It’s almost to the ocean…wait for it.”
Silence.
The sun kissed the ocean. Then it quickly sank into the deep blue sea.
“I saw it.” Roz laughed. “The flash. And it was green. For a just moment.”
“There are some nice things about the S*T*C.” Monte returned a sidelong smile. “You just have to look for them.”
Roz gave Monte’s hand a squeeze.
It was not a romantic squeeze. He was just a good friend. But if fate had brought her to the S*T*C, she was glad she was with Monte.