I got a call at the airport from my manager. "I heard you had some trouble with Pollock, " he said.

"Pollock was already in a bad mood before I got there, " I said. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm not saying you did, " my manager told me. "But you'll have to write something about what happened before you get back."

"I should have waited another day, " I said. "I could tell that things weren't right at that office as soon as I stepped in."

"We've been having trouble in Chicago for a while now, " my manager told me. "I mean, of course you know that. But there have been some personnel issues as well. It's not only a numbers thing."

"Well, like I said, " I said. "If I'd come back or waited, or something, maybe things would have gone differently. I probably shouldn't have come at all."

"Worry about writing the report, " he said. "Make sure you get everything right. You'll need details. Human Resources will be looking for that."

"Pollock's probably sent his complaint off already, " I said. "I'm playing catch-up."

"You'll be fine, " my manager told me. "You didn't do anything wrong. We all know that here."

We took off about an hour after our scheduled departure time, but that seems about normal these days. Maybe it isn't normal, but the travel is starting to get to me. That I can say for sure.

As soon as we were in the air, I tried reading the day's newspaper, but couldn't keep my mind on any of the articles. The passenger beside me noticed my agitation. He looked a bit older than me, and was slightly overweight. He had on a grey suit with the jacket and everything. "You're probably warmer than I am, " I said to him.

"These cabins are always cold, " he told me. "On this airline especially."

"I flew them on the way in, and I was fine, " I told him. "At least that's how I remember it."

"Well, nine times out of then, maybe, " he said.

"Don't trust my judgment, " I told him. "Hot, cold, whatever."

He smiled. "One of those days?"

"You've got that right, " I said.

He stuck out his hand. "Vince, " he said.

"Thomas, " I said, shaking.

"We're both getting old fast, Thomas, " Vince said.

"Don't I know it, " I told him.

"When was the last time you had some time off, Thomas?" Vince asked me.

"I don't even want any, " I said. "I wouldn't know what to do with it."

Vince laughed at that remark. "That's right, that's right, " he said. "You know what I was doing in Chicago?"

"Business trip, I take it, " I said.

"I was meeting with these folks at this place called Mesirow Financial, " he said. "You ever heard of them?"

"I can't say that I have, " I said.

"Nobody's ever heard of them, " Vince said. "I mean, I asked my cab drivers every time I got in, and none of them had ever heard of this place. But my boss, you know, he says he's heard good things about these people. Those were his exact words. 'I've heard good things, ' he tells me. Heard from you? Nobody's ever heard of these people."

"So what was the problem?" I asked him. "Your company looking for outside consultants?"

"We're having trouble attracting investors, " Vince said. "Or at least that's what my boss tells me. I don't know all the details. He sent me here to meet with these people. And you know what happened?"

"I'm guessing it didn't go to well, " I said.

"They sit me in a room and they give me a package, " Vince said. "A folder full of little booklets and that sort of thing. And then they basically read them all to me. You know, they're smiling and talking in those voices we all use when we're trying to sell something. But at least they could have put a little more effort into the presentation."

"I hope they had a slideshow, at least, " I said. "Something for you to watch."

"Not even, " Vince said. "They each took their turn to speak. One at a time, around the room. They wanted to introduce me to the 'team', you see. That's what they called themselves."

"That's what we all call ourselves, " I said.

"One at a time, and each one was an expert, " Vince said. "But by the time they were halfway done I was already checked out. I couldn't even tell you what any of them said now."

"At least you have the package, then, " I said.

Vince laughed again. "So how about yourself? Why did you make this lousy trip?"

"We have a problem branch, " I said. "Right back there in Chicago."

"We had one of those a while back, " he said. "They got rid of it in the end."

"I had a run-in with the man in charge of the place, " I said. "We had it out right there in the middle of everything. His entire staff saw the whole thing."

"That happens, " Vince said.

"He was looking for a fight, " I said. "It was inevitable. But I wish we'd at least been in his office or something."

"You can't control all the variables, " Vince said.

"You certainly can't, " I said.

"It's raining back home, you know, " Vince told me.

"I didn't know that, " I said.

"It's coming down hard, or it's supposed to later on, " he said. "Right now it's fine."