Chapter 30
They sat in silence for what seemed like hours of grueling interrogation under intense bright lights shining right in Jon's face.
It was more like four minutes and Buddy had been looking around at other people, always with a smile and nod.
Jon finally gave his backpack a little kick.
“So, what do I do now, Buddy? That thing sure has caused me lots of problems this morning. Both metaphorically and in reality.”
Buddy listened. There was no question that Jon had Buddy's complete, undivided attention. He reflected on how that made him feel cared for. Buddy was a great listener.
“I've started crafting an email response in my head,” Jon continued. “I understand now that my boss didn't ‘make me mad' or cause this whole problem. And I know you said you really didn't care about the details of the situation, but I do need to fix it and somehow rework this whole scenario to explain and justify my behaviors—and save my reputation.”
Jon shifted again and looked straight at Buddy.
“Buddy, I've worked so hard to manage my reputation, to make myself the perfect candidate for raises and promotions. How do I fix this? What can I blame for this disaster to save face and be that perfect team member again? How do I make all of this go away?”
“Do you know what my favorite command on a computer is, Jon?”
“To be honest, Buddy, I'm kind of surprised you use a computer,” Jon interjected, not so much trying to be funny as honestly surprised. “I guess those board seats require it.”
“Son,” ...
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