I laughed. “Not quite. But speaking of lawsuits, I called the attorney you recommended, and I’m meeting with him tomorrow night.”
“Good. Hope it works out. Barnett is a good guy, but he’s also a bulldog of a lawyer.”
“Any chance you have a real-estate-agent referral, too?”
Merrick nodded. “I do. Nick Zimmerman. He’ll probably disagree with you when you tell him where you want to live, but he’s a great agent. I can send an email making an introduction, if you want?”
“That would be great. Thanks a lot. And as long as you’re so amenable, could we also meet tomorrow morning for a few minutes?”
“Can’t. I’m flying out first thing.”
“Oh. How long are you gone?”
“Five days. Is it important?”
“No, not really. I’m just trying to get a handle on the culture, and I can’t discuss my thoughts or opinions with staff or employees. I have to remain neutral and encourage them to talk. Joan from HR has been great, but she doesn’t have experience living in the action like you do.”
Merrick looked at his watch. “You want to do it now?”
I held up my hands. “No. I’m supposed to be helping people reduce stress. I don’t want to get in the way of what little free time you have.”
“It’s fine.” He nodded toward the hallway. “Let me run upstairs and drop off my bag and get changed. Did you eat yet?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Pub food okay?”
I nodded. “Sounds perfect.”
“There’s a good place a few buildings over. You can grill me again while we eat.”
“That would be great. Thank you.” I smiled. “Look at us making nice all on our own. I didn’t even have to threaten to tell your grandmother.”
Merrick shook his head. “I’ll meet you by the elevator in about ten minutes, wiseass.”
“Okay.”
Fifteen minutes later, we were already seated at a table. The waitress came by with menus and asked if we wanted to order a drink. I could’ve really gone for a glass of wine, but Merrick opted for water, so I followed his lead.
“So have my managers confirmed I’m the ogre you think I am?”
I shook my head. “No. Obviously anything said in session is privileged, so I can’t share specifics. But I will say that all of your people respect you very much.”
“Ah… So they think you’re a mole and are telling you what I want to hear.”
I laughed. “I don’t think that’s it.”
Merrick leaned back, resting his arms casually across the top of the booth. “People are talking to you, though? Not giving you a hard time?”
“The ones today did. I mean, therapy tends to start slow, so I don’t push or delve into personal things right away. We just get to know each other a bit.”
“Will liked you.”
“Oh?”
“We eat lunch together a few times a week. He mentioned you were easy to talk to.”
“That’s good to hear. I liked him a lot. He has a quick wit and dry sense of humor.”
“You can say that again. Will likes to bet on random things. Last year he came in on New Year’s Day when no one else was here. He collected all the personal photos from every employee’s desk, scanned them into Photoshop, and superimposed his own face on every kid, spouse, and dog. He egged me into betting who would notice last.”