It was useful to know. Not because it changed anything practical, but because it meant the conversation that needed to happen had a chance of being real rather than transactional.
I thanked Becca again and we talked for a few minutes about something else entirely — she was dealing with a situation at her own job that she wanted a second perspective on — and I gave her my thoughts and she gave me a perspective on my job situation in return, because that’s what conversations are when they’re working well, and then we said goodnight.
After I hung up I realized I genuinely liked Becca. I had met her a handful of times at Claire’s events over the years and always found her pleasant, but I had not had the experience of appreciating her as a person until this. She had done something brave in calling me the first time, and she had done something generous in calling me the second time, and she had managed to be loyal to Claire while also being honest with me, which is a difficult balance.
I hoped that after all of this was over, Becca would be someone I actually knew rather than just someone I was aware of.
## The Jordan Deadline
Jordan’s email arrived on the Monday of the week before the thirty-day window closed. It was professional and precise, as everything from Jordan was, and I had been half-expecting it since my original call with her.
The relevant facts: she had sent two emails to Claire and one to Owen, using the contact information I had provided. She had received no response. The thirty-day deadline was twelve days away. She needed clarity on the payment plan for the remaining balance by the end of that week, or the original contract — mine — would govern, and the sixty-day installment would be due within the week.