HUM by Dan Hawley (chromebook ebook reader TXT) 📕

world, and when Celeste approached Jason to come out and meet him, he was quickly intrigued.

A few years prior, William had stormed onto the scene with the code that remained at Intellican’s software base. He had interest from everyone from banks to schools. Private companies and various world governments, including the U.S., wanted to purchase the unique code. William’s code had many great applications when you needed to keep information safe.

William sat down and rolled his legs under the desk. He reached for his Intellican mug and took a sip.

“Ahhh, that’s good stuff,” he said as he put it down. His dark eyes, magnified by his lenses, shifted their focus from his mug to Jason. He leaned back, observing Jason for a moment.

Jason held his gaze, unfazed by the scrutiny.

“Glad you’re here, Jason. We’ve got a lot of work to do to hit our first-quarter targets. I brought you on because I know you can handle the pressure. We have high expectations here. We surround ourselves with the best because we expect the best. That’s why you’re here. That’s why I saved you from that soul-crushing, dead-end wasteland.”

Jason smiled and laughed.

“Well, I appreciate the opportunity.”

“Appreciate it all you want, Jason, but I’m more interested in how you seize it.”

William’s cold black eyes pierced through Jason, but he held his boss’s gaze.

“Understood,” Jason replied as seriously and enthusiastically as he could muster.

“Good. I’m here if you need anything; open door policy and all that. I think you’re going to do great here, Jason. Now, get out there and prove me right.” Jason nodded as he stood up.

Feeling a little intimidated and very motivated, he went back to his desk.

CHAPTER 5

“Now breathe out as we move to warrior pose,” instructed the television. “Keep those arms level to your shoulders and chin level.”

Samantha stood, glowing in the late afternoon light, breathing out as she found her pose.

“And breathe out as we move into downward-facing dog.”

Samantha complied.

Her black lulus and sports bra were damp from the workout. Breathing slowly and deeply, she held her pose. A few drips of sweat landed on the purple mat below her brow. She stared at the small pool and continued breathing.

“Now down to child’s pose to finish off our session,” the tv commanded.

Samantha knelt slowly, folded herself, and reached out in front of her bowed head. Her forehead rested on the floor as her back glistened. She tried to keep an empty mind, but she couldn’t help thinking about her parents. Pangs of longing and guilt stabbed at her guts. They had assured her they supported her decision completely before she left. They said they wanted her to be happy and explore the world.

She struggled with it, though, especially now that her brother was gone too.

“Namaste,” the voice concluded.

“Namaste,” Sam replied.

She stood up, grabbed the spray bottle of disinfectant, and cleaned her mat. She rolled it up and stored it neatly in the bedroom closet. Samantha caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror and stopped. She twisted and turned, scanning her body and pinching skin here and there.

She peeled her sweaty sports bra over her head, freeing her chest. Her tights were next to go. She stood up again, twisting and turning, inspecting her naked body in the morning light. She reached her arms up, and slender fingers pushed back her dark hair and fastened it into a ponytail. She yawned, stretched, and headed for the shower.

Warm water splashed over her thighs as Samantha entered the shower. It made the rest of her skin bumpy as it instantly tightened into gooseflesh. Her skin eventually relaxed as she engulfed herself under the chrome showerhead. Orange peel and a hint of honey escaped from the frothy body wash and entered her nose. She breathed deeply as the scent invigorated her senses. Her mind painted scenes of a vibrant orange orchard with beautiful Monet skies. There was Jason, waving and smiling. He looked so serene, so happy in his denim overalls and straw hat. So cliché, she smiled.

Samantha moved the pink loofah over her skin as she daydreamed about the orange farm and her lover and their child…

“Hey!” a voice ssaid.

Samantha jumped, and a quick, shrill scream escaped her lips. Suddenly she was aware of reality and her heart pumping like a freight train.

“Damnit, Jay!” she complained. “Scared the shit out of me!”

She panted as she rinsed the suds from her skin.

“Sorry, babe, I called a couple of times when I got in. I didn’t mean to scare you. I guess you were daydreaming?”

Jason grabbed a fresh towel from the rack.

“I guess so,” Sam responded as she turned off the tap. She stepped into the outstretched towel and Jason’s open arms. He grasped her close and paused there for a moment. He released his grip, leaned back, placed a kiss on the end of her nose, and began to rub her arms up and down as if she were a child that had just exited the pool.

“Was it a good one?”

“We were in Florida,” Sam mused.

Her eyes were unfocused and distant as she stared at the wall. “In an orange grove. You had a dumb straw hat on.”

He smiled.

“And a child.”

Jason perked up at the sound of this.

“A child?” he asked.

“A boy,” she confirmed. “A little boy with little overalls and a little straw hat just like his daddy.” The words flowing from her smiling lips were like music to his ears.

“Oh, shit.” Jason’s smile was as wide as the room. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” “Yeah,” she mocked, “After just moving to Seattle, I think we should move to Florida, buy an orange grove, and have five babies!”

Jason rolled his eyes, dropped his hands from the towel, and left the bathroom so Samantha could finish up.

“I mean, doesn’t sound like a bad plan to me!” he called back as he went to the bedroom to change out of his work clothes.

* * *

“Well?” Sam asked. She leaned over and kissed Jason’s