Conversation during today’s lunch was fun. We all laughed as Cameron shared a story about his weekend, getting stranded in a biker bar in Sacramento and being hit on by one of the biker’s girlfriends. Apparently it was a mess, but he now has new fans in Sac.
We talked about a partner retreat, some business issues, and what we have pending. The two-and-a-half-hour lunch was an excellent start to our working relationship.
San Francisco is my favorite city. The City, as it’s referred to by the locals, is simply urban. Tall concrete buildings in an exact grid pattern, the grass saved for parks and the occasional backyard. Ever-present skyscrapers are smudged by the haze-filled sky, offering no direct sunlight and few birds. Cars race between red traffic lights, stubbornly flickering in their gray surroundings.
Sara decides she can’t walk the eight blocks again in her shoes and chooses to ride back with Cameron and Mason to the office, who extend the offer to Emerson. Peering between the buildings at the cloudless skies and taking a deep breath, she says, “It’s such a beautiful day. Dillon, we don’t meet for another half hour. I think I’d like to walk back. Do you mind if I meet you back at the office?”
Surprised at her passing up a ride, I tell her, “I would be happy to walk with you.”
Despite the three-inch heels, she’s confident in herself. I can tell by her powerful stride, the way she holds her head up and her shoulders back.
As we walk, we make idle chitchat. “Where are you from originally?” she asks.
With my hands in my pockets, I walk and turn to her at the same time. “Just outside Detroit. What about you?”
“Denver. It’s probably why I miss the sun so much. We tend to have more sunshine than San Diego.”
“Summers are brutal here. The hot desert valley brings fog, gray and cold to San Francisco. How long have you lived here?”
“I moved to Palo Alto for undergrad and then went east to law school. After graduating almost eight years ago, I came back. And you?”
“I moved here when I was eighteen—which was a long time ago—to attend Stanford and never left.”
There were people everywhere. Panhandlers, business suits, the workout-clad and tons of tourist with cameras. We dodged them all like salmon running upstream.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” she asks.
“I have a younger sister. How about you?”
“I have four brothers. I’m the baby.”
“Four? Wow! That must have been crazy growing up.”
“Any guy who looked at me would get the evil eye, and if he talked to me, they might take him out. Made me undesirable to boys while growing up.”
“Are they all still in Denver?”
“Yes. All married with at least three kids. What about your sister?”
“She lives in Texas and is married but no kids yet. I’m expecting a call anytime now. She’s a teacher, and my brother-in-law works for a big insurance company. They live to focus on their family.”
“I suppose that’s the way it should be.”
We enter the building and I hold the door to the elevator. “You’re probably right. Meet you in my office in fifteen minutes?”
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