When he was finished with breakfast, he washed his plate and set it on a dish towel to dry. Then he brushed his hair and teeth, rinsed his mouth with mouthwash, and even flossed. When he’d exhausted every possible time-wasting avenue at his disposal, he finally gave in and got dressed for work. He threw on his usual attire of jeans and a black T-shirt before slipping his wallet, phone, and keys into his back pocket and heading for the door.

Zack let Ziggy into the backyard like he did every day. It was one of the things that made his apartment complex so convenient, even if it was a dump. He didn’t have to worry about Ziggy being cooped up inside all day, and his neighbors let the dog romp undisturbed through the overgrown grass. Zack checked the water dish he kept under the awning, then strolled off in the direction of the bus stop, pausing only to wave at Mrs. Alvarez as she painstakingly dragged in the laundry she’d hung out the day before.

His trip to work was uneventful, but the moment he walked into the office, he was accosted by Alexa.

“Wow, I feel special,” Zack joked. “You almost never greet me at the door.”

“I’ve been waiting for you,” Alexa said. Her brown eyes flashed with mischief. “I just had the funniest request. I wanted to tell you about it before you have to call your client.”

“Tell me everything,” Zack responded with glee, but then the rest of what Alexa had said caught up with him. “Wait, what client?”

“I took a call a few minutes ago that was meant for you, or rather ‘Wesley.’ I left a Murmur on your desk with the details. I offered to transfer him to someone who was free, but he insisted on talking to you.”

Zack’s heart didn’t skip so much as play hopscotch on his rib cage.

“Oh?” he asked, feigning nonchalance. “Was it one of my regulars?”

“Not as far as I know. I didn’t recognize his name. It was super generic.”

“A generic name?” Zack kept his tone conversational. “Like Chris or Mike or . . . John?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Zack forced his face to stay blank even as his stomach dropped out through his feet. “You don’t happen to remember his exact name, do you?”

Alexa tapped her chin with a neon-green fingernail. “Can’t say I do. Why? Are you expecting someone?”

“No, no,” Zack said too quickly, “I was just wondering. I mean, there was this one client I hoped would call back, but it’s probably not him.”

Alexa looked at him askance. “You all right there, Sparky?”

“Yeah,” Zack replied. “I’m just a little hungover.”

Alexa let his flimsy excuse slide. “Well, you look pale and, honestly, a bit deranged. You should sit down. I’ll tell you about my client later.”

“Right,” Zack said, forcing a smile. “Catch you in a bit.”

He walked stiffly toward his desk, berating himself. He wasn’t the world’s greatest liar, but he wasn’t usually that bad. There was no reason for him to freak out. John was one of the most common names out there. Generic, as Alexa had put it. Besides, if a client intended to call back, they typically did so right away. The chances of converting a new client into a regular after a whole week had passed were supermodel slim.