"You wouldn't be imposing, Chuck," Rachel insisted. "And the good thing about being self-employed again is I can arrange my work schedule for time off as needed. So you arrange what you can at work, and let me know. I'll be sure to have time off when you do."

Rachel laughed and nodded. "Yeah. It was a pain. Looking back now, I should have realized I wasn't, like, at all suited for those kinds of jobs, all that public contact. Not when I'm the kind of person who likes small parties and catching up with a few friends."