Page 97 of Caught A Vibe

From: [email protected]

Look, Rishi. I know this is highly suspect, but I need to find him and apologize. I screwed up, and he’s not answering his phone, and I’m worried that he’s sick or worse. If he’s not with you, could you call him and see if he answers? If he’s just blocking me, I’ll let it go. But I’m truly worried. What if he’s sick somewhere by himself?

-Penny

Istare at the screen with its blinking cursor for fifteen minutes with no response. Just as I resign myself to another dead end, a message flashes into my inbox.

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Do you know where Dash is?

From: [email protected]

He’s not answering for me either which is odd. I talked to him right after you kicked him out, and he mentioned going home. I know his mom has a place in Roseville, but I don’t have an address.

-Rishi

My guilt is eating me alive. For a second I consider dropping it and letting Rishi follow up to make sure Dash is okay. It’s the longest second of my life. But I quickly discard the idea. It seems work isn’t the only place I struggle to delegate.

But waiting for others to do what I need done has never served me well. It certainly isn’t how I became CEO of my own company before thirty, and it isn’t how I’m going to fix things with Dash. There is a time to take control, and a time for compromise and taking a back seat. I’ve got to work on those last two, but I sure as hell recognize the first.

Pulling up my search engine, I begin to dig. High school yearbooks, birth announcements, obituaries, newspaper articles… I pull up every piece of information about him I can find. A picture from a high school coding event shows a young and gangly Dash next to a beaming teacher. The caption identifies him as one Mr. Anderson, who, according to the current school website, still runs the computer lab and IT for the building. The mentor he mentioned from high school…

With one impulsive click I send him an email, asking if he remembers Dash and might have any information on his family’s current whereabouts.

His response is not at all what I expected.

Subject: Re: Dash Hall Info Request

From: [email protected]

Is this the same woman who kicked him out and broke his heart? I’m not sure I should share that information with you.

-Scott Anderson

The fact that this man has seen him recently enough to know about the breakup gives me hope. And I am glad Dash has such loyal friends watching his back.

Subject: Re: Re: Dash Hall Info Request

From: [email protected]

This is the woman who screwed up big-time, needs to know he’s okay, and would like to apologize and fix things, if I can. Even if his answer is no, I think he still deserves the apology.

-Penny Maxwell

As I wait for a reply, I begin to pace again, this time keeping an eye on Callie. I am so close to finding him. Every second feels like minutes until a ding pulls me back to my laptop.

The reply has only one line. An address.

I don’t plan what to do next, or strategize until I’ve found the best route or the perfect thing to say. I have to go. Now. On impulse, I grab my purse and Callie and head for my car.

Chapter28

Dash

Iam still sitting on the couch in my mother’s garage. I managed another shower this morning, and Mom insisted on breakfast, but the game has me by the throat. I’m pretty sure the couch cushion beneath me is permanently flattened.

I am deep in code when the door to the house opens.

“Not now, Mom. I’m not hungry. I’ll grab a sandwich in a little bit.”

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