“Paul—it’s Jason. Look—plans have changed just a bit. Can you come to Dubai a few days early?” Paul yawned as he said, “Yeah—I think so,” and then more clearly: “Yes. I’ll have to shuffle a few appointments, but it shouldn’t be a problem. What’s up?” “Were you asleep?” “No, but I’ve been going over contracts for two hours and my brain’s fried. What’s up?” “A family emergency. I need to get back to the States as soon as possible.” “Your dad? He’s not—” “NO! No, nothing like that. It’s something else entirely. I’ll tell you about it later—after I’ve gotten everything situated.” “Okay, man. But I gotta tell ya, you’ve piqued my curiosity.” Jason rubbed his hand over his stubbled chin. “Later, man. I’ll go straight from there to Vegas to meet with our new clients.” “Yeah, that’ll work. I’ll call you later to cement the details.” Jason agreed. After hanging up with Paul, he called and booked a flight to Beirut for the next day and then a flight to Dallas on Thursday.
