Jake opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. It had been a long time since he’d been this speechless. He watched as Alexander stood up from his swivel chair and began pacing the room.

"The last time I was this speechless was back in high school when our math teacher threw an equation at me. I never thought I’d find myself this stunned at thirty," he remarked, still struggling to believe the situation. He turned to Alexander, who had his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"Can you do me a favor?" Alexander asked.

"What kind of favor can you ask when you’re already doing yourself a...