#58

Dave took Andy, Jason and Brian to a Brazilian/Portuguese restaurant on 46th Street called Ipanema. All three of them remarked that they'd never been there before. The host greeted Dave by name ("Mr. Pike") and led them to a table. Dave ordered a bottle of wine for the table, and then Jason ordered a glass of scotch. Andy wondered what in the world was wrong with him. 

Once they ordered their meals, Dave got down to business quickly. "Ok, guys. I want some honest opinions. We're all friends here, so no holding back. I want each of you to tell me, one, your favorite thing about working at Bold Traveler, two, your least favorite thing, and three, what we could do to improve things. Brian, go." 

 So this was the purpose of the lunch. Brian paused to think. He didn't look like he was about to address a friend. Though Andy couldn't imagine a better boss, Dave was definitely an authority figure, and it was hard to feel completely at ease around him. 

 "Ok, favorite thing," Brian began. "I like that our readership is still growing, that we're winning awards, and that I get to put the rag together every month. It's an awesome job." He looked at Dave to be sure that was an acceptable answer. Dave just stared back. "So, least favorite thing..." He looked at Andy as if he was sharing a thought with him, but Andy wasn't receiving it, and he wasn't sure what Brian would say.