In the Billionaires Club by Anne Burroughs

at night.”
    “Vinnie! I love Vinnie.” Martin had a big smile as he handed Gin her drink. “He’s definitely a 24/7 kid. I keep telling him to go home and relax, but what can I do? I’m not his father.”  
    “Yeah, I know a lot of people like that. It seems to be a requirement if you live in Silicon Valley.”  
    Martin nodded. “Pardon me, Gin. Duty calls.” A man at the end of the bar had raised his glass. Gin hadn’t even noticed. Martin had an eagle eye for empty glasses. Unlike Rich , Gin thought, laughing at a joke that she could only share with Vin.
    “A smile while alone. I admire that.” A man stood behind her and to her left. She turned to face him. He looked like he was in his thirties. He was average height, with slightly wavy light brown hair that was combed back. While Gin was certain he was some kind of senior executive—why else would he be in the Billionaires Club—with a sports jacket and khakis instead of a suit, he looked more casual, almost like an old school movie star or a professor. “May I sit down?”
    Gin nodded, and the man slid into the chair to her left. The fact that he didn’t sit in Vin’s chair made her feel better for some reason. He smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Rob Greene.” Gin took his hand in what was a firm but not uncomfortable handshake.
    “Gin. Gin Langdon.”
    “Well, Gin, you are obviously beautiful and sexy—” Gin cringed. Oh God, not one of those guys who uses shallow flattery to try and get into your pants. “—but beyond that I have to add that I’ve been a member here for a long time, and it isn’t often that I see someone new walk in with the poise and confidence that you did. So I wanted to just introduce myself and find out more about you.” He shrugged, which was kind of charming in its nonchalance.
    Rob had a bearing that was attractive in its maturity. He had a angular broad face, handsome in a working class way even though he was wearing expensive clothes. He had a George Clooney or Alec Baldwin vibe. He wasn’t gorgeous like Vin, but he was very handsome.
    “Sure, Rob. But why don’t you tell me about yourself first?”
    “Like I said—confidence.” Rob smiled, ordered an iced tea, and proceeded to outline how he went from a bookkeeper to the CEO of a human services outsourcing company. The story was enthralling, with twists and turns as Rob was betrayed here and redeemed there.  
    They had chatted for a long time. Rob was a comfortable conversationalist, mixing questions about Gin with short humorous anecdotes and the occasional story of how a bad turn was countered by lucky break. She was about to crack a joke about him always landing on his feet, when he lowered his head and said, “And then my son died.”  
    “Oh my God, Rob. I’m so sorry.”  
    “It’s part of who I am. So I am thankful for that.” Gin about choked on her drink. He’s thankful his son died? How zen can this guy be? “It clarified things with my wife. She left me, and I had to strip away the things that didn’t matter. There wasn’t much left, because what matters when the most important thing in your life is stripped away?”
    “That’s so sad,” Gin whispered. She didn’t know what else to say.
    “But it taught me a valuable lesson, which is that sadness, happiness, pain, and joy are all fleeting.” He sipped his iced tea. “ Everything is fleeting.”
    “I just don’t know how you can overcome something like that.”
    “Ah, Gin. Now we get to the heart of who I am today—You don’t overcome it. You accept it and move on.”
    “That sounds hard.”
    “All the worthwhile things are. You can’t just say, ‘even this shall pass.’ You have to accept the passing, and when you do so you can enjoy each moment of life.”
    Gin nodded. “It must be comforting to know that the difficult and sad moments will eventually end or get better.”
    “Yes, but that’s only part of it. No matter how good things get, they also