I sit and pay attention as we eat from the breakfast buffet; the business merger sounds promising, and I take keynotes on things he will want to recap. I listen intently to them, thrash through proposals and possibilities enthusiastically, and see that these men are genuine friends. They have a rapport you can only find between people who know each other well. Sarcasm and banter are interlaced with business talk; Jake is ‘one of the guys’ around Daniel.

I can’t help but notice as ...