"Thanks, Carol," Tony replied. He didn't expect a miracle, obviously, but any help was appreciated.
He started on his second drink and chuckled. "Glad I have good people behind it," he told her. "Starting from scratch requires a bunch of boring legwork, but I have to hand it to the entity --- it really helped me with the set-up. What about you? You ready to babysit me?" He shot her a playful grin.