he never would have believed you could miss the gut that jutted out in front of you , the gut that had eventually gotten big enough to hide even the tips of your shoes c he 'd had to lean and peer to find out if he needed a shine or not c especially he never would have believed it if you 'd told him such a thing was possible while he was climbing a flight of stairs after too many drinks the night before , clutching his briefcase grimly , feeling a dew of sweat on his forehead , wondering if this was the day the heart attack was going to come , a paralyzing pain on the , left side of his chest which suddenly broke free and ripped down his left arm .