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"You, too, Gina."
I head to Carmen's room and look at her sleeping. I smile at her soft snores, tiptoe inside and kiss her cheek before heading to the door, already thinking about the work that lies ahead.
"Let's go, Leo," I shout. I know he's in the living room enjoying a cup of coffee and scrolling through his social media feed. Actually, no. Since I started teaching him about the stock market, he's also spent a lot of time learning about trading. He used to be a total social media addict.
"All right, boss," he says, and moments later we're out the door and heading to the garage.
As I slide into the back seat of the car, Leo flashes me a knowing smile. "Big day ahead, Roland?"
"Tell me about it," I mutter, opening my briefcase and pulling out a stack of documents. "I took yesterday off, and now I'm swamped." Though, honestly, I like it. I don't know what I'd do with myself if work wasn't constantly challenging me. Some people hate the hustle. I live for it.
"Nothing you can't handle, boss," he replies, starting the engine and heading out of the garage.
I reach for my phone. I send Maddie a text, letting her know that I have a busy day ahead and will check in later this evening. Also, telling her that I am thinking of her... because I am. I can't deny it. I just hope my attraction to her, or rather–our attraction to each other–turns out to be more than skin-deep. Thinking of her skin... I'm immediately distracted and shake my head. No time for sex fantasies this morning.
My phone vibrates with an incoming text message from Maddie.
Thinking of you, too... have a good day and chat later. xx
The drive to work is filled with the hum of the car engine and the tapping of my fingers against the screen of my phone as I coordinate meetings, answer emails, and try to stay on top of the ever-growing pile of responsibilities to do with entering the European market. Brett is tackling the marketing but I'm handling all the logistics. We have to fly to Germany soon to have some meetings as we plan to have the main operations based there. In the coming months, I also have to visit some of our suppliers in Latin America.
"Here we are, boss," Leo announces, pulling up to the entrance of my office building.
"Thanks, Leo." I nod, gathering my things and stepping out into the morning rush.
I greet the receptionist and head to our floor. We have offices here in Midtown, but our factory and some smaller offices are uptown in Harlem. We bought an entire building up there and one of the first things we did was to install a community youth center on the ground floor with a gym and auditorium where we could stage events and hold meetings. We wanted to ensure the community would welcome us and we would be giving something back to the community.
My focus this morning is razor-sharp, and I tear through my to-do list with ruthless efficiency. This is what I was born to do; I'm in my element here.
"Nice work today, Roland," my assistant comments as she hands me a fresh cup of coffee. "You're really on fire."
"Feels like it," I murmur, rubbing my temples. "But there's no rest for the wicked."
"Or for CEOs," she adds with a smile.
"True enough," I chuckle, taking a sip of the steaming liquid and letting it fuel me for the final stretch. I also have to go over some of my investments. While I love my job the most and it is worth a pretty penny, what earns me the most are my investments. Brett never got into investing, and while he earns a good living, his money is tied to the business. I have spending capital, while he doesn't.
By the time evening rolls around, and I step through the front door, my mind is still buzzing from the day. I have some work I need to get done over the weekend, but I should be able to do it while Carmen sleeps, so I don't have to get one of the two babysitters in.
The familiar scent of home washes over me as I hang up my coat and loosen my tie.
"Welcome home, Roland," Gina says, greeting me with a warm smile, holding Carmen in her arms. "It was a good day."
"Thanks, Gina." I scoop up Carmen, who instantly wraps her tiny arms around my neck. "What did you do today, sweetheart?"
"Me and Maddie went to a puppet show!" Carmen exclaims, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "There were funny animals and a princess! The frog was a prince."
"Sounds amazing," I say, completely captivated by her enthusiasm.
"Everything good otherwise?" I ask Gina.
She nods. "All good. She's had dinner, so just put her to bed in a little while. I have to dash."
"Thanks for staying late. It'll be added to your paycheck."
"Thanks, Roland. Have a great weekend."
As Gina leaves, I walk with Carmen toward her bedroom, passing the living room and greeting the security guy. I play with Carmen for a while, help her get into her PJs, and put her to bed.
