AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"What are you thinking?"
"That I have something to ask Levi when I get the chance," I replied, sounding vague on purpose. “I may have found my thing already.”
She just smiled and soaked up as Rosemary moved on to massaging her feet while Tinsley added more braids as she went.
I did hope Levi would appreciate the ideas I had moving around in my head. Since leaving my old house, I had left all my books behind, and I was beginning to miss being surrounded by them. Plus, I had the feeling it would be good for the community.
As I considered how he might react, my chest warmed at the mere thought of him.
Before, I couldn't stand the idea of even being near him, but since we were able to spend more time together, I found myself wanting more.
I felt surprisingly safe around him, and it was getting easier for me to drop my defenses around him.
Even if letting myself be more vulnerable around him seemed scary, I had no reason to believe he would judge me or say anything harmful.
He had grown so much since we were young, and the new Levi was a major improvement.
Chapter 17 - Levi
As grateful as I was for the tech firm and everything it gave me, it was growing more tiresome to drag myself to work each day, knowing I was leaving Jane behind. Knowing she wasn’t within arm’s length.
I was even less enthusiastic about staying late in preparation for a new product launch. It required all our attention, and we had some last-minute details to sort out before it could happen.
"This is set to be our biggest launch yet," I said, sitting at the head of the table as usual. "With that means more pressure and a greater chance for setbacks, which is why we have more measures in place this time to avoid any possible disasters."
"The e-commerce vendors got back to me and offered us a list of ways they plan to better prepare for the launch," Beau said, handing the stacks of official papers to me.
"Good. And any word from physical vendors?"
"Some highlighted concerns about not having enough stock, but we're working on diverting allocation to more densely populated locations," Sebastian told us. We're projected to sell out in under an hour."
"Marketing has been strong. That'll help," I said, feeling the pressure of it all and the hopeful promise of success. "The better we sell, the faster we can get started on the next phase. But for now, we need to focus on the launch happening right now."
We continued our meeting, going over everything from top to bottom. The docket was big, but we couldn't put anything off any longer. Every moving part was critical for a successful launch.
By the time the sun began to set, we took a break and had some food brought in. Finally, given the chance to slow down, my mind drifted to Jane and our situation.
We were making good progress, and while there was still some room to grow, there was no mistaking how our bond was strengthening. We were understanding each other better, and with that time spent together, we were building mutual trust.
I never could've imagined myself in my position, but the more I got to know Jane, the harder it was to leave her at home. To leave the comfort that was developing between us.
The quiet clank of heels on the floor took me out of my train of thought, and I detected my assistant there before she could even appear before me.
"This came in for you, Mr. Ramos," she told me, revealing a folded note between her manicured nails.
"Thanks," I murmured, growing more curious as I took it from her. Immediately, I unfolded it while the guys talked amongst themselves and wasted no time taking in its contents.
In messy handwriting, it read:
'You made two moves already. It's my turn.'
My blood immediately boiled as I turned to face my assistant. "Who dropped this off?"
She shrugged. "It was left at the front. The receptionists didn't leave a description, but I can ask."
Letting go of a deep breath, I sank back into my seat and shook my head. "Don't bother. I already know who sent it."
She gave me a single nod before she hurried off, but not without glancing in Sebastian's direction. Typical.
