Blake’s back was to the room and to Kaden. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kaden bend near the desk but as Blake began to turn, Joe stepped into his line of sight. That had been close.
Blake settled in his chair. “Shall we begin?” He checked his watch.
Kaden nodded and sat down. “I’m not recording. Just taking notes.” He pulled out a notebook.
He wasn’t recording, but Joe was.
“Let’s start with the basics. What does a typical day look like for you?”
“Disappointingly structured. Up at six or earlier. Briefings. Coffee. Newspapers. More briefings. Coffee. Security updates, economic reports, fire-fighting—all dependant on what’s happening. Occasionally a different coffee.”
Joe snorted softly behind the camera.
“An important distinction,” Kaden said quickly and shot Joe a look.Don’t mock him.
“It is,” Blake said, entirely serious. “There’s a hierarchy. The first coffee for survival. Strong and black. The second for decision-making. Latte. After that, I don’t mind.”
“Do you avoid caffeine before bed?”
“Yes. I sleep like a baby and I don’t want to lose that.”
“You don’t go to bed with worries churning in your head?” Kaden asked. “I’m impressed.”
“I compartmentalise. Anything serious will be there the next day. Brains need rest.” Blake gave a faint smile. “My days are filled with meetings. Advisors, committees and the occasional crisis. If I carried on thinking about everything that was discussed, I’d never sleep.”
“Do you make time for breakfast?”
Blake chuckled. “Not always.”
“What do you like to eat?”
“Oatmeal, yoghurt, sometimes toast.”
“I can’t get you to admit to a secret craving for a chocolate croissant?”
Blake laughed. “Don’t tell anyone but I love Coco Pops.”
Kaden grinned. “Please let me use that.”
“Fine.”
Joe shifted again. “Mind if I keep taking a few shots?”
Blake gestured his consent without looking.
Kaden leaned forward slightly. “Do you ever get a moment that feels ordinary? Something that isn’t dictated by your role? A hobby?”
Blake sucked in his cheeks. “I have a habit of reorganising things that don’t necessarily need reorganising.”
“Such as?”
“My bookshelves. My desk drawers. The spice rack in the kitchen.”
Kaden laughed, shaking his head. “That’s…honestly, that’s not what I expected.”
“Most people assume an interest in golf or clay pigeon shooting,” Blake replied dryly. “What they get is labelling systems. I’m extremely organised. A neat freak, if you like. I don’t think that’s particularly unusual. I cling to that because my life is not my own in the way it once was. A quiet lunch can feel like a luxury.”
“I understand that. Favourite food as a treat?”
