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“Maybe he just needed a break,” I said. “Everyone needs a break now and then.”
“Not him. Not that I’ve seen at least.”
“What about last year?” I countered. “I know for a fact that he went on a trip for a friend’s wedding last year.”
“Yeah, but you should’ve seen him leading up to the week he was scheduled to go,” she said. “He was working day andnight. Not to mention, he practically lived in the office for the entire month after he returned. He didn’t take any time off work, not really, he just moved the work around and worked twice as many hours so that everything would still get done at the same time that it would’ve had he never left. I’m telling you, the man is a work machine.”
I sipped my coffee and didn’t say anything else. What Patricia said worried me a little. What if David was going through something, having some sort of problem? Sure, the guy could be annoying sometimes, but I didn’t wish him any ill will.
Quite the opposite, actually.
Shortly after that conversation ended, I went back to my desk and tried to get some work done. I had my first meeting with Mark and his lawyers Monday morning, and I wanted to be over-prepared. I ended up working for another three hours, making sure there wasn’t a single thing I missed in our case against this awful man, and at 8 o'clock exactly, my stomach growled and told me it was time to leave the office and get some food.
I packed up my things, checked my email one last time, and then made my way down the hall. When I passed the break-room, I noticed someone was inside fidgeting with the coffee machine. I jumped a little, frightened by seeing a figure when I had been almost positive I was alone in the building. “Oh geez,” I said, sucking in a sharp breath. “You scared me.”
The tall, muscular man turned around. It was David.
“Oh, hey,” I said. “It’s you.”
He nodded and went to say something, but instead was taken over by a massive yawn. I laughed. “You tired?”
“You have no idea.” And once he said this, I saw the exhaustion written all over his face. He had dark circles under his eyes and his hair was messy as if he had just gotten out of bed. Still—he looked good. How did someone who clearly hadn’t slept in days, still look so damn good?
“Were you just taking a nap?” I asked, leaning against the entryway of the break-room.
“I went home to grab some paperwork I accidentally forgot to bring with me this morning,” he explained. “And next thing I know, I’m sitting down on the couch and I’m asleep. I woke up half an hour ago and realized I missed the entire afternoon at work. So, now I’m here to finish all the stuff I didn’t get done because I was sleeping.”
“I see. And are you sure it’s a good idea to be doing work in your state? Are you awake enough to get anything important done?”
He laughed, turned back to the coffee machine, and went back to making his drink. “I think I’ll be fine. I just have to send some emails and sign a few checks.”
I walked into the break-room and took a seat. “Why are you so tired anyway?” I recalled what Patricia said and my mind rifled through all the various ailments and diseases that caused chronic fatigue. “You feeling okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said. When he noticed I was getting settled, he brought his coffee over and sat in the chair next to mine. “Why does everyone keep asking me if I’m feeling sick?”
I smirked. “There’s an office rumor floating around that you are having health problems or something.”
“What would get a rumor like that going?”
“Apparently, everyone is very confused by the fact that you’ve been going home early the last few days. They aren’t sure what to make of it, and I guess their best guess is that you are having some sort of health problem that demands you take time off.”
“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “I’m not taking time off, I’m just bringing my work home with me.” He sighed and rested his head on his hand. “If anything, I’m gettingmorework done from my home office.”
“What’s the point of coming into the office in the morning and working from home in the afternoon?”
“I just find it more relaxing these days to work at home,” he said. “But I knew if I didn’t show up at all for a few days in a row, people wouldreallytalk and word would eventually get back to my dad, and… it would just be a big mess.”
“I guess being at home gives you more quality time with your golden retriever.” I regretted saying that the moment the words fell out of my mouth.
He raised a brow at me. “Golden retriever?”
“Yeah,” I said. I laughed. “Just a guess. I figured you for a dog person, and I went with the most popular breed of dog in America.”
“Actually, the most popular dog breed in America is a lab,” he said. “But honestly, a golden was a really good guess on your part.” He took a sip “I used to have one. Her name was Keely. Man, she was the best, but sadly she is no longer with us.”
I winced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “She died a few years ago. But I got 14 great ones with her, so I can’t complain. I was planning on adopting another dog a little while after she passed, but then I got promoted to CEO and… I don’t know. It seems a little cruel to have a dog when I’m gone all the time, you know?”
