She's going to be just fine. We're all gonna take care of her.
Yes, we are.
I wakeup the next morning to my alarm blaring next to me. The blinds open automatically, as they do every morning, but the sky is still dark. I get up, change into some gym shorts and a t-shirt, and walk down the stairs to my gym. I get a good run in on the treadmill, lift some weights, and sit in the sauna before I go back upstairs to shower.
I check my schedule for the day. A few meetings scattered about. That shit makes me anxious as hell, not being able to be at her beck and call. I send her off a text.
Good morning, beautiful. I hope you're feeling ready to kick today's ass,I say.
I'm in the car now, she says.Not feeling super kickass. Feeling a lot more stressy than anything else.
I press her contact, and I dial her.
“Good morning,” I say before she even says anything on the other line. I hear her giggle, and it makes my insides twist. “How are you feeling now?” I ask. She laughs again.
“A little bit better.” Now I laugh.
“Good. I know I have that effect on people.”
“I'm sure you do, loverboy,” she says.
“What do they have you doing today?” I ask.
“Today is just supposed to be some sort of orientation, but the only thing on the schedule says meeting with Cato at 9 a.m.” I swallow, and I feel my heart rate start to pick up.
“Okay,” I say. “According to some of the survivors that we interviewed, it didn't sound like things got too weird right away, but you have all your tools that my brothers have set you up with, right?”
“Yep. Everything is secured and turned on,” she says. I want to make a sex joke here, but the timing doesn't feel like a joke.
“Okay, good,” I say. Look at me being all mature. “I have a few meetings in the earlier part of the morning, but then I'll be around the building. If anything goes wrong, I just want you to get out, okay?”
“What do you mean?” she says.
“I want you to get out of the building,” I tell her. “I don't care what cover it blows. I don't care who sees you. Just promise me that you'll do whatever it takes to get yourself safe until I can get to you.”
“I promise,” she says on the other line. I nod my head.
“Very good. Now, can you be ready by six o'clock tonight?”
“Ready for what?”
“Ready for your first-day-of-work celebratory dinner,” I say. She laughs.
“Yes, Brooks. I'll be ready.”
I'ma nervous wreck the rest of the morning. I'm checking my phone for updates from her, and when I don't get them, I'm incessantly texting my brothers to see if they've heard anything. Finally, it's lunchtime, and I almost break my ankle jumping up from my desk when I see that she's calling me. I run to shut my office door before I pick it up.
“Baby,” I say.
“Hi,” she says.
“How's everything going? What's happening?” I ask her frantically.
“Honestly, nothing,” she says. “Everything has been super normal. Some lady came in and gave me what seemed to be a legitimate orientation today. They gave me a badge, and I just had a meeting with your dad and that Randall guy. They also gave me a voucher for a free lunch, so I'm walking across the street to some restaurant Cato recommended. I only have one more meeting for the day, and then your dad told me that I should get home early before the traffic gets bad. I can see why people fall for him. He's got the whole charming-billionaire thing down.”
I scoff on the other end of the line.
“Charming, my ass,” I say.
