Page 5 of Autumn's Coming

Chapter Two

Cody

The conference call ended and I leaned back in my chair, unable to keep from grinning.

“Folks,” I said, addressing the rest of the board room. “That was fantastic.”

There was a general murmur of congratulations as my team realized just how well the call had gone. We’d secured a major client that would bring in millions over the course of our contract.

Everyone in the company was going to be getting a nice raise at the end of the year.

As people began to move, I reached for my phone and opened my calendar app. This meeting had wrapped a little early, but the rest of my day was still packed—lunch with another client, another conference call, a meeting with one of my teams, and then an evening spent doing paperwork of my own.

Running my own business was exhausting, but it was completely worth it. Gray Investments was a huge success, big enough that we needed to hire more people.

I needed to add that to my schedule—plan for a recruitment effort.

I looked up. The conference room was mostly empty. Only Dylan remained.

His wedding was this weekend.

I still hadn’t found a date.

“What’s up, Dylan?” I asked. “Don’t ask me for any more time off. You’ve already got most of this week and all of next.”

Dylan laughed. “Nah, I’m good on the time off front. I was gonna ask if you were coming tonight?”

I realized what he meant—he’d sent out an email to me and a few of the other guys, asking us to go out to some bars and clubs with him after work. His bachelor week, he called it. He wanted a big party, and needed some people to go with.

I could afford it, but I was pretty busy.

“I don’t know, Dylan. I have a lot to get done tonight.”

Dylan blinked. “But—c’mon, man, it’s my big party week! I won’t drag you out every night, just tonight? Please?”

“I’ve got a company to run, Dylan. I’ll throw in some money, but—”

“Exactly! You run an amazing company, and you need to cut loose every once in a while.” He smiled, and I remembered why he was so high-ranked. He was incredibly charismatic.

I sighed. “Dylan, I really don’t think so. My day tomorrow is insane. I’ve got the first day of the recruitment drive, and a ton of stuff on top of it.”

“I won’t push you to drink. Just come to a few places. You’ve gotta come out with us and have a good time, Cody. Okay?”

That didn’t sound like I had much room to argue, as much as I wanted to.

Going out on a Tuesday, though? That sounded terrible.

“Dylan…”

“You’re coming. I know where your loft is. The limo will be there around nine to pick you up.”

I groaned.

Dylan already had me dreading tomorrow.

“Fine. But only tonight. I can’t do too many nights out this week.”

He grinned. “Sure. Only tonight. I’m down with that. And, of course, the wedding on Saturday. Got a date yet?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. Still working on that. But I’m sure I’ll have one by Saturday.”

“Cool, cool.” He moved to back out of the conference room. “See you tonight. Be ready to party!”

I watched him go, shaking my head.

I was never ready to party.

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