Page 12 of Havoc
He was mildly shocked that Lawrence wasn’t there. Remy planned to indulge in some morning play and then take Lawrence to lunch. He’d enjoyed his time with the other man last night, in the bedroom and outside of it, from their small conversations. Remy wasn’t opposed to getting to know Lawrence better.
Throwing the duvet off himself, Remy got out of bed and entered the bathroom. He relieved himself before washing his hands and face and brushing his teeth.
He exited the bathroom, stopping momentarily in his bedroom to pull on a pair of boxers. He went to the bar where he’d set his phone the night before. Picking it up, he went to Lawrence’s number, which he’d saved last night before they drove to his condo.
The phone rang several times before going to voicemail, and Remy hung up, not feeling the need to leave a message. He would give Lawrence time to see his missed call before trying him later in the evening. He wouldn’t assume that he was being ignored just yet.
Though Remy couldn’t think of why Lawrence would ignore him, he knew the other man had enjoyed their night together. His body’s response and vocalizations told Remy everything he needed to know. He put his phone down and went into the kitchen.
He’d make himself something to eat and relax for the rest of the day. With Kieran being out of the office for the next couple of weeks, Remy had more work on his plate, but he didn’t mind. It would make his days go by even faster, and for the most part, Alijah had scheduled many of Kieran’s meetings for when they returned. Remy was only taking the ones that absolutely couldn’t wait until then.
When his breakfast was ready, Remy sat at his island, scrolling through his phone. He didn’t make a habit of working much on the weekends, but he checked his work email to see if he had anything urgent since he wasn’t in the mood to watch television.
He wasn’t surprised that he had several emails, but none were pressing, so he would deal with them tomorrow.
Once he finished his breakfast, Remy washed the dishes he’d used before deciding he would do his laundry. He’d dropped his suits off at the cleaners Friday, and Chloe would pick them up tomorrow morning. Unlike Kieran, Remy hadn’t felt the need for a live-in assistant. However, Chloe was on-call, though Remy avoided calling her at all hours if it could be helped.
Sorting his clothes, Remy put the first load into the washer before browsing his bookshelf. He looked at the books he’d bought last weekend, choosing one at random. Remy liked to read more than watch television.
Resting his side against the arm of the couch, Remy flipped to the first page and began reading. He’d read the descriptions when he bought the books. However, he liked to wait a few days, allowing himself to forget before starting them. He would then randomly pick one and read it without rereading the description. Remy liked being surprised by the book he’d chosen.
When the washer signaled that his first load was finished, Remy finished the page he was on, got up, moved the clothes to the dryer, and placed the next load into the washer. He returned to his book, and the rest of his day went the same way.
It was almost seven before Remy put the book aside and entered the kitchen. He looked through his refrigerator and pantry for something to cook before deciding he wasn’t in the mood and would order something instead.
After he’d placed his order and hung up, Remy looked at his call log as it appeared on the screen. He pressed the second contact down. Again, it rang before voicemail picked up, and Remy decided to send a text.
Remy:I enjoyed last night. We should do it again, as well as have dinner.
When his takeout arrived, Remy allowed the delivery person to come up to the floor and tipped them for their service before placing his food on the island. He then went to the bar and poured himself a drink, grabbing his book. Since it wasn’t a particularly long book, he only had a couple of chapters left.
Remy finished the book as he ate before cleaning up and pulling his last load from the dryer. He’d been placing them all in the laundry baskets as they finished. Now that he finished his book, he figured he would turn a movie on and fold them.
Only after he’d folded all the clothes and the movie had gone off, Remy noticed Lawrence hadn’t texted him back. So, he was being ignored. Remy decided that if that was the way Lawrence wanted it to be, wanted to leave it, then he would do so. He was old enough to know that sex was sometimes just that. It was he who told Lawrence that was what he could give him. Neither of them held an obligation to the other.
After putting up his laundry, Remywasback on the couch, flipping through channels. He could start another book, but he knew himself well enough to know that if he got into it, he’d be up all hours of the morning trying to finish it.
Instead, he settled on what looked like a historical mystery movie, realizing that his day had not gone the way he’d planned, but it could have been worse.
5
“Mr. Price,” Chloe called over the line. “Victor Finch is on the phone…again.”
Remy rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of this man. Or, well, honestly, he’d been tired of him, but he hadn’t dealt with him in so long that it was like starting his irritation all over again. For the most part, Victor bypassed him and attempted to bother Kieran directly, which was fine with Remy. However, now that Kieran was out of the office enjoying his honeymoon, Victor had taken to bugging Remy again.
He was sure that a part of the other man figured he’d have more luck with Remy, but it appeared that it had been so long since the two had spoken that Victor seemed to have forgotten that Remy had no patience for him.
In all honesty, when it came to business, Remy would hazard to say he wasn’t a nice man. He just seemed that way because dealing with Kieran pre-Alijah had been like dealing with Satan. So, in contrast, Remy seemed like a saint.
Remy allowed business to be just that—business. He was cordial enough and went to whatever business meetings were needed, lunches, dinners, and golf, but his goal was to keep Cayman Industries trending upward. Making friends and doing bad deals did not help him achieve that.
“Chloe, will you ask Mr. Finch if he’s available for a meeting today at whatever time I have free?”
There was a slight pause. “Mr. Price, you’re kidding, right?”
Remy chuckled. “Not at all. He wants a meeting; I’m going to give him one. He’s just not going to like the way it turns out.”
Meeting with Victor had been something Kieran refused to do. Remy had no desire to meet with him either. Both of them were aware of his business practices and how they seemed to fail within a year or so. If it wasn’t for his father’s money, he was sure Victor wouldn’t have anything to his name by now.
