Page 16 of Havoc
The two men sat and talked briefly, going over some things that Kieran wanted to discuss. Chloe had scheduled a few meetings for Kieran while he was away for several weeks from now that he wanted Remy to take instead.
When Kieran informed him, it had caused Remy to raise a brow at him. He knew Kieran would have normally taken those meetings himself. However, Remy didn't mind taking some of the work off Kieran's plate. Though, he did want to know why the other man was asking him to do so. It seemed that Remy would not have to voice his question out loud as Kieran volunteered the information.
“Alijah asked me for a wedding gift—better work-life balance. So, I'm attempting to make that happen for her at least a bit. Because apparently, happy wife, happy life is not just a saying, and according to Corey Wexler, I should live by it.”
Kieran smirked, and Remy couldn't help but laugh. He was happy for his boss and friend. He didn't think he'd ever see the day when Kieran decided to put something else before work, but then again, Remy hadn’t known that Kieran would meet Alijah and that she would change his entire outlook on most things.
“Corey's a smart man. I'll have Chloe reschedule the meetings for me.”
Kieran nodded. “You'll still only be here half a day Friday, correct?”
“Right, and I won't be here Monday either.”
Remy didn't have anything planned. He had an abundance of vacation time, and since it rolled over and he never used it all in a year, at this point, he had so much of it he could take the next three months off and still have a few days to spare.
That was one of the perks of working at Cayman Industries as a department head. The pay was far more competitive than any other business in his field, and you earned abundant vacation time. However, that was just it. You did, indeed, earn it. You gave two hundred and twenty percent, and the employment package in exchange made you love what you did, even on those days that kicked your ass.
Remy also knew Kieran wouldn't ask him why he was taking off. As long as things that Remy would have customarily done were covered, the other man didn't care.
Once his meeting with Kieran ended, Remy left his office and found Alijah sitting at her desk. She smiled at him as he exited, and an idea popped into Remy’s head. He told himself he would stop thinking about Lawrence, but telling himself one thing and hisbrain following suit were two different stories. Remy wanted to see him and talk to him, if for no other reason than to get an explanation as to why he had decided to avoid him because he’d thought they had chemistry.
“Hey, Alijah. I think your friend from the wedding, Lawrence, left his watch on the table that night. I'm not positive it's his, and I didn't bring it with me, but I don't remember too many people sitting there.”
Yes, he just told a little white lie, but how else was he supposed to contact Lawrence when he was adamantly avoiding him? Remy figured going through Alijah would be the easiest way. He didn't need her to tell him where Lawrence stayed or any personal information that would be considered overstepping. Remy just needed her to get them in the same place.
“Oh. I wouldn't be surprised if it were. He tends to forget things sometimes, but he's stopping by Friday afternoon for an office tour around one if you want to bring it and show it to him.”
It seemed as if today would be his lucky day. He was getting exactly what he wanted without actually having to ask for it or put either of their businesses out there.
Remy smiled at her. “Thanks. I'll do that. You have a good day, Alijah.”
“You too, Remy.”
Remy returned to his floor, waving at Chloe as he bypassed her desk. He had a meeting in about forty-five minutes, and it would be the last one of the day. Once Chloe showed them in, he would let her go home for the day. He tried not to keep her past a particular time now that she was a new mom. Besides, Remy anticipated the meeting would last only a short time, and he had plans to leave himself once it concluded.
He would spend the rest of the evening finishing the book he’d started a few days ago.
7
Lawrence stopped off to grab two smoothies on his way to see Alijah. He’d sent her a text and asked if Kieran wanted one, but Alijah told him that he’d be on a conference call when he got there, and she tried not to bother him on calls when he didn’t need her. So, he’d bypassed getting him one.
When he arrived at the building, he went inside, went over to the security guards, and gave them his name. A guard pointed toward the elevator, and Lawrence got on and rode it to the top floor. Alijah had volunteered to come down and get him, but Lawrence assured her he could ride an elevator alone. To which she told him it would be his own fault if he got stuck, and both laughed.
Lawrence stepped out when the elevator doors opened on the top floor. Alijah stood from her desk and approached him. He handed her the peach mango smoothie, and she smiled at him.
“I can’t believe I’ve worked here for two years now, and this is your first time coming to visit.”
“I could say the same to you,” Lawrence responded.
“Touché. Come on, let’s sit in the breakroom. We can talk for a bit, and then I’ll show you this floor and the sales floor since that’s your department so that you can get some ideas.”
Lawrence took in the breakroom as he sat across from Alijah. However, it should have more accurately been called a kitchen. Breakrooms had the essentials like places to sit, a refrigerator, and a microwave. This one also had a stove and built-in oven, what looked like a coffee and tea bar—no doubt Alijah’s idea—lush sofas, and a television mounted on the wall in the far corner.
“How many people work on this floor?” Lawrence questioned after taking a drink of his smoothie.
“There are six offices, including Kieran’s and a conference room, but he and I are the only ones that work on this floor,” she informed him. “Three other offices are used occasionally when a product is getting ready to be marketed and launched along with the conference room. Kieran likes to have them all nearby during that time to oversee each aspect more easily. And the other two offices are empty for the most part.”
Lawrence found himself nodding. He couldn’t imagine what having an entire floor to himself would be like. He definitely wouldn’t have to deal with his nosey work neighbor or have her coming over every hour to attempt to gossip with him. But he could imagine what Alijah and Kieran did with the privacy.
