Page 13 of Operation Sunshine
Toying with the mouse was fun.
“Boss,” Franco drawled, keeping his voice low and smooth as caramel. “Are there going to be PowerPoint slides? Because I might need to caffeinate more aggressively if so.”
Ben made a strangled sound, half laugh, half gasp, and everyone burst into laughter. Even Raj cracked a reluctant grin.
Ben looked around, finally exhaling, his shoulders dropping a little.
Franco watched him carefully, warmth pooling in his chest.
This man. He might be made of spreadsheets and corporate ghosts, but there’s a pulse under there, a real person.
And Franco wanted to coax him out, inch by inch.
Ben took another breath.
“No slides,” he said, his voice steadier now, despite the ringing in his ears.
“Shame.” Franco pouted. “I was hoping for a laser pointer.”
Another wave of laughter swept through the dining room.
Ben shook his head, unable to rein back his smile.
Maybe this won’t be a bloodbath after all.
Franco’s gaze met his once more, and for a split second, everything else fell away: the murmurs, the stares, Mina sounding as if she was a hyperactive hamster…
It was just the two of them. Franco’s eyes glittered with mischief and something deeper, dangerous, and inviting.
Ben swallowed, hard.
“Okay. We need to talk about efficiency. Streamlining workflows, clarifying roles, tracking inventory so no one is improvising a menu from air and leftover radishes.”
Franco’s eyes lit up. “A-ha. The Corporate Efficiency Bible makes an entrance.” His voice was a purr. “Is there a holy scripture? A sacred spreadsheet you consult before bed?”
Ben’s jaw twitched. “I don’t need a scripture to recognise inefficiency.” He held Franco’s gaze longer than he meant to, long enough that something warm and treacherous coiled in his stomach.
Lexie snorted. “Ben, I get it. You’re a plan guy. We’re more about vibes.”
Franco snapped his fingers. “Exactly. You can’t standardise vibes, mio fratello. You can’t ration spontaneity.” He waved his arms as though he was orchestrating a symphony.
Mina piped up, her mouth full of croissant. “If we had structure, I’d get fired.”
Raj simply grunted, his arms folded like a bouncer at a rave.
Ben took another breath, fighting the urge to run. “I get that you have your… methods. But we also need to survive as a business.” He closed his notebook carefully, as though afraid it might explode. “Before we dive into possible changes, I need to acknowledge something.”
The joking atmosphere dissipated, and what remained was a collection of openly curious glances.
“I know Marco meant a lot to all of you,” Ben said, his voice lower.
At the name, a collective hush fell. Mina’s grin faltered. Lexie’s fingers stilled. Raj’s expression softened by a hair.
“I never met him,” Ben continued. “But I see what he built. You stayed. You care. That doesn’t happen without real leadership… and love.”
Franco’s fingers paused mid-drum on the table. His face turned thoughtful, his smile faint, distant.
Raj was the first to speak. “Marco was… impulsive. He gave away more than he sold. But he made us a family.”
