Page 68 of The Boss and the Adoption Mess
“Oh. Man, you look completely exhausted.” Like he hasn’t slept at all.
“Yeah. It was a rough night.”
“You can go lie down for a few hours. It’s fine if you don’t get to the office until two. I can handle everything else. I’ll take Rosie to school and take care of the office,” I offer.
“Normally I’d say no, but… yeah. Yes. I’d really like to take you up on that.” He rubs the back of his neck.
“The couch must’ve been pretty hard, huh?”
“Yeah, it was.”
“Want me to book a massage for you?”
“No, I’ll be fine. I just need to eat something and sleep for a few hours.”
“Okay. I’ll have the driver come at 1:20, so you’ve got a little buffer.” In London, you never know.
“Perfect.” Gabriel really does look worn out. Hopefully a few hours of rest will help. Still—not enough, but better than nothing.
We eat, then Gabriel says goodbye. After that I take care of Rosie, bring her to her school on my own, and head to the office. I’d planned to go grocery shopping, but I’ll have to put it off until this evening. It would be best if Gabriel and Rosie came with me—then we could plan meals together.
The morning goes smoothly. I get everything under control—even though I’m completely nervous. After all, I don’t want to make any mistakes.
Steven stops by and helps me a bit, since I’m slightly unsure about one thing or another. Even Sally rises to the occasion and supports me as best she can. I think Gabriel makes her more nervous than she’d like to admit—and since he’s not here today, she can shine.
At one, I call Thomas to make sure he’ll be in front of Gabriel’s mansion on time to pick him up.
Yup, I’d say I have everything under control. We’re right on schedule.
The meeting room is ready and Sally’s set to go. The department heads will probably arrive a few minutes early—fortunately, they’re internal staff and not outside guests. They’ll surely forgive Gabriel if he’s still a bit groggy.
I do wonder, though, why his mother didn’t wake him earlier. Didn’t she realize that sleeping in his clothes on the couch wouldn’t give him a good rest? They seem to have a very interesting and unusual relationship.
But I shouldn’t be thinking about this. He already told me I wouldn’t be meeting her, so I should just put any concerns out of my mind.
I’m sitting in Gabriel’s office going through some documents when the phone rings again. Normally Sally forwards these calls, but I can see on the display that it’s a direct connection from a mobile number. So, it must be someone who has Gabriel’s direct line.
“Hi, my name is Kimberley Prescott, Gabriel Kensington’s personal assistant. He’s not available at the moment, but I’m sure I can help you.”
“Oh. Hey. Isn’t this his direct line?” a male voice asks.
“It is, but he won’t be in the office until later, so I answered since I’m here now.”
“I see. As his personal assistant, surely you can pick something up? He left it here last night,” he explains. Last night?
“Hm. Of course. Who am I speaking with, and what am I picking up from where exactly?”
“Cornelius Grey,” he says—a name that sounds familiar, though I can’t place it. Then he gives me the address of the MG Hotel—theMontgomery GreyHotel right in the city center. “He forgot his watch.”
“Oh, the gold one?”
“Exactly.”
“I can pick it up. It’s not far from here. Could someone bring it to reception?”
“Yes, Caroline is still here. She’ll give you the watch before she has to head to the airport.”
“Okay. Will I meet her in the lobby?”
