Page 11 of A Merry Penthouse Christmas
“Yes. And its principles on strategy, planning, leadership, and understanding one’s competitors are timeless. Businessiswar, Beau. Especially the way I do it.” I wink, and he flushes with color again.
I should stop. I’m playing with fire every time I tease him, but just because I had sex last night doesn’t mean I’m not restless. I am always restless, which is why I indulge in sex as often as I do, and now that I have a child to raise, I will have to get it whenever I can.
“I thought you weren't as ruthless as Richard's Gere's character inPretty Women,” Beau teases. He’s good at that too, so it isn’t as if I’m poking the fire alone. Maybe he just likes to banter and doesn’t mean anything by it. But I wonder.
The tenets of theArt of Warby Sun Tzu really are words to live by, however.
Know yourself and your enemy.
Be secretive and subtle.
Strike where the enemy is most vulnerable.
Pick your battles.
Be aware of outside influences.
Act quickly and decisively.
“Don’t we all need to be a little ruthless sometimes?” I say. “Go on. Get yourself ready for the day. I can take him.”
Beau carefully extracts the nipple from Bastian’s mouth long enough to pass me first the baby and then the bottle. “All yours.”
Bastian feels especially cozy after being cuddled in those burly arms.
I leave to give Beau his privacy and head for the sitting room. My favorite view from my penthouse is there, visible both in the sitting room and from my office above. There is just enough cityscape melting into the park’s trees to break up the monotony of steel cages.
Bastian finishes his bottle, and I heft him up to burp him. So far so good. He is honestly being too easy of a baby, but then I wasn’t the one who had to get up with him three times in the night.
It’s not as if I have zero experience with infants. I’ve hosted corporate family picnics for my employees. I don’t have siblings, but I have cousins with children. I don’t see any of them often, but this isn’t my first time feeding a newborn a bottle. It’s still the first time the baby was mine.
After a tiny belch, I pull Bastian from my shoulder to see his eyes already drooping again. My phone vibrates, and he is fast asleep before I finish setting him in the swing to answer it.
“Change your mind already?” I ask, since the caller ID read:Clara.
“Ha. Ha,” she drones. “Do you know I have to wait six weeks before I can return to my usual workout routine? It’s going to take forever to drop this baby weight. And speaking of… how’s he doing?”
“He’s good. Sleeping at the moment.” He really is quite precious. We’ll see how long that lasts. Before I know it, he’ll be throwing wild parties and talking back at me in an effort to rebel. That’s what I did.
“Did you take a few days off?” Clara asks.
“Can’t. Big merger brewing. Not to worry though. I hired a nanny.”
“You did? One you’ll be sleeping with before the end of the week?”
“Not this time. I’ve told myself thatheis off limits.
“You hired amanny? Oh, I am even more convinced you’re going to sleep with him.”
“Does this call have a point other than to raz me?”
“Just checking in,” she answers innocently, “but also, a friend of mine mentioned this online forum I thought you might be interested in. It’s specifically for advice from single dads to each other. Might be helpful if yourmannyunderperforms.”
“Doubtful.” Haven’t online forums gone the way of the dodo? I only need the kind of help you pay for, thanks.
“Too bad,” she says. “I’m sending you the info anyway. Have fun trying to not seduce the help!”
“Goodbye, Clara.” When more giggling replies, I hang up.
