Page 21 of Working For A Billionaire

She smirks. "You need to rest. You work too much. We both know you don't sleep well when you're stressed."

I scowl at her but take the mug and start drinking it anyway. The caffeine hits me like a truck.

"I have work to do, Riley," I tell her, unable to believe that she did this. "I can't just take the day off because you think I need to sleep. That's not how things work around here."

"That's exactly what you should be doing if your head is pounding all the time," she snaps back. "What about after the baby is born? Will you spend all your time at work, or will your son have a father?"

The question doesn’t sit well with me. I’m afraid that if we continue this conversation, I might say something we’ll both regret, and I don’t want that.

"You can’t do this, Riley," I say as calmly as I can. "You can’t behave like a child who needs to get what she wants when she wants it."

I see she’s offended. I sigh, turning away from her. A part of me knows she did this with good intentions in mind. But that’s not how these things work.

I’m silent while changing my clothes, then I say. "I need to get to the office."

Before she could reply, I rush out of the bedroom, pushing past her and heading toward the door. I don't know where my motivation has gone, but I need to get back to work.

I open the front door and step outside. The morning air is cool compared to the heat I left inside. It feels good on my skin. I lean against the wall and breathe deeply, hoping the fresh air will clear my head.

When I get to the office, I am greeted by a confused Mrs. Thatcher. "Good morning, Mr. Rutherford. Is everything okay?" She asks when I walk past her desk.

"Everything's fine," I say, reaching for the doorknob.

"Mr. Anderson is waiting in your office for you," my assistant informs me, pointing to the door with her pen.

"Did we have an appointment?" I ask, wondering if I've missed something.

"Not to my knowledge," Mrs. Thatcher responds.

So, the whole world hasn’t gone all topsy turvy overnight. That’s a comforting thought. I open the door and Shawn is sitting in the chair in front of my desk. He stands when he hears the door open and looks my way.

"Are you feeling okay? You look pale," he says, examining me from a distance.

I shake my head. "I am fine. It’s just…” I sigh, unable to continue my sentence. I don’t want to whine about Riley.

“The baby?” Anderson asks in a concerned way.

“The baby, Riley, parenting… everything. I don’t think I can do this. I don't think I know anything about parenting," I admit.

"Well, no one does at first. That is why people take parenting classes. I wish my wife and I could have taken one before we had Gabby. It would have made a big difference. Maybe you and your… future wife could use one," Anderson replies, then adds something that stuns me. "I'm just glad you came in today. I thought I might miss you."

"Did we have an appointment today?" I ask. "I feel like I am missing something."

"Oh, no, there wasn't one. I was just coming to see you." He smiles. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. Pregnancy is stressful for both mother and father. People tend to forget that and focus only on the mothers."

I can’t believe it. At least this part is going according to plan. Finally, Anderson thinks I’m a family man, a man with values he considers important.

"I am just worried about the baby and all the things that could happen," I say. "I know this isn't easy for Riley either. She hasn't been sleeping well."

"I hope you can work through these issues together and maybe even find solutions that help everyone."

I nod. "Thank you."

Shawn smiles warmly. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I am happy to listen."

"I appreciate the offer. I don't have many people I can talk to. I don't know if you know this or not, but I'm not the most popular guy."

He chuckles. "I can't imagine why. Look, I have been where you are. I know how hard it can be and I also know there has been change in you recently. Makes me wonder if I may have misjudged you before."

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