Page 22 of Til Death
“Are things moving along?”
“Yes, I have the status reports and forms here.” She clicked her keyboard a couple times before the projector lit up with the information.
I hit a button next to me and the privacy shade covered the large three windows that displayed the hallway. I could still see out but no one could see in.
Tucking my phone away, I listened to Gloria as she went over the latest reports. She was thorough at her job and one of the best her firm had. I knew if there was anything I needed handled, she would make sure it was, without me having to worry.
Once I finished up things with Gloria, I headed for my office on the top floor. Blue Shield was ten stories high, located in West Hills. My office was the only private point that not just anyone could access. If you didn’t have a key card, the button in the elevator alerted me to approve access to my floor.
“Any calls I need to address right away?” I asked my secretary, Iris, as I loosened my tie.
“Your wife called five times demanding to speak to you.” Dropping my head, I shook it and sighed. “Anyone else?”
Iris went over the messages she’d collected while I was stuck in meetings. “Oh and the photographers and her team confirmed they’ll be here by four.”
“Photographers?” I questioned.
“Visionary Focusis coming to get photos for the article they’re writing about you being honored and winning the Under Fifty Leadership and Success award.”
“Fuck,” I gritted, dragging my hand down my face before checking my watch. It was a half an hour till four. I had forgotten all about this shoot. I didn’t even want to do it, but the head of my PR team damn near bit my head off when I tried to get out of it. “I was supposed to get my suit delivered from the dry cleaners for that.”
“Already taken care of. It’s been delivered and is waiting for you in your office.” The phone rang just as she finished.
“You’re a lifesaver, Iris. I know you’ve taken on more since Seymone went on maternity leave and I promise you’ll be compensated generously for it.”
Iris grinned. “It’s no problem, boss man.” She nodded and reached for the phone.
Iris was a couple years older than me at thirty-seven, but her and Seymone, my personal assistant, kept me from running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
“If that’s my wife, tell her I’m busy. If it’s an emergency, leave a message or else stop calling,” I informed her before heading into my office.
Closing the door behind myself, I headed straight for the large couch off to the side, plopped down, tossed my head back, and closed my eyes, taking a couple seconds to gather myself before this shoot.
The Black Excellence Foundation was honoring me for my success and rapid growth. They were a well-known foundation that always highlighted businesses and people making a huge impact in the world. The leadership awards they held every year was a big deal and highly talked about. Not only did they showcase new and growing businesses and people, but they also made sure to honor one individual whose name was ringing bells.
By the time I pulled into my large circular driveway, it was going on ten at night. Long days had become a norm for me. The weather was nice for early spring and I ended up going to the mountains for some cycling before retiring for the night.
Cutting my car off, I lifted my attention to the large, three floor, seven bedroom, ten bathroom mansion in front of me. With over seven acres of land and forty square feet of it occupied, it had become something I was proud of. When I first invested to get the house built, I didn’t plan on it being this large, but as my money grew, the plans for the house did as well. Instead of remodeling, I had the original house demolished and built from scratch.
This was the home I’d planned to start a family in and eventually pass down to my kids. It was equipped with a double staircase, two elevators, two living rooms, dining room, breakfast room, kitchen with two large islands, a library, my office, my cigar room, a wet bar and wine cellar, gym, indoor and outdoor pool, and a sauna. Along with all that, the patio came with a full grill kitchen and sitting area, laundry room, and of course the rooms Xylina currently deemed as hers.
It was a long way from my condo. After being forced to move into the house purchased by Phillip Fox, I made it my mission to show him I didn’t need him or his money. He was used to people bending to his will and having control, but he learned quickly I wasn’t the man who was going to allowanyoneto walk all over him, no matter how this so-called marriage happened.
Grabbing my briefcase, I climbed out my Bentley and started toward my front door. Xylina’s light pink G-Wagon was parked afew feet away, indicating she was home, unless she’d driven her convertible today since it was nice out. I hoped for the latter.
When I got to the front door I entered the code on the keypad to unlock it then pushed it open. Soon as I opened the door and stepped into the foyer, my hopes were short-lived. I could hear music in the distance, meaning Xylina was on the first floor and close.
Just as I closed the door, I heard the sound of paws padding down the marble flooring. Before she reached me, Princess released a bark and stopped in front of me while wagging her tail wildly.
“Hi, girl.” I leaned down to pet her head, causing her to bark again.
“Princess, sometimes I believe you like your daddy more than me.” Standing straight again, I lifted my eyes and watched as Xylina made her way toward us. There was a pout on her full lips. She paused a few steps away from me and crossed her arms, popping her hip out. The sheer nude robe she wore left nothing to the imagination and was partly open, showing her cleavage perfectly.
My tongue swiped over my lips as I raked her with my eyes. Over the years Xylina’s body had developed more. Her waist was still thin, but her hips and thighs had spread. Nothing over the top but it did give her more of a curvy figure. Two years after we got married, she ended up getting breast implants, unhappy with the size of her chest before. While I never thought anything was wrong with her size, I didn’t fight her on it. Her new size fit her frame and wasn’t anything drastic. They sat up perfectly too, which often caused her to go braless like right now. Her nipples stood at attention through the thin material.
“I’ve been calling you all day,” she complained, causing my eyes to go back to her face.
“I’m sure if it was important you would have left a message,” I answered, kneeling to remove my loafers. Things with Xylina were tricky. While I tried not to be a total asshole to her, I wasn’t the most welcoming either. It was hard to accept someone who forced the type of situation her and her dad had on me. We mostly lived like roommates, and with the house being as big as it was, it was easy to keep distance between us.
