3. Chapter 2
Dominic
T he buzzing of the intercom snaps me out of my intense concentration.
"What is it, Sally?"
"You have a meeting with your brothers in five minutes."
Great, another meeting where I will be bullied because I actually like my work.
"Thanks."
I look at the cot in a corner of my office and cringe. I'm the marketing director of the Hot Beach Resort and it's a busy position. Fine. I'm a workaholic and I consistently choose work instead of having an actual life. I close the document I've been working on and use the bathroom in my office.
The man in the mirror looks a little bedraggled. I can just hear my brothers riding me on this. I splash some cold water on my face and comb my hair. My shirt is wrinkled, but I can hide it once I put my jacket on. The meeting room is on the floor above this one.
When I open the door on my office, Sally gives me a once over.
"They're going to rip you a new one."
"Geez, Sally, such language."
I walk in front of her desk and reach for the elevator's button. The light above dings and the doors open. My brother Seth is whispering something in a woman's ear. He's the ladies man, but he knows better than to hit on someone at work.
There's no one else on the elevator so I walk inside and turn around. My brother doesn't even lift his head to see who got into the elevator. His attitude sort of pisses me off so I clear my throat loud enough that they can hear me.
The woman giggles and my brother straightens up. He's smiling but his reflection tells me he just realized who is in the elevator with him.
"Dude, you look like crap."
"Good to see you too, brother."
The woman looks embarrassed to be caught like this. I feel for her. My brother knows exactly how to win over the ladies. It's like a calling for him.
"Seriously, Dom, have you been sleeping in your office again?"
I don't answer that question. Not in front of company.
I don't want the whole world to know my business.
I just stare in front of me until the elevator stops at the correct floor.
Me and Seth get off the elevator, but the woman stays inside, wide eyed.
I don't think she knew who she was flirting with.
"Must you seduce everything that walks, Seth?"
"Don't change the subject."
"Don't worry, there will be a whole section of the meeting where you all will have time to give me hell about my work life balance, or lack thereof."
My brother opens the door to the meeting room and I go inside. There's food on the table and my other two brothers, Dean and Michael are laughing at some inside joke. How do I know it's an inside joke? They always have one. They are twins and closer than any two people should be.
The room goes silent when Seth closes the door behind us and my brothers look at me in shock.
"What the fuck?" They shout in unison.
I sit down at the table and pick something to eat from the trays in front of me. I didn't even know it was lunch time. I check my watch and it is one in the afternoon. Sally must have known they'd have food here otherwise she would have fed me by now.
Someone picks up the phone and says something like 'cancel all my appointments'. I don't know what that is about.
"Dominic, what is going on with you?"
The three of them are standing on the other side of the meeting table from me, looking way too serious for men in their mid thirties. I finish eating my cuban empanada and look back at them with no fear in my gaze.
"You're going on vacation right now." Michael says.
"What? No. Are you kidding me? I'd go crazy without work to do."
"I'm going to ask Sally to lock down your office and that you're not allowed back there for the next two weeks." Dean says.
"This is my company too, you know."
"Which is why we need you happy and healthy."
"I make this company millions!"
"No one is saying you don't. We are just saying you need some work/life balance. I know you hate those words, but it's true. You are driving yourself into an early grave." Seth says.
"You know you shouldn't be hitting on the employees, Seth."
"What?" Michael and Dean say.
"Don't change the subject. And she's just a temp."
I've never seen my brothers look so serious about something in our adult lives, except for when we lost our parents.
Am I digging my own grave? Each one of us took the death of our parents differently.
I threw myself at work, making sure our family's company would not just survive our parent's death, but thrive.
"Okay, I'll take the next two weeks off, but I'll find something to do in the hotel during that time. Something out in the sun and the sand. Is that okay with you?"
"Deal." The twins say.
"You won't last the weekend." Seth predicts.
I grab a plate and fill it up with the cuban food that was ordered for this meeting and I sit back and watch as my brothers conduct business. I wonder what I could do to spend that vacation time. Maybe help around in the pool, or help the tourists at the recreation desk.
When I go back to my office Sally blocks my way inside.
"Sorry. You're locked out."
"But my keys and wallet are there."
"Here you go."
She hands me the items, a key card and a tote bag.
"Suite 8578 is all ready for you."
"Maybe I want to go home."
"There's nothing for you there. Just stay here like a good boy and enjoy your vacation. All included. It's what the Hot Beach Retreat is known for."
I lean down and give her a kiss on the cheek.
There's no one like her on this company and I'm lucky she works for me.
I go up to my suite and find that it's been fully stocked.
I drop the tote bag on the bedroom and realize Sally's had some of my clothes already brought here.
I love that woman. If she weren't old enough to be my mother, who knows.
Letting loose sounds like a good idea, but I've been so focused on work that it might not be that easy. I shower and change and watch a game while eating some room service. The next two weeks can turn to be heaven or hell depending on what I do with them.
Let's hope I can make the best of it.