22. Byron
22
BYRON
T his morning, I woke up with a weird feeling like the universe had dropped a little secret in my lap. As if there was a shortcut to happiness and I just needed to figure it out.
All I had to do was decode the damn thing and follow the breadcrumbs to Nirvana if I dared.
In the shower, I found myself belting out a song under the cascading water and curling steam. The fact that it was Bohemian Rhapsody was neither here nor there.
But I had come to realize sometimes it was the little absurd things that made you feel alive. It took a while to select my clothes since I was not used to dressing for a formal business day.
Last night, Roman had asked me to join him in a meeting with executives from our German counterparts. I was curious as to why Roman would shove me into the deep end so early on, but I was eager to prove to my big brother that I was more than capable. So I agreed.
“Andy didn’t think that I was presentable enough for Zoom meetings yet,” I told Roman, referring to the few bruises still visible on my face.
“Well, it’s not Andy’s decision to make, now is it?” Roman said, his tone matter-of-fact. “You look fine. Besides, you’re a Belmont, you don’t owe anyone an explanation.”
“Fair enough,” I grinned, trying to make light of it. “But it does sound a bit more impressive when you say it.”
Roman didn’t crack a smile. “It’s time to introduce the future CEO to the world, and this meeting is a perfect opportunity to start doing that. Please wear a suit."
His confidence in me made me all the more determined not to let him down. So last night, before going to bed, I prepped for the meeting.
It might have taken me longer than it should have because, during odd moments, I found myself replaying the pivotal flashes of the day where my new coworker stole the show.
The minx as I had come to think of her.
Why minx, you ask. Let me give you a loose definition according to various sources, and I’d let you decide for yourself.
Minx (noun) – An old-fashioned term for a woman who is both alluring and playful, often stirring up trouble with her mischievous charm. Her wit and flirtations carry a sense of boldness, and she is no stranger to pushing boundaries, leaving a trail of intrigue in her wake.
See? It was like the term was invented for Meg Belfiore.
I had to admit it was a little vexing that one human could tax your thoughts (and desires) to such a degree that everything else of importance faded into the background.
Not to mention a human who had been but a shadow in your existence less than forty-eight hours before. My thoughts kept circling back to the handful of memories we’d already made in such a short time, and wondering how exactly one went about courting someone like Meg.
All the while trying to keep it under wraps from Roman. Because the last thing I needed was for him to suspect a thing.
Meg might have given me a rare glimpse of vulnerability in the secret passage yesterday, but it was safe to say she wasn’t easy to unravel. Nor the type to simply surrender her heart.
It was going to be quite the task to figure out what exactly made Meg tick.
That’s to say this whole thing wasn’t just an anomaly that would sputter out as quickly as it ignited. Based on the casual plans Meg had made for a date on Friday, it didn’t seem like she was involved in a serious relationship.
On the one hand, that was a good sign.
But on the other hand, maybe she simply wasn’t interested in a committed relationship, something I understood all too well from my own past.
Even more surprising was the pinch of discomfort coursing through me at the thought of her being with anyone else romantically. And when I say pinch, I mean a great deal.
As I said, the whole ordeal was messing with my head.
Not that I was losing sleep over it. This strange feeling had everything to do with me belting out songs in the shower like a happy-go-lucky fool.
I was in Roman’s office at 7 am and found him already there. And judging from the dark circles under his eyes, he didn’t get much sleep. Despite everything, he was in top form during the meeting, and once again, I found myself in awe of Roman’s business acumen.
During the meeting, Roman casually introduced me as the future CEO and then, without missing a beat, handed the rest of the negotiations over to me.
If this was a test, I was almost sure I passed with flying colors.
But then, a small doubt flickered in the back of my mind, and I waited for Roman to offer some kind of feedback. But he was a closed book.
Me, being the novice and eager to prove myself, just had to ask. “So, any comments, suggestions? How do you think it went?” I asked.
“Fine,” he said, his face unreadable. “It was an easy meeting. Things will get tougher ahead, but it’s a solid start.”
It was the best I was going to get. There was also no way to ask Roman how he was doing this morning, not with that twitch in his jaw discouraging any and all kinds of personal inquiry.
We moved straight into the next order of business, and before I realized it, two hours had flown by. I glanced at my phone. It was well past 9.30 am, and there was still no message from the guard at the gate that Meg had arrived.
Yes, I asked them to let me know when she did.
I wanted to see her as soon as she arrived. For no other reason than to gauge her demeanor after yesterday’s unconventional first day at work.
And now, I couldn’t ignore the wave of concern that crept over me. My first thought was whether Meg had been scared off yesterday. Not that she would be easily rattled or actually at all…but still.
Just as Roman and I were wrapping up, my phone dinged with a text. The minx had finally arrived, and my heart went into overdrive.