Chapter 41

He spent the rest of the day working from his home office, and I spend it designing a few clothes to keep me out of my head. The only time I saw him was when I begged him to take a break and eat. I watched Mr Bones, and The Gods Must Be Crazy after work and dozed off halfway through the second one.

I felt him dip his hand underneath my knees with his second hand, supporting my back as he carried me half-awake into the bedroom. I thought he was coming to join me, but he said he still had to work.

No one said being a boss is easy.

I could not go back to sleep. The bed was too vast and empty without him. I tried listening to lullabies, but it was not working. I checked on little Sam, and her little snores were steady, which meant she would not wake soon.

What am I supposed to do now?

I am fucking bored, and Samuel is still tucked away in his office.

I tiptoed to his office door and watched him work for a while. He had a frown etched across his face from over-concentration, his shoulders slouched from tiredness, and his voice was hoarse when he answered calls. For the first time since I met him, I pitied him. Working himself to the bone every day with little or no sleep is his normal.

Now that I recall, he barely got any sleep last night after the weekend trip, and he was always on the phone with me at night from the day we met, so that means he was working through the day and not sleeping much at night.

I found a different level of respect for all the CEOs that I used to loathe. I thought they sit up there and take credit while their staffs worked themselves to death.

It just felt odd that someone his age spends all his day working and not a single time to enjoy his youth or success. What use is the success then?

"I can hear you breathe, Debby. Your scent also gives you away. Don't just stand there. Come in."

I shamefully walked in, and he pointed at the chair opposite him without raising his head from the pile of folders before him. I sat quietly and guess what happened minutes later, nothing. His head was still in a blue folder. I picked up a pen and threw it at him, but he did not mind it. I do not think he even noticed. I threw it harder, and he raised a brow.

"Debby, why are you not asleep?"

"I was worried you won't sleep without my lullabies. Although it does not look like you plan on getting any sleep at all."

He lifted his head to reveal the dark circles under his eyes, and my heart broke for him. "Go to bed, Debs. I will join you once I finish."

I realize work is important to him, but a few hours of sound sleep will not end the world.

I need to stop this.

I loomed over his desk, but he continued to scribble away. I bent over and covered his wrist with my hand, successfully halting the movement of his pen.

"It is time for bed, Sam."

"I have to finish this. It is very important, Debs."

"I know… and I know you have been lagging with work since you met me, but I also know you are working to the bone tonight because you do not want to think about what Christopher is doing. Exhausting yourself will not make things better. You need a bath and some hours of sleep, or your body will break down if you keep going at it this way."

"Debs…"

"No! I do not want to hear it. You will drop your pen, close your folder, turn out the lights and follow me to the bathroom to take a bath and go to bed."

He opened his mouth to dismiss me but got the "I ain't playing" message from my eyes.

"Yes, ma'am."

He dropped his pen, closed the folder, turned the light off, and followed me to the bathroom.