The Balloon Man (Larry Stylinson)

Chapter 1

A/N Words cannot express how excited I am to get this book going. I've had this idea for about 5 years now and never really sat down and committed to it. I hope you all enjoy and get ready for what's to come !

He looked down to the glass in his hand, the ice cube swirling as he lifted it to his lips and took a slow sip, letting the alcohol burn down his throat. "So fire him," he says.

"But sir-"

"He won't do the work the way I want it done. Fire him."

He didn't need to turn around from looking out the large window at the city below him to know his secretary left the room, her heels echoing against the hard floors as she walked out.

The CEO kept his eyes locked on the city below him. People who mimicked ants from how high he was walking by the building without a care. And there he was, above everyone, this city in the palm of his hand. But how badly did he wish to be down there. To be out of his stiff suit, out of his office with the world off his shoulders for at least a few hours.

Three meetings, one more glass of whiskey and two more people fired though he was out. Tie loose around his neck and his feet hitting the pavement in a steady rhythm as he walked amongst the public.

Wandering eyes would glance at him, for some doing a double take as they recognized him. And all the CEO could wonder was what they were thinking about when they saw it was him. The words "high strung", "heartless", "power hungry", and "work obsessed" no doubt in his mind were some of the phrases most used to define him. At least that's how Time magazine liked to define him in this past week's issue. But it's not like they were wrong.

And as he walked along the busy sidewalks his thoughts were continuously racing with these names, with the thought that this is how he's been branded.

His feet carried him where he needed to go, the same route every day for the past two years. His fingers curling around the cool, metal door handle before pushing it open, the sound of children's squeals attacking him.

Thankfully it wasn't hard to find her though. His daughter's bright blue eyes immediately met his before she ran across the room and into his arms.

It was this, it was her that brought him peace. Even if it was for mere minutes before his thoughts ran away from him again, for that time he didn't feel like a CEO. He felt like a loving and caring father, like a man he wished he could be all the time. But it wasn't too long after they left the daycare where he didn't feel like that man anymore. Even with his daughter's small hand wrapped around his two fingers there were still the looks people gave him. Still names that seemed to be printed across his forehead for the world to judge him on.

But as they took their usual walk through the park he ignored them all. He focused completely on the little girl at his side, her talking a mile a minute about her day. And all he could do was smile and nod at the 3 year old as she went on and on, not even letting him speak.

Her innocence was something he envied more than anything. The way she didn't have a care in the world, how free and happy she was, like nothing could ever go wrong.

It wasn't until they got to the Central Park Zoo entrance where she stopped talking, instead tugging at his hand and nearly dragging him down the park's path.

He didn't need to ask why she was pulling on him, his feet already knowing where to go as they've been doing this for two years now. And just at the thought that they were already here made a small smile spread across his face.

It didn't take long for his daughter to get the balloon man's attention, him recognizing her immediately before his eyes flickered to the CEO.

With her hand in his she was the only thing that had her father's attention though. Him watching her with a fond smile as she went on about what creation she wanted for the day.