Inheritance

Chapter 20

"Sasha! Where you headed off to?" Frank hastened his pronounced steps to catch up to me, just as I left through the front doors of the office building.

"Home." I replied, eager to beat the impending traffic. It was nearly the end of the work week, and all I wanted to do was sleep. 

These days, Milton Co. and Coco were all I could summon enough energy for. Everything else had been involuntarily thrusted to the back burner of my currently hectic life. Don't get me wrong, I was steadily becoming accustomed to the perks of my new job. But, after a few weeks of officially working under my uncle, I found myself continuously being overburdened by requests. 

I no longer had time for friends, family, or even Caleb. I'd had to rain check on him so many times from pure exhaustion, that I now feared he'd think I wasn't interested in pursuing our relationship. The only reassurance I could offer him was a quipped explanation of how much of my time had become consumed by work. Though he was completely understanding, I knew that if my cancellations persisted any longer he was sure to take a step back.

"A few of us reserved a section at the bar down the street. You want to come?" Frank continued, after catching his breath. 

For a moment, I contemplated the perks of being in bed in the next thirty minutes versus letting a loose for just a few hours. Both were equally compelling.

"You know what, why not." I eventually found myself saying. I'd become so preoccupied with the business that I had completely neglected the importance of simply enjoying myself. Maybe this outing would provide the lighthearted entertainment I'd been missing out on for some time.

"Great! Come on, let's go." He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, swooping me around in the opposite direction of the parking structure.

"Wait, I didn't bring a coat." I said, once feeling the cool autumn breeze begin to take its full effect.

Temporarily glancing down at my form, I was reminded of my impromptu decision to wear a simple blazer dress that stopped just above my knees. Even paired with seamless pantyhose and a thick scarf, I still felt jittery. Considering how the gloomy evening weather had just dropped to below sixty degrees, the lightly-layered ensemble hadn't been the smartest choice I'd made in a while.

Frank eyed my attire warily, but continued to lead us toward the bar. "Don't worry, there'll be heaters inside." 

"I hope so. For your sake." I jokingly threatened, pinching his arm.

When we reached the establishment perched at the end of a busy intersection, he stopped walking. Holding the door open for us, he allowed me to step inside first. Almost instantly, I was welcomed by warm air, which quickly helped to defrost my numbing legs. 

"I think they'e over there." He pointed to a private VIP section, where a few employees I recognized from work were already gathered.

Once we were a short distance away from the reserved seating area, I was able to make out Kendall's assistant who still hadn't apologized for nearly running me over a few weeks ago. Or, Sebastian's ex, I should say. She was sitting beside Kendall, who sported a large cigar between his lips. Retracting it from his mouth, I watched as a funnel of smoke retreated from the small opening and evaporated into the thick air.

The red-painted lights and slow jazz music created a sensual ambiance within the confines of the bar setting, spawning several couples gravitated toward the dance floor. I watched as two young women approached Kendall with a phone in their hands. They giggled excessively when the blonde friend leaned over to whisper something into his ear over the loud music.

He handed his cigar to his assistant before rising from his seat. The blonde woman waited for her friend to press the record button on her phone, then proceeded to speak to him. The blaring blues music prevented me from hearing the precise words that left his lips as he stared directly into the phone camera. Yet, based on both women's subsequent squealing reactions, whatever he said had served its purpose of making their day.