Finding myself (18+)

Chapter 43

Andrew's POV

"Did you get the documents signed?" I glanced at Alicia as soon as she entered the room before staring back at my computer.

"Yeah..." she drops the papers on the table, on the side of the uncountable coffee cups, making a thud. Then she falls on the chair next to mine, sighing heavily. "Please tell me you got everything you need..." She's clearly exhausted.

I scrub my eyes, sliding the papers closer to check them. I feel Alicia's narrowing eyes on me and hear her impatient tapping feet. She didn't make any mistakes since I'm the CEO, but I still need to be sure.

Of everyone who could be helping me with everything, she is the last person I would expect to do the job. But right now, she's my right hand, the only person I trust here.

"And the trip?" She places her elbows on the table and her head on her hands.

"It's settled. We are leaving next week."

She sighs, and I look at my watch.

It's almost eleven at night, and I'm exhausted. But it's all for a good cause, and soon, I expect it will be better.

I slide the documents back to her.

"I booked us the Fitzroy hotel in a month." She flips her hair over her shoulder, and I roll my eyes.

"Perfect, just set in my agenda."

"Did you tell her?" She stares at me, chewing her pen's cap, a habit when she's nervous

I shake my head to respond; I'll tell Kelsey when the time comes. Then I massage my temple with my fingers, my head is pounding, and I'm tired of the countless nights awake, unable to sleep. It's like I got older during the last couple of months.

"Let's finish the planning and call it a day." I turn my computer to her side so she can see the screen too, and we plan the details of our trip.

My expectation is high; by the end of this trip, I foresee setting the city to build the new office. The list got reduced to two possibilities: another one in the US or Canada. The strategy is to keep it in North America for the moment. Easier to find providers and manage people.

I'm the head of this operation, and unless I envision losing the company, failure is not an option here.

"We'll take a day off while we're there," I explain after she points to the empty day in the planning and raises her brow.

"Seriously? You haven't taken a day off in forever and will do it in the middle of the trip?"

"Exactly."

***

"So...Kelsey finally left you," Noah laughs, his eyes wrinkling. My eyebrows knitted together in a frown, and the liquid in my stomach revolved.

I grimace, scratching my throw. The scotch I drank burned my insides like acid.

He thinks he's funny, but he isn't. The possibility of her leaving is alarming and not amusing.

"Still have gastritis?" He tilts his head, narrowing his eyes.

I nod; only one of the side effects I got from working like crazy.

"It's stress, you know it, right? You shouldn't be drinking either."

I nod once again. It's stress and too much coffee to keep me awake. He told me the first time I consulted him about my stomach pain.

"She is lonely, mate," Noah places his foot on the coffee table and then the other one above, making an entire scene and too much noise before gulping the rest of his drink. I let out a hard sigh and closed my eyes for a second.