Chapter 40

CHAPTER 40

SIMON

I was pulled from sleep by my phone buzzing nonstop on the nightstand. I reached out to grab it, still a little jet-lagged and clueless about what time zone I was in.

"What?" I answered gruffly.

"Sir, it's Dana, I'm sorry to wake you, but I don't know how much longer I can hold them off."

I could hear the stress in her voice. I rubbed my hand over my face, trying to wake myself up.

"Sir?"

"I'm here," I said. "What time is it?"

"Nine."

"Shit," I sighed. "I'll be in. Give me an hour. Tell everyone to sit tight."

"Thank you," she said with relief in her voice. "I'll have coffee and breakfast ready for you."

I got out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. I knew I had left my staff in the lurch with my impromptu vacation. They had been left hanging, trying to cancel meetings and running cover for the CEO who went AWOL. But it was necessary. I had to get out of town. I didn't even realize how badly I needed to get out of town until I landed in Rome. I had felt like I was being suffocated. Now, I could breathe again. I felt ready to tackle the situation.

I walked into the office building, the usual security in place. I greeted Dana with a nod as I headed to my office. She quickly followed behind me, handing me a cup of coffee and a protein bar. That wasn't exactly the breakfast I was looking forward to, but I would take it.

My morning started off rough. It was a barrage of calls from reporters and legal representatives, all clamoring for statements and updates about the oil spill. My head was pounding, and I barely had time to process the chaos unfolding around me. The spill had turned into a media frenzy. Every single news outlet wanted a piece of me. So much for going off the grid and letting the story die down.

On top of the reporters, I was getting hit with calls from lawyers representing civilians whose properties had been damaged. It was like a relentless storm of litigation and media inquiries. The icing on the cake was a massive petition from residents living near the oil refinery, demanding its complete shutdown. I couldn't believe it. It was a ludicrous request, an overreaction to a disaster that, while serious, didn't warrant dismantling the entire operation.

If the refinery were shut down, it wouldn't just be millions lost. It would be billions. Not to mention all the advanced infrastructure and technology we'd invested in, which would go to waste. And the jobs. That would be a lot of people left without work to support their families. Years of effort and innovation, all for nothing. It was a nightmare scenario that I wasn't prepared to entertain.

"Dana!" I shouted instead of using the intercom. It felt good to yell.

"Yes?"

"No more," I said.

"What?"

"I'm not taking any more calls," I said. "I'm not dealing with the reporters and their endless questions. I need to clear my head and refocus. I'm changing my cell number. Send everyone to the company voicemail. There is nothing more I can say that's going to make anyone happy. Direct lawyers to legal and reporters to the people I'm paying a shitload of money to. I'm done. I've got actual business to attend to. I need you to call my personal provider and change my number."

"Really?"

"Yes." I nodded. "Right away."

"Yes, sir," she said and rushed out to do my bidding.

It was peaceful enough for me to finally get some actual work done. About twenty minutes later Dana came back with a piece of paper. "This is your new number. Your old one is now on a voicemail loop directing anyone who called to go through the proper channels."

I sighed in relief. "Thank you."

As I dove back into reviewing reports and legal documents, trying to piece together a plan of action, the phone rang. I frowned and stared at it.

Dana popped her head into the office. "It's Lenny."

"Thanks," I said and reached for the phone.

"What the hell is up with your phone?" he asked.

"I changed my number." I quickly gave him my new one.

"Let's hit the gym after work," he said.

"Hell no," I replied. "I can't go anywhere in public. You can come out to my house. It's got a decent gym."

"Fine. I'll be there."

After hanging up, I realized I needed to call Rylee and give her my new number. And it was a perfect excuse to call her.

"Hello?" Her voice came through the line, sounding a bit groggy.

"Hey, it's me," I said, trying to keep my tone light. "Did I wake you?"

"I was just taking a quick nap," she said with a yawn. "I'm still trying to get back on Dallas time."

"I'll let you go back to sleep," I said.

"No, it's fine. I'm up. We were up late catching up, and now I'm running on empty. Sorry to sound like a bullfrog."

I chuckled softly. "No need to apologize. It's sexy. Did you have a good time with your friends?"

"Yeah, I did," she said with a yawn. "It was amazing to see everyone again. But now, I could definitely use about three days of sleep. Unfortunately, I have to work tonight."

I winced. "That sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. I was actually thinking of swinging by your bar tonight. You know, like old times."

"Really? That sounds great! I'd love to see you."

I could hear the excitement in her tone. It was exactly what I wanted to hear. I wasn't sure how things were going to be after she talked to her friends. I knew they didn't like me and they would probably tell her she was crazy for giving me five minutes.

"Awesome. I'll be there. I could use a drink and a change of scenery myself."

"Perfect," Rylee said, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Before I forget, the reason I called was because I have a new number," I told her. "I wanted to let you know."

"You changed your number?"

"Yes."

"Why?" she asked. "Is that normal for you?"

"No." I laughed. "It was a necessity. Somehow reporters got my number, and it has been nonstop. I can't block them all."

"I'm sorry," she said, the empathy evident in her voice. "That has to be rough."

"It's part of the business," I told her. "I'll see you tonight."

After ending the call, I felt like I was twenty pounds lighter. She still wanted to see me. I wasn't too worried about going into her bar. Yes, people would recognize me, but I had a feeling they would leave me alone, especially with Rylee in my corner.

After work, I left the office and headed home. It felt like I'd done a week's worth of work in a day. I was looking forward to all of this just being over. I changed into shorts and filled my water bottle. Lenny showed up a few minutes later with a couple of protein shakes.

"Thought you might need this," he said.

"Perfect timing," I said, grabbing the shake and giving him a nod. "I could use a boost. This has been a hell of a day."

We walked downstairs to where the gym was situated. I was planning to add more equipment when I had the time.

Lenny and I walked to the weight bench and started sliding on weights. "What's with the spontaneous trip to Europe?"

"I needed a break."

Lenny raised an eyebrow. "A break, huh? From what? Work? The scandal of the year?"

"Not funny," I muttered. "This shit is going to drive me crazy. People are piling on."

"I've never known you to run away from anything," he said.

"It wasn't exactly running away. More like a rescue mission. I had to go save a damsel in distress. And it did seem like a good time to fade away for a while. I thought the dust might settle again."

"A damsel, huh?" Lenny said, clearly amused. "Your damsel?"

"Yeah," I admitted, trying to sound nonchalant but feeling a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. "She's important to me."

"Why did you have to go to Europe to save her?"

"She lost her passport," I told him. "I pulled some strings and got it for her. It seemed more efficient for me to deliver it."

He chuckled. "Of course, and then you just happened to stay."

I grinned as I lay down on the bench. "She invited me. And like I said, it seemed like a good idea."

Lenny nodded approvingly. "Man, that's actually pretty cool. It's nice to see you stepping outside your own box for once. Doing something for someone else."

I paused for a moment, the weight of his words sinking in. "Outside my own box? I wouldn't exactly call Europe or the UK outside my comfort zone."

Lenny laughed. "No, I meant thinking of someone else and dropping everything to help them."

His words stung a bit. It was a reminder that even my own friend saw me as a bit of a shallow person. I brushed it off with a forced chuckle, but I could feel the sting deep down.

Lenny noticed. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to hit a nerve."

"It's not wrong," I said, catching my breath between sets. "You're right. I've been pretty wrapped up in my own success and reputation for too long. I haven't been the best friend or brother. And I sure as hell have never been a good boyfriend."

Lenny gave me a sympathetic look. "We all get caught up in our own lives sometimes. It doesn't make you a bad person. You had a lot dumped on you when you were young. You handled it the best way you could."

I shook my head, knowing that I had been preoccupied with my career and financial success at the expense of the relationships that mattered. "I know. But still. I should have been more present."

We finished our sets and sat down to drink our protein shakes. "So, tell me more about Anna. How's she doing? Is she marriage material?"

He grinned, his face lighting up. "Yeah, I can see myself marrying her. She'd make a wonderful mother. Her family is fantastic, and my mom adores her."

"That sounds like the real deal," I said, genuinely happy for him. "I'm glad you found someone like that. Seriously."

"Thanks," Lenny said, looking relieved. "It means a lot to hear you say that."

I wiped sweat from my forehead, feeling the weight of the conversation.

"So, what about Rylee?" he asked, shifting his gaze to me. "Is she marriage material?"

The question caught me off guard. Marriage wasn't something I'd ever seriously considered, but thinking about it now, with Rylee in the mix, made my heart race. It was both thrilling and unsettling. I hid my smile as I moved to the treadmill.

"Maybe," I said finally, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. My heart was pounding, and I could barely keep my tone steady.

Lenny raised an eyebrow. "Maybe, huh? That's a pretty big maybe."

I shrugged, feeling more vulnerable than I had in a long time. "Yeah, it is. I've never really thought about marriage before. But with Rylee, it's different. It's like there's something there that I can't quite explain. She's different than any other woman I've ever met."

"Well, it sounds like you're onto something good. Just don't let it slip away. Sometimes the best things in life are right in front of us, and we don't realize it until it's too late. Don't let this oil spill bullshit get in the way of you being happy. I know you. You get into the weeds with these things. Don't push her away because you get too focused on the business. It'll survive. A woman like Rylee is not going to come around again."

I nodded, appreciating the advice. "I hear you. I'm trying to figure things out. I don't want to mess this up."

"You won't," Lenny said confidently. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, Simon. And you're not as shallow as you think. You just need to give yourself a chance to see it."

"Thanks, man," I said, feeling a bit of relief. "That means a lot."

We finished our shakes and continued with our workout, but the conversation lingered in my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about Rylee and what the future might hold. Marriage was a new and unexpected consideration, but it was one I couldn't ignore. As much as I tried to focus on the present, my thoughts kept drifting back to her and the possibilities that lay ahead.