Loving my fake Husband

Homeward Bound

❀ Clark ❀

I stared out the window, and despite the city skyline that stretched before me with the glittering maze of high-rises and flashing billboards, I barely saw it. My office was perched on the top floor of Mason Plumbing Empire and the large floor-to-ceiling windows gave me the perfect view of the city. But I couldn’t enjoy it. I felt suffocated. I scrubbed a hand over my face and sighed loudly. Another day, another pile of work that waited for my approval. Another inbox overflowing with problems I had to solve. Another night at the office because going to my penthouse apartment now felt like a waste of time. And it was lonely. I turned away and sat back down, but before I could get back to work, my phone rang. I didn’t even check the caller ID as I answered the damn thing.

“Clark Mason,”

“Ah, yes, hello, big shot,” my younger brother, Camden, said in greeting. I could hear the clear playfulness in his tone of voice, and I couldn’t help but smile. I leaned back in my seat and swiveled the chair so that I was facing the view.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my little brother…what do you want?” I asked and he chuckled.

“Since you don’t bother to call me, I thought I should check in and make sure you are still alive…unless, of course, this is a lifeless corporate robot,”

“I have been busy,” I argued defensively.

“Yeah…I bet,” he said, the teasing glint disappeared from his voice.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized. It had been a while since I had called my brother. In fact, I couldn’t remember when last we spoke. Or when I last saw him.

“Don’t be. I just wanted to chat…make sure you are still –”

“Alive…yeah, yeah, I’m alive,” I said.

“Doesn’t sound like it though…what’s going on?” he asked, and I wasn’t even surprised that he knew something was wrong.

“I’m drowning,” I admitted softly. “I love this place…everything I’ve built…but it never stops. The meetings, the reports, the decisions,”

“Clark…you left home to build an empire…did you think it would run itself?”

“No, I just…I put people in place. People I trust, but it feels like if I let go for even a second, everything will fall apart,”

“You hired those people to do a job, Clark,” he pointed out. “Let them do it,”

“I am. I do,”

“Bullshit. You need a break, Clark. You haven’t been home in over a year. You have an entire executive team that can handle everything. You don’t even need to be there, other than a monthly meeting to catch up on what’s going on. You did your part, Clark,”

“I know, I just…” my voice trailed off because I knew he was right. I just didn’t know how to let go. I was so worried that everything would fall apart without me running things.

“Look, you need a break. Come home,” he suggested, and the idea made me pause. “Just think about it,” he added.

“Yeah…ok, I will,” I said just as I heard a noise behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Robert standing in the doorway. “I have to go, but I’ll call you soon,” I hung up and swiveled my chair back into position. “I thought you left already,” I remarked as I glanced at the time in the bottom right-hand corner of my screen. It was already after eight.

“I was on my way out when I remembered that we needed to go over the agenda for the rest of the week. You have back-to-back meetings with investors, then the quarterly financial –”

“Robert, can I ask you something?” I interrupted. He looked up at me and I studied him for a moment. Robert was my personal assistant, and he was one of the few people who had proven to me time and time again that he was here for me and my company. This wasn’t just a job to him. This was his life, and I was the asshole boss that overworked him.

“Ah…sure, what’s up?”

“If I left…I mean, if I took a vacation…would this company fall apart?” I questioned. Robert blinked, and then he folded his arms across his chest.

“Is this a trick question?”

“Not at all,”

“Clark, you built a damn empire. You have entire departments running this place like a well-oiled machine. But you? You are the guy who stands over it all to make sure that everything is just right…and let’s be honest…you just micromanage,”

“So?”

“So, no, the company wouldn’t fall apart without you,” he said, and I slowly nodded.

“Wait…I am not a micromanager,”

“Oh? When was the last time you let your CFO run a budget meeting without you looking over his shoulder?” he asked as he shot me a look. I didn’t answer. “Or when last did you let your IROs do what they are paid to do?” I still didn’t answer. “Clark, you know how much I love working here…I am loyal and dedicated, but you also know that I take time off,”

“And then I have to deal with Mandy,” I muttered, and he laughed.

“My point is, I take time off to catch up on my life. No, I’m not here at this time of night every day…but you? You are here, in this office, more than you are at your fancy penthouse apartment,” I scowled, and he shrugged unapologetically. “You need a break,”

“You sound like Camden,” I remarked, and he stared at me for a minute before he snapped his fingers.

“Right. I forgot you have a brother!” I knew he was just trying to make a point and I had no problem showing him the finger. “Clark…go somewhere. Take a luxury vacation…find a woman…enjoy your life,” I shot him a glare, but he didn’t even flinch. “I know I’m not just your PA, Clark. I am literally the only friend you have. If I didn’t force you to join me every other Friday for a drink you wouldn’t even go out,”

“Hey! I go out,” I argued, and he shot me another look. “I had lunch today with –”

“With the marketing department…yes, I know. I made the reservations…but that is still work, Clark,”

“Ok, ok, I get it,”

“No, I don’t think you do. I know what you do every single day, Clark, and having a routine is fine. But I also know that you are going to crash right there,” he pointed at the super-comfortable couch in the corner. “And tomorrow morning, you will use your fancy bathroom and pick out another suite from that closet that everyone thinks is a bookcase…”

“I get it,” I snapped as I jumped up. “I get it,”

“Go home, Clark…and book yourself a vacation,”

“What about the agenda?” I asked curiously as I tried to hide my smirk. Robert shook his head as he took a step back.

“Kyle can handle it,” he said before he spun around and left. Kyle was my right-hand man. Or at least, he was supposed to be. If I did everything, what was he doing? I sighed as I grabbed my phone and walked out of my office. Camden and Robert were right. I needed a break and, apparently, my company wouldn’t fall apart without me. I wasn’t sure about going on some luxury vacation, but going home to Willow Creek sounded like a plan.

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