Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
“I can’t believe it’s been that long. I feel like I just started.” I’d finished a lot of tasks, but I still had so much to do. His new desks and bookshelves arrived tomorrow, so that would nearly complete that project. I hadn’t even started on all the other things the lab needed.
“I can’t believe how unorganized that boy is.”
Boy? Oh, he was all man…
She placed the envelope in front of me. “Your second check.”
I grabbed it and pressed a kiss to the front. “Look at this rich bitch.” I waved the envelope like I was fanning myself.
Cleo laughed. “You’re funny.”
“More like dorky.” I opened the envelope and pulled out the check, looking at the big-ass number printed on the paper.
“You’ll get these in the mail from now on. And since you’ve stuck it out this long, I’m not sure how you need me anymore.”
I rolled my eyes. “Cleo, I’ll always need you.”
She smiled. “How’s he been?”
“Good. He’s had a much different attitude since he screamed at me. He’s really making an effort to be more open with me instead of receiving every question like a hostile takeover.”
She chuckled then drank her coffee.
“He still doesn’t trust me to do more intimate stuff, like pay his bills, administrative tasks at the company, but I don’t think he’ll ever let me in more than he already has. And I’m still helping him a great deal, so that’s all that matters.”
“It’s only been two months. Maybe in a year or two, he’ll be open-minded to those other areas.”
“Yeah.”
“So, what are you going to do with all this money? Cash it all, then roll on it naked?”
I chuckled. “Not the worst idea I’ve ever heard. I would feel like I was in a music video.”
“Notorious E.”
I laughed again. “Well, I already got my parents their own apartment. Because we were living together in a two-bedroom, and it was not fun. I love my parents, but I loved them a little less in that scenario.”
Her smile faded and she turned serious. “That’s really sweet of you, Emerson.”
“We’re in the same building, so they can still harass me all the way,” I said with a chuckle.
“Only child?”
I nodded. “And my dad needs surgery, so that’s what I’m doing with this check.” I held it up again before placing it in my wallet.
“Surgery?” she asked.
“My dad really messed up his knees years ago. My parents couldn’t afford the surgery, and then my dad had to stop working, which meant he really couldn’t afford to fix it. My mom became his primary caretaker, so she couldn’t work… It’s a whole thing.”
“Emerson, it’s really sweet that you’re doing that. I mean, that’s your money.”
“It’s really no big deal. My parents have done a lot for me…” Like, a lot. “And we really don’t need much money to get by, so most of this is still going into savings anyway. I haven’t told my dad yet because he’ll refuse, but that’s too bad, because it’s gonna happen.”
Cleo watched me with soft eyes. “I’m sure it’ll mean the world to him.”
“It will. I’m hoping after some physical therapy, he can get his mobility back and have a more fulfilling life. Right now, he and my mom are always home, but they should be doing fun things instead of being cooped up all the time.”
“And maybe he can go back to work. I doubt he wants his daughter to take care of him forever.”
I shrugged. “Knowing him, he will. But we’ve got to get him there first.”
“So, how’s Derek’s book coming along?”
“Good. Really good. I’m getting him to write three days a week now. It’s definitely improved his mood too.”
“That’s great.”
“I can tell he doesn’t like my edits, but he’ll get over it.”
She smiled. “A man doesn’t like being told what to do.”
“Well, he’s not going to like me, then.”
“He already does, so you’re safe.” She drank from her coffee again. “Well, I think it’s safe to say that you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to that man. You’ve got it covered.”
“Except for the time I almost quit,” I said with a chuckle. “But he apologized…and fixed it.”
“Like I said, he’s got a really big heart…but he spends so much time hiding it, he forgets he has it.”
Spending all my time with him had shown me who he really was, that he was an incredible man, one of a kind, and I was really grateful to still be working for him…because it was exceptionally rewarding. I loved being an editor, but helping him, even if it was just cleaning his office, made me feel like I was contributing to the big picture. “It’s my job to remind him.”
The moving guys arrived and took the old, shitty desk away, along with the bookshelves that had to be several decades old. All of his things were organized in boxes on the couch so I could make the transition as smooth as possible.