Chapter 699
Max was indeed heading out to schmooze that evening, with Patrick behind the wheel and Annie perched in the passenger seat. Arnie had initially planned to sit in the back with Max, but after Patrick coughed subtly, she took the hint and gracefully slid into the shotgun position.
Max settled into the backseat alone, quietly flipping through the documents needed for InnovTech Solutions. His phone lay beside him as if in wait for a message.
After the day’s events, he even had Patrick set him up with a Twitter account. It was his first foray into the world of social media, and while he had meant to defend Brielle in a tweet, Patrick had advised against it. The chaos of the day was too much, and those vile Tweets were attacking Brielle’s personal life. If he stepped into the fray, it would only tarnish her further.
His account wasn’t verified, so no one knew he was the CEO of Dorsey International. Even his username was a jumble of characters.
After reviewing the documents for a while, Max checked his Twitter.
Upon signing up, the platform auto–followed a bunch of accounts. Frowning slightly, he unfollowed each one meticulously, and then he found Brielle’s profile and hit follow.
Seeing that ‘1‘ in his following list lifted his spirits, but then, a wave of inexplicable melancholy washed over him. He suppressed the feeling, returning his attention to the documents in his hands and setting his phone aside.
Patrick, driving up front, wasn’t entirely used to having a female secretary around, as Max’s entourage had always been exclusively male.
But Annie was discreet and never tried to seduce the boss like some other women. She was competent, often quietly working on her doctoral thesis as if soaking up real–world experience from the job.
Besides, the professor had personally recommended Annie to Max, and she performed flawlessly, leaving not even the slightest error for Patrick to pick at. He had grown accustomed to her presence. Especially with what happened just now, he coughed, and Annie promptly moved upfront, clearly not interested in any extracurricular relationship with Max. Patrick found that agreeable.
The car was silent, save for the sound of Max’s fingers turning the pages of his documents. The dinner with InnovTech Solutions went smoothly. As they were wrapping up, the CEO of InnovTech received a call from his wife. He quickly excused himself with an apologetic smile. “Mr. Dorsey, I need to take this call. My apologies.”
4
Max nodded, distant but polite, watching as the man stepped away to whisper, “I’m out for dinner with Mr. Dorsey from Dorsey International. What would you like? Alright, I’ll bring it home later. You’re not getting fat. How could you possibly get fat?”
After hanging up, the CEO seemed somewhat sheepish. “Ten years of marriage, and I get an earful every time I’m homw late. Mr. Dorsey, being single like you has its perks, doesn’t it?”
Patrick sat beside Max and didn’t miss the deep envy in his gaze, as restrained as the man himself. It seemed that even someone as distinguished as Max could harbor envy for others. Perhaps this was his first real taste of sour and bitter envy. It was impossible to hide it in his eyes.
The dinner ended with Max having a few drinks, just enough to feel a light buzz. The InnovTech CEO took another call from his wife, explaining and laughing helplessly. “I’ll be home soon, just another half hour. It’s just finished. The same flavor as last time, right?”
EFFE ZOF
Max stood still, the night breeze cool against his skin. He pulled out his phone and scrolled to Brielle’s number, contemplating a call but fearing she might still not answer.
The prospect of another rejection seemed even more disheartening than his current state of solitude. He felt an itch in his throat, the old urge to smoke creeping back.
