Solitude

A Solitary CEO

Ever since Christmas, I had been more open with the idea of letting Alex be apart of my life. I spent the day with him and his family and I realised, with much surprise, that I was becoming more comfortable around them, around Alex.

I looked forward to my small conversations when he dropped off and picked up Zeus. I looked forward to our night time phone calls that started after Christmas when we talked about our day and I looked forward to the days we spent together.

He had been taking days off work in the last month and a half since Christmas, joining Zeus, Loki and I on our walks. I spent less time writing my book and more time outside with the three of them. We didn't just walk along the canal (when that conversation started I nearly had a panic attack but he talked me out of it, he coaxed me to calm down). We started walking around the dog parks near my apartment. If anyone spoke to us, he would push me behind him and take control of the situation and talk for the both of us, continue the conversation for half a second and abruptly end it and steer me away.

That was another thing, he understood. He didn't ask or judge me based on my anxiety, I didn't even have to tell him I was feeling anxious, he just knew when my triggers kicked in. He was the male version of Morgan.

He wasn't the man I met nearly four and a half months ago. He didn't answer his work calls in front of me, knowing he became frustrated and it often caused my anxiety to spike and he didn't force questions down my throat. I enjoyed the comfortable silences that accompanied his presence.

We talked, sometimes, about our lives, about our jobs. I didn't reveal that I was an author just yet, the thought caused the familiar knot of anxiety to twist inside of me.

As we walked around the dog park in silence, my eyes focused on our dogs. Loki was coming out of his shell a little in the dog park, he didn't trot a few steps ahead of me, he jogged along the grass, his nose to the ground and occasionally jumping up at Zeus who passed him whenever he sprinted back and forth, barking happily at other dogs who ran away from him, that part didn't bother him.

The sky was a clear blue, clouds scattered across the canvas and the sun shone brightly. It was still cold, warming up and heading in to spring but still not warm enough to walk around without a coat.

The grass was moist, glistening in the sun, from last nights rainfall  and the dark trees stood like skeletons, bare and lifeless, whispering to each other in the wind.

"I never asked." I started after a lap around the dog park. "What is your job exactly?"

He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "I never told you?"

"Nope." I shook my head. "You have a mansion and your car is shiny and you wear a new suit everyday. It must be an important job."

"Have I ever told you that you are the dumbest smart person I have ever met?" He smirked down at me.

"Um..."

I feel both insulted and complimented.

He continued. "You are incredibly smart. You know things about dogs and life that I haven't even thought about and you're observant but sometimes you're very childlike and just say stupid stuff."

Again. I feel both insulted and complimented. Is this one of those backhanded compliments that Morgan told me about over a coffee table three years ago?

She said the only way to respond to a backhanded compliment is to backhand the person who said it.

I didn't want to backhand Alex, he was a good guy and plus, I don't think I'd be able to reach.

"I'm sorry." I walked forward, keeping my eyes on Loki.

I didn't realise I was childlike. I'm Twenty five and I was being called childlike and dumb smart. I didn't usually care what people thought about me, I didn't have that many people in my life to judge me and I was usually too far in my own head, trying to calm down my constant state of anxiousness to even fathom a guess about what people thought about me. But here, walking with Alex, the person I had unknowingly let in my life and couldn't spend a day without talking to, it hurt to hear those things. For once, after years of building myself up and blocking out the worries of others thoughts and focusing on my own, I cared about what someone else thought of me.

"Shit." He muttered, grabbing my shoulders and turning me to face him. "I didn't mean it like that. It's refreshing to be around someone who's different and not trying to get me in their bed."

I tilt my head. "Why would I try and get you in my bed? You wouldn't fit. Your feet would hang off because of your freakish height."

He chuckled, shaking his head a little. "It means something else. God you're so innocent." He muttered underneath his breath, I wasn't sure if I was meant to hear it or not. Letting me go, he gestured for me to walk with him again. I complied. "I'm the CEO of King Industries."

"What's that?"

I could see the smile playing on his lips when I tilted my head up at him. "It's a big corporation. It's a famous company my dad built and I took over when I was twenty five. Seven years later and I've built it up further. I've bought clubs, restaurants, hotels. Remember that club we met at for the second time?"

"The one where we got locked in a room together and you were Mr Grumpy pants because I had a lolly and you didn't." I nodded.

"That wasn't why I was grumpy." He corrected and I ignored him. "But yes that one. I own it."

"How come I've never heard of King Industries?" I ask, trying to wrack my mind for any mentions of King Industries. I come up blank.

"Well you're Patrick." He shrugged, smiling down at me.

I tried to fake an unimpressed look but as soon as I made eye contact a smile painted across my face. "I live under a rock?"

He sent a mock surprised look, nudging my shoulder with his elbow. "Hey you got that reference."

I rolled my eyes, nudging his arm with my shoulder. "It's spongebob. Of course I got that reference. I'm a recluse, not uncultured."

He barked a laugh. "Of course. You just prefer to stay away from people. I feel honoured."

"As you should." I nod in agreement.

"So now I've told you what I do." He grinned mischievously. "Are you going to disclose your job to be? What do you do on your laptop for hours?"

An exhale escaped me. Only a handful of people knew. My publishing team, who I only spoke to over the phone and Morgan who pinkie promised when were eighteen that she wouldn't say anything.

But this was Alex. He was just as close to me as Morgan was, maybe closer in a way. I could tell him and my secret would be safe.

"I'm an author." I whispered quietly, glancing around us to make sure no one was near. It was clear.

His eyebrows shot up and shock absorbed his facial features. "Really? I've never heard of you."

I swallowed. "My author name is Octavius Matthews."

"Octavius Matthews?"

"My name is Oaklee, so that's the 'O' and I liked the name Octavius and I wanted Matthews because it was my mothers maiden name."

He nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. You any good? At writing I mean."

I shrugged. "I don't think an author can say if their work is good or not. If you mean if I'm successful then yes I am."

He stayed quiet for a moment or two until he finally spoke again. "I wasn't very nice to you that day we met on the canal... or that day at the club but I'm glad you offered to look after Zeus. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't meet you." I smiled up at him. "And of course Zeus loves you."

"I think I should adopt Zeus. He loves me more than you." I say, watching at Zeus barks when he spots us and sprints over, Loki jogging behind me casually.

Zeus jumps up at me, knocking me off balance again. I close my eyes, awaiting the pain of my back hitting the pavement, but it never comes. Instead, arms wrap around my waist and I fall in to a chest. Alex's chest.

"Zeus! Stop doing that!" Alex shouts, standing me up right.

I thank him, stroking the top of Zeus' head and forgiving him. "It's okay Zeusey. It's just how you show your love for me and I will always accept that."

"He's going to kill you someday." Alex sent me a look when we started walking again.

"Not if you are there to catch me every time he does it." I grin up at him, laughing when he rolls his eyes.

"I'll always catch you."