Burning Touch

Chapter 2

"If he can't get shit done, then what are we paying him for?" André typed away on his phone as Fred yelled at whoever was on the other line.

If he had to guess, he'd say Vincent since he was in charge whenever they went away on vacation. Not that they had many since their business was always mixed with their vacation, so their vacations hardly counted as vacations. This time though, André promised himself not to get caught up in the business. He was going to focus solely on clearing his mind and having as much fun as he intended.

Damn. He missed his dad.

André sent the email he had typed and stared out of the window, sighing as the sight of the clouds had a clearing effect on his mind.

"Well then figure it out, Vince." Fred said, "I'd hate to fire you 'cause of an employee."

André smiled at that statement. Fred was as ruthless as him when it came to running their multi-billion-dollar company but he'd always valued relationships. Especially ones that have lasted for a long time and Vincent has been with them since the beginning therefore, he knew whatever went wrong under Vince's control, Fred would never think about firing the man.

Fred turned to him as he hung up
"All good."

André nodded
"I heard." He said trying his best not to break into a smile

Fred ignored him and glanced at his watch
"How many more minutes till we land?"

"Three hundred fifty-two minutes, forty-eight seconds." André said, "If there's no delay."

Fred shook his head at him and André knew he had geeked out again. André had a way with numbers, he couldn't explain it, it just happens and even though he's been friends with Fred for over eight years, Fred still couldn't get over it. He met Fred at a freshman party in College, they had gone for the last slice of pizza and while André geeked out about dividing a triangular-shaped food equally, he had lost the piece to Fred but he didn't mind only because more boxes had arrived ten seconds later. He may have lost that last piece to Fred but he gained a friend that night who eventually became his partner and best friend. That same week of College when classes had resumed, they met Josie in a library, she seemed to hate them at first because they kept whispering but after a few weeks of meeting at that same table, she got used to them and three of them have been together ever since.

They all had the same classes together cause they majored in the same thing - Computer Science. Josie had a second major in Music which was what she actually wanted to do but she and her parents had their differences about that and she had ended up going for both. They interned with the same company where he and Fred had come to the same conclusion that they hated working for douche bags. That was when they decided to work for only themselves, no one else.

They had played around ideas of what to do for a year and had made money from freelancing. Josie had gotten a job at O'Connell Engineering. She had developed their web and was in control of its maintenance and update. She also helped the other IT workers in her dept as she made her way to the top through the following years, they had begun their small business which had grown faster than they anticipated. Their company was now among the top five Engineering companies. They had told Josie to come work with them but she had declined and now she was head of O'CE's IT department and was still making it up her professional ladder.

"Has Josie called yet?" Fred asked

"She sent a message in the group chat." André said, "Don't you ever check your messages?"

"I get busy," Fred replied guiltily as he checked their group for Josie's message. "She wants us to meet up tonight?"

"After we've settled in." André said, "She'll text us the address."

"Can't wait to meet those girls she keeps talking about." Fred said

"You mean her best friends."

"We're her best friends." Fred said adamantly

"Dude, she had best friends before us and they go way back." André said

"Yea yea, I know the damn story." He said

"Yet you still can't get it straight." André said

"We need to get Adley to sign."

"Nah. I'm leaving that to you." André said, "I'm taking off my work clothes, I need a beer in one hand and a girl in the other."

Fred smiled at him and André knew he was happy. Fred had been trying to get him to get off work since his dad passed but nothing has stopped him from working. It had been almost a year and André still couldn't get over it but he knew he had to let it out, he couldn't hold it in any longer. Letting go didn't mean forgetting, it just meant going past it and accepting it. His dad would always mean a great deal to him, always.

"I'm counting on it." Fred said, "You come near this deal and I'm kicking you in the balls."

"I go near this deal and I'm surrendering them." André looked at Fred "My balls I mean."

"Why are we talking about your balls?"

"You brought it up."

"Well, now I'm un-bringing it up." Fred said, "Topic closed."

The sound of the plane in the air-filled the silence.

"Wanna talk about yours?"

"Oh goodness!" Fred groaned and André smiled at that.

He loved making his friends feel uncomfortable, Fred and Josie especially but when it came to people he didn't know, this side of him always changed to pure evil. No surprise why people, especially their employees, called him Lucifer behind his back when he found out he liked it instantly. He loved that people saw him that way even though Fred was the angrier and scarier businessman between them while he was dark, silent and he knew what one look from him did to people.

Girls loved the dark and mysterious but one glare from him and they scrambled away. No one had been able to get past his exterior and he planned on keeping it that way.

He didn't need anyone except the three girls in his life to get past his exterior. His mum, his sister, and Josie were the only women who got to see the real André Leon. The women he'd been with weren't worth the time and he'd been with a lot of women. A lot.

No, he wasn't a playboy. He didn't need to try to get a girl. They all came running and those he thought looked good enough for a night, he took to bed. A night of passion he promised them and nothing more. The next morning, they'd put up a fit about it but he never budged.

They were never worth it and he was happy and content with everything and everyone he had in his life. He wouldn't wish for anything more.

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