Page 33 of Triplet Babies for the CEO
He has my laptop tucked under his one arm and a small stack of papers in the other, and his presence fills the room with a comforting warmth.
Stepping closer and setting my laptop and notes on the bedside table, he gives me a warm smile. “Here,” he says, his voice soft and soothing. “I made some notes to help with your assignments. If you’re feeling up to it later, just text me, and I’ll let you know where I’ll be.”
His thoughtfulness catches me off guard, but I manage a weak smile, my heart swelling with gratitude. “Thank you. Really, you didn’t have to do this.”
My voice sounds small, but I mean every word; his kindness, his willingness to help, have become a lifeline I hadn’t expected.
“Just focus on resting,” he says, his eyes meeting mine with a soft warmth. He reaches out, giving my hand a gentle squeeze that sends a calming warmth through me before he steps back, leaving me with a soft smile before he quietly closes the door.
Alone again.
I pull my laptop onto my lap and open it, the screen glowing with the carefully organized notes he’s made. Each page is simplified, broken down in a way that’s easy to understand, andas I scan his handwriting, I can see the effort he’s put into making sure I’d grasp each concept.
My throat tightens, and despite the nausea still lingering in my stomach, I try to focus on the work he’s laid out for me, grateful for the small comfort of his thoughtfulness.
After a few minutes, I feel my phone buzz with a new text. I glance down and see a message from Jasmine, a familiar pang of homesickness tugging at my heart as I read her words.
>>Hey, girl! How’s the new gig? Miss you.
I close my eyes for a moment, remembering our last conversation and how she’d encouraged me to go for this new life, this chance to build something for myself. I shoot her a quick reply, my fingers trembling slightly.
>>Miss you too! Things are…good. Can I call?
Waiting for her response, I lean back, letting my head rest against the pillows. Her reply comes almost instantly, and Jasmine’s familiar voice fills the room before I know it, the familiar warm and lively tone, like a comforting blanket on a cold day.
“Tash, you sound awful! What’s going on? Are you sick or something?”
I laugh, weak and airy, and it sounds more like a cough. “Yeah, I’ve been down for about twenty-four hours now. I don’t know if it’s a bug, something I ate. I just can’t shake it.”
“Aww, that sounds miserable! You need some soup and a cozy bed,” she says, her voice soft with sympathy. “So, where are you staying? You got a tiny apartment over there or what?”
I hesitate before answering, glancing around the spacious, warmly decorated room that’s worlds away from any apartment I could’ve afforded.
My fingers twist the edge of the blanket, feeling the plush fabric beneath them as I grapple with how to answer. “Actually, I’m, um…well, I’m staying with my boss.”
There’s a pause on the other end, followed by Jasmine’s sudden burst of laughter, incredulous and delighted. “No way! You mean that CEO guy you told me about? Mr. Suit and Tie?”
“Yes, that guy,” I say, giggling with her, though my cheeks are burning with embarrassment.
“After he hired me, he offered me a room at his place until I found something of my own. It’s…it’s huge, Jasmine. I feel like I’m living in a magazine. The house has everything: multiple fireplaces, a library, a sunroom. I couldn’t say no.”
“I mean, who could?” Jasmine practically squeals with joy. “This is wild, Tash! Next thing you’ll tell me, is that you’re his personal chef or something. What’s it like living in a place like that?”
I nervously laugh again, feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety fluttering in my stomach. “Oh, it’s crazier than that, trust me.”
I want to tell her more, but I can feel the exhaustion creeping in, and my head’s pounding from the relentless nausea that’s refused to leave. Still, her voice gives me the strength to keep talking, just for a little while.
Jasmine’s voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper, as if someone else could overhear. “All right, spill! You’re living with him, this gorgeous CEO with a giant mansion. Tasha, come on, there’s gotta be more to it than that!”
I hesitate, biting my lip with an awkward pause. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and for a moment, I feel that thrill of sharing a secret, the one only a best friend can understand.
“Okay, well…there is more,” I say, lowering my voice as if the walls have ears. “We’ve, um…we’ve been seeing each other, Jas. Sleeping together.”
There’s silence on her end for a heartbeat, and then she gasps, “Oh my God, Tasha! Are you serious? What happened to thesweet, innocent Tasha who wouldn’t dare cross any lines? Girl, I’m shocked! Are you even for real?”
“It just…happened. He’s nothing like I thought he’d be. He’s thoughtful, kind, and…he takes care of me in ways I didn’t know I needed. Even today, he left me notes for my school assignments when he saw how sick I was.”
Jasmine squeals again. “So, he’s like, actually doting on you? You’re living with him, working with him, sleeping with him…you’re a total romantic cliché!”
