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With a shaky breath, I forcedelse Out of the corner ofwith the whiskers onhoanted only to have to go back to a clean-shaven look come tomorrow Those bankers were conservative, and I’d taken outtheir conventional world I wondered again why I’d wanted to be a part of this world so badly, this world that wasn’t reallyto prove and to whoure-- over ht

When we stopped at April’s, I’d already decided that I wouldn’t get out and walk her to her door I’d allowed this to go too far already But I couldn’t resist reassuring her again "April…" I said before she got out of the car

She turned back tothe door handle Our eyes locked

"I’ll take care of things, all right? Trust me"

The corners of her mouth turned up and her eyes closed, and the expression hurt because I could see that she was torn, reluctant to put that trust in me She leaned forward and kissed me, an affectionate, innocent kiss

"I know you’ll do your best" She didn’t look at ain as she turned to leave

I watched as the driver helped her with her luggage, taking it to her door I kind of hated o like that, but I didn’t trust o near her place If I did, I kneouldn’t want to leave

Strangely, after spending those days with her, I suddenly felt at a loss and lonelier than ever I closedthem with the palms of my hands I’d told her not to care That she wasn’t allowed to care I should have sent the saone four days, but when I got hoht the inclination to pick up the phone and send Weiss soet rabbed ood waves before the sun set for the day But , I was at the office an hour early, ready to take on the day and get to work planning our IPO roadshow We’d be e-fund ers across the country We had a tindow to put the shiniest, et the on our stock The IPO roadshow had to be perfect, and to that end I’d hired a professional director and camera creould interview Adam, me and the other officers

Today was also the scheduled photo shoot for Entrepreneur Weeklypress push for the IPO I arrived inover ot a little crazy with the coffee I sht

There was hardly a soul hereabouts The interns and assistants were filing in slowly, and I noticed that Adam’s door was ajar I knocked and then pushed the door open

The boss had a woman attached to him at the lips When they heard me enter, they pulled apart and stared atout in their parents’ bedroohed Almost

"Hey, Mia," I said "A little early for a booty call, isn’t it?"

"I was just…swinging by for a littleher cheeks

Adam slipped an arether it was al And Adam’s obvious bliss didn’t help matters

"It’s Mia’s first day of school today," he explained He sounded like he was talking about a kindergartner I guess Adaet your own cadaver to work on and all that gruesome stuff Dr Frankenstein, why didn’t you make your beau carry your books to class for you, then?"

She rolled her eyes "Don’t give him any ideas He wanted to drivethe car to school and then coe to sether, probably because she was still annoyed with Adae Indian motorcycle Even I was envious of it

She turned to reat presentation, by the way I was ih I didn’t understand half the stuff you said"