Page 50 of Never To Suffer

“Wake up, pal. We’re about to land,” My dad says as he shakes my shoulder.

I grab my things and move to one of the chairs, my head throbbing like one of those huge, deep drums. The bright light of the setting sun doesn’t help my head, so I slip on my sunglasses and check the time on my phone. A new message lightens my mood.

Doc

I’ve heard the Kandagawa Bakery is pretty good, if you end up anywhere near it.

See you when you get back?

The flutter of butterflies is a little less drunk now, getting some solid flapping going.

I told you I need to fix that sink.

“Hey, Alex? You still look a little, uhm, pale. How are you feeling?” Dad asks, leaning over and talking in a whisper. “Did you take the stuff your mother got from her doctor?”

“Yeah. It stayed down for about an hour.” I tuck my phone away so he doesn’t accidentally see pictures he shouldn’t. Someof those from Dani and Sky are straight up porn, and hot as shit. “Are we going straight to the hotel?”

“Dinner first, but you look like you’d rather not. Your aunt emailed me earlier, and they’re switching your assistant. The other one got sick or something. I didn’t get details. He should be at the airport to meet us. I’ve already asked him to get you a second car to take you to the hotel and check you in. We’ll start fresh tomorrow morning. Sound good, Sport?”

“Sure, whatever.” I don’t even have the strength to respond to the outdated nickname. “I’m getting paid for this bullshit, right?”

“Uhm, yeah. Sure. Absolutely. Don’t worry about it. For now, here’s the company card. Don’t go too wild, okay? I’ve got a few day’s worth of meetings, so you won’t need to come in right away.”

“Why didn’t I fly over later?”

“Because you look like shit, and I wanted to give you a few days to recover from the flight. Sleep in, go sightseeing and get a feel for things here. I’ll have the assistant get you an itinerary for the first few things I will need you in the office for.” He turns and goes back to talking to his people.

The plane makes a bumpy landing but gets us to a hangar. Like Dad promised, two black limos wait nearby with uniformed drivers looking ridiculous as they stand outside each one. I pull my backpack on and shove my earbuds in, so hopefully I won’t have to talk to whoever this assistant is. I grab another water, my second since landing, and leave the plane. The hangar adds to my headache with its bright white lights that reflect off the even whiter walls. The tinted windows of the cars call to me, but I have to wait as Dad and his team of ass kissers go through their motions. I turn up the volume on the ambient noise meant to help my head, pull the hood over my head, and close my eyes, dozing off again as I lean against a wall.

I jump about ten feet in the air when someone’s hand grabs my shoulder. “Shit, what the hell?!” I yell, pulling the ear buds out.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Maxwell. I didn’t mean to frighten you, but I did address you several times prior to breaking the boundaries of your personal space, I assure you.” His posh British accent isn’t what I expected from an assistant from the Tokyo office, but the company hires from all over the globe, so it shouldn’t surprise me. “As your father requested, we have a car waiting for you since you’ll not be attending the dinner.”

“Cool. Let’s get the hell out of here.” I hold out my hand. “Don’t call me Mr. Maxwell, I’m Xander.”

“Oh, right? In that case, I’m Oliver.” His crooked smile and freckles are cute, but the suit and striped tie have me weirded out. He looks like he belongs in one of my old prep schools. “I’m your new assistant, so if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to?—”

“Bro, what I need is a joint. I’ll settle for some morphine.” I rub my temples as we walk. “Can you get either of those?”

“Uhm, I should have some tablet for your head in the car. However, I’m sorry to say, I doubt we’ll be able to accommodate your request for?—”

“Oliver, I don’t have a clue why I’m here, but I’m aware weed isn’t legal, so do me a favor? Relax, would you? I’m stressed enough for both of us.”

“Absolutely, Mr.... sorry…Xander.” We shake, and he goes back into robot mode and jogs over to the car, pulling open the door for me. “We’ll have your bags loaded in a moment, sir.”

I turn and look at my dad, trying to figure out why I’m on this trip and why I’ve got an assistant, when my phone buzzes.

Melodious

How was your flight?

It landed, so I guess it was ok. Not going to dinner though, it wouldn’t end well.

Melodious

I figured.

If you’re up to it, let Oliver show you around town. He was very excited to meet you. He’s a good kid.

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