“The southern expansion project cannot wait for a break in the clouds, Sabrina.”
“I hope your real estate meetings in the south are worth the drive in this weather, Kenneth.”
“They are,” he said, checking the side pocket of his case to ensure his leather-bound notebook was in place.
He zipped the briefcase with a sharp, metallic slide and set it by the door.
“I will be back by Friday afternoon at the latest, before the weekend traffic hits the interstate.”
“Justin mentioned you had three separate site visits scheduled down there this month,” I said, leaning back against the cushion.
My younger brother, Justin, was always trying to keep track of the regional offices, though Kenneth usually managed to keep him sidelined from the major decisions.
Kenneth smiled, his face perfectly composed under the recessed lights of our bedroom.
“Your brother worries too much about the details, and he does not understand how the southern market operates,” Kenneth said.
He walked over and kissed my cheek, his skin smelling of expensive sandalwood shaving cream.
“Get some sleep,” he added, turning off the bedside lamp on his side of the room.
I stayed in the chair for another hour, watching the digital clock on the dresser glow in the dark, my fingers still resting on the cold leather folder.
At five in the morning, the kitchen was silent except for the low rumble of the refrigerator.
I sat at the dark granite island with a mug of black tea, my tablet lying flat on the cold stone.
The screen illuminated a notification from United Airlines, the blue light reflecting off the polished surface.
The early flight I was supposed to take to Chicago for a private consulting client had been canceled.
A major winter storm system was moving up from New Mexico, threatening to dump twelve inches of snow across the Denver metro area before the afternoon.
