Stranded for Christmas with my Boss (Forbidden Billionaire Boss Daddies)

8. Jensen

Chapter eight

Jensen

“ H e’s late.”

Alyssa checks the time on her phone with a slight grimace. She shifts in her seat next to me as we occupy a round table in the back corner of Drip City, one of the coffee shops in this city that is so uppity that it’s nearly nauseating.

Who the hell wants to pay almost ten dollars for a simple cup of coffee?

I like nice things and good quality, but this coffee tastes borderline burned. And the fitness influencer we’re meeting is late! All I want is for things to be how they’re supposed to and for people to do as they agreed to do.

Is that too much to ask?

“There he is,” Alyssa whispers as her eyes cross the stark white, golden-trimmed interior to watch a blonde-haired man stride inside. “Remember, our best pitch for him to use, is that it’s hard to find time to go out and date as a fitness influencer. Our app allows him the ease of finding perfect matches right on his phone.”

I nod as I listen to her. Admittedly, she’s been stepping up the last few days, going above and beyond to get tasks done and matching the pace of everyone else who has been at the company far longer. She’s been making my days much easier.

Yet, I haven’t been that easy on her.

It’s safer to treat her like any other employee. Hell, I am even a degree harsher with her than anyone else to try and curb the attraction I feel toward her. Part of me feels a little guilty because she’s been busting her ass to get caught up, but I have to focus on the end goal.

We need to get 99% done before Christmas, and if I get hooked on her and how well she pulls off a skirt, that will slow me down. I can’t pump the brakes now, and I doubt she wants me to either. Spending time with her family during Christmas is more important to her than spending any sort of time with me.

I rise to my feet as Ken Ryker, or Kenfit, walks up to our table. “Jensen Riley. Thanks for meeting with us.”

Ken slaps my hand and pulls me in for a back pat instead of shaking my hand. “Yeah, of course. Can you guys chill here for a moment? I need a pick-me-up. Today’s set was killer.”

Alyssa merely smiles and nods before sitting down with me. “He’s very casual.”

“Unprofessional,” I mutter before taking a sip of my coffee and grimacing.

“Like dirt water, huh?”

I glance over at Alyssa, who has only touched her latte once. “It’s terrible.”

The corner of her mouth turns up a little in a faint smile. “Want me to get you something else?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll need your help getting this guy to focus.”

It’s been helpful having her along whenever I meet with social media stars who could market our app. She’s a little younger than me, and she’s far savvier when it comes to the apps and algorithms that these influencers have to deal with. I can sell my app and the money they’ll get, but Alyssa can tackle some of the little details about content and marketing that I’m not as knowledgeable about.

When Ken finally drops down into the chair across from us, he pulls off his sweatshirt, leaving himself in a white t-shirt that looks like it’s a size too small because all of his muscle is on the top half of his body. “So, I’m promoting your app. It’s for hookups, right?”

Alyssa’s eyes dart to mine as I sit up and shake my head. I’m going to have to do a lot of explaining, despite Ken being sent material about Soul Flames yesterday. I take it he was too busy lifting weights to read it.

“It’s a dating app that can be used for all sorts of things. Casual or serious. And it’s for couples too,” I tell him.

Ken nods slowly as he sips on his coffee. “Okay. Does it seem like I need a dating app or something?”

His laughter rings throughout the coffee shop, overtaking the smooth jazz floating down from hidden speakers. It grates on my damn ears.

“We think you could promote the app from a good angle. I’m sure you’re very busy as an influencer, right? You’re making content, editing content, and marketing all the time,” Alyssa speaks up when I don’t immediately respond.

“Well, yeah. It’s a grind.”

“Dating takes a lot of time. You’re having to go out and meet people. Become friends. Then, go out on dates, only to find out you aren’t compatible,” Alyssa continues. “Soul Flames can save you time so that you can continue grinding. Our formula matches you with highly compatible people, and a lot of that awkward, first-impression groundwork can be done in the app through our activities. Like video messages and games.”

Look at her. I don’t even have anything to add, prompting me to cross my arms and relax back in my seat as I wait for Ken to respond.

“I don’t know. It could look desperate if I were promoting a dating app. Like look at me, I’m too socially awkward to go out and talk to girls in person,” Ken says with a laugh as he shakes his head.

My teeth grind for a second as my annoyance kicks up more and more with every word that this guy spouts off. He doesn’t even realize the money and engagement that he can get from working with us. I get thinking about his reputation, but is it that fragile for it to shatter from a dating app promotion?

Alyssa joins her hands on the table and offers him a polite smile that I can tell is also masking annoyance. “Dating apps are very common nowadays for busy working people.”

“I’m not some nine-to-five drone, though. I get out. I get invited to parties and cool events,” Ken replies, giving her a weird look like she said something offensive. “I don’t need to hide behind an app to score dates.”

Yeah, forget this guy. He’s so blinded by his damn dating reputation that he can’t see a good opportunity in front of his own eyes.

Before I can say anything, my phone buzzes multiple times in my pocket. Typically, I don’t check my phone during meetings because I’m actually a professional, but I checked out of this meeting a while ago. I take a peek at my lock screen before freezing.

It’s Oliver’s school.

I hit the answer button and press the phone against my ear, ignoring the bewildered look on Ken’s face as I cut into his defensive complaining. “Hello?”

“Is this Jensen Riley?”

“This is him. What’s going on?” Why else would they be calling me if it weren’t for Oliver?

“There was an incident on the playground with Oliver. He was talking to some kids, and one of them shoved him to the ground. I’m not sure why yet. He’s not hurt, but he is very upset. Is there any way you can come by the office?”

Fury burns through my damn veins as I abruptly stand up from the table. Do these little, untrained terrors really think they can torment my nephew without consequences? Oh, no, no.

Absolutely fucking not.

“I’ll be right there,” I say before hanging up and turning to Ken. “Thanks for the meeting. We’re going to extend the offer to someone else.”

Ken’s jaw drops in shock.

Alyssa looks just as shocked, but she gets moving and follows me out of the coffee shop. “Where are we going?”

“Get in the car,” I tell her as I nod to the black company car that we took over here.

Alyssa doesn’t argue and makes a beeline to the passenger seat. She remains stiff throughout the ride as I tear through the streets of New York City to get to my nephew’s school. She glances at me every so often, waiting for an explanation, but I must look pissed enough for her to not test me and ask questions.

My knuckles turn as white as the snow tumbling from the sky, my anger burning hotter than any burning fire warming someone’s home. I only have so many family members left that I truly care about, and Oliver is as close to a son as I have right now. No one will be messing with him on my watch.

I park in the first parking spot that I can find when pull into the school’s front parking lot, my car jolting as I hit the brakes. I storm out and right through the front double doors that lead to the office, not even checking if Alyssa is following me or not.

“Hello, how can—”

“I’m here for Oliver,” I tell the secretary, skipping past the introductions. I need to make sure that he’s okay.

The secretary’s eyes widen a little when she realizes who she’s dealing with. “This way.”

I glance behind me to see Alyssa standing a few feet away with a confused look on her face. She doesn’t even know that I have a nephew. I don’t have time to explain right now, but she’s smart. She’ll pick up some context clues by the time I get through here.

Holly told me not to make a scene, but all I’m going to do is lay down the law. My law.

The secretary leads me down a hallway with a few other offices. There are a few chairs lined up along the wall, and Oliver is sitting in one of them with tear-streaked cheeks.

The moment Oliver sees me, he hops out of the seat and runs into my arms, burying his face against my chest.

I kneel down and hold him close, feeling his body shudder as he quietly cries. “It’s okay, buddy. You called, and I’m here, right?”

Oliver nods as he grips my jacket in his small hands. “They told me to give them my glasses. I said no and Blade pushed me.”

Seriously? Blade? The kid already sounds like a douchebag in the making.

“I’m going to talk to them, okay? They won’t ever hurt you again,” I promise him as I take hold of his arms, seeing how fogged up and tear-stained his glasses are.

Oliver’s bottom lip trembles as he nods.

I stand up and turn to the secretary. “Where are the other boys?”

The secretary doesn’t say anything, but her eyes betray her as she glances toward the closest door.

I glance through the thin window and spot three boys talking to who I can only guess is the principal. I throw open the door and step inside, making the young boys jump in fear. “You think it’s funny to make fun of someone for wearing glasses?”

The boys shrink back in their chairs as I step closer.

The principal stands up from his desk and holds his hands out, motioning for me to pause. “Mr. Riley, I understand that you’re upset, but we’ll handle this.”

“How have you been handling it? Oliver has been repeatedly put into this situation,” I say before shooting the boys a death glare. “I don’t think you’re punishing them well enough.”

“I’ve already called their parents. We will discuss punishment with them present,” the principal states, sounding as tired as he looks. He can’t even be in his fifties, but his short, black hair is already starting to become gray in some spots and defined bags hang under his eyes.

“Not good enough,” I bite out through gritted teeth. “Oliver should love school. He should feel safe here, but you and the teachers aren’t doing anything to ensure his safety and well-being! What if he hit his head when he fell? What if his glasses broke? Is that when you’re finally going to take this seriously?”

The principal sighs and lowers his hands. “I promise that they will face consequences for their actions, and we will keep a closer eye on Oliver to make sure he’s thriving here. We don’t want him to feel unsafe within these walls.”

I narrow my eyes as I stare him down, wishing I could stand here and listen in on the meeting with the other parents, but I know they won’t let me. All I can do is check in with Holly later and see if any action has been taken. If nothing has been done, they can expect me to show back up again.

“Fix this before it keeps spiraling out of control. I don’t want to get a call like this again,” I state, my glare sweeping over the boys. When they’ve turned pale, I step out into the hallway to see Oliver clinging to Alyssa’s waist. “Hey, buddy. I’m sorry.”

Alyssa rests her hand on top of Oliver’s head. “He’s being really brave.”

Oliver looks up at her and actually smiles a little.

Warmth simmers deep in my chest as I watch the brief exchange. It’s nice seeing him smile again. “Let’s get out of here. How about we grab some hot cocoa before I take you home, Ollie?”

Oliver nods as his smile brightens. He detaches from Alyssa’s side and leads us down the hallway, eager to leave. I can’t blame him.

Alyssa and I walk side by side, sharing a quick look with each other. There are questions in her eyes, and I do feel compelled to answer them since I dragged her here without any sort of explanation. Plus, she comforted Oliver while I was handling business.

She deserves to know why I completely skipped out of a meeting to come here.

Once I help Oliver into the backseat and get him buckled up securely, I shut the door and motion for Alyssa to step off to the side with me so that Oliver can’t hear us. “I’m sure all of this caught you off guard. Thank you for staying with him while I was talking to the principal.”

“You mean chewing him out?” Amusement glints in her eyes for a second before her face turns serious. “You were right to light a fire under him. They can’t just slap bullies on the wrist and expect them to behave.”

Thank you .

“He’s been bullied by this group since the start of the school year. Not many kids his age are already wearing glasses, so they tease him about it,” I explain, keeping my voice low.

Alyssa nods and chews on her bottom lip for a moment before speaking again. “Is he your…son?”

I crack a small grin and shake his head. “My nephew. My sister Holly’s kid. I mean, he’s pretty much like a son, though.”

Alyssa smiles in understanding. “Well, I’m glad he has you in his corner. I bet you scared those little punks to death.”

A smirk crosses my face. “I hope so. Trust me, they don’t want me to come back. I don’t mess around when it comes to family.”

Alyssa’s face softens a little. “Me either.”

We share a small smile with one another, and the stony walls I built around me start to crack. I’m glad she was here with me, even if this is a very personal situation. There’s no judgment in her eyes.

Only understanding.

Just how alike are we beneath the masks that we wear?