Chapter 344

Chapter 344
Alexander

I stripped off my clothes, tossing them onto a chair, and changed into the pajama pants I'd brought. The clock on the nightstand read quarter past midnight. With the time difference, it was late morning in Los Angeles.
Olivia would be at work. Probably buried in Cornerstone materials, obsessing over details that most people wouldn't notice but that would make all the difference.
I grabbed my phone and settled onto the sofa, pulling up her contact. Video call felt right. Better than text, better than voice alone.
The call connected after three rings. Olivia's face filled the screen, her expression shifting from concentration to surprise.
"Hey. Wasn't expecting a video call."
"Wanted to see your face."
Her smile softened something in my chest. "That's sweet. How was your day?"
"Long. Productive." I adjusted my position on the sofa, the leather creaking beneath me. "Had the meeting with Al-Rashid Holdings this morning."
"How did it go?"
"Better than expected, actually." I rubbed my jaw, still processing the family dynamics I'd observed. "Omar is testing me. His sons are cautious but curious. Khalid's skeptical about changing anything, Rashid handles their international expansion, and Samir manages their hospitality division."
"Sounds complicated."
"It is. But interesting." I shifted topics. "What about you? How's Cornerstone coming along?"
"Overwhelming." She laughed, but there was exhaustion in it. "I've been buried in property analyses and demographic data all day. Each location has its own unique challenges."
"You're handling it."
"Am I?" She moved, and I caught a glimpse of her office behind her. Papers were scattered across her desk, and a coffee cup was abandoned. "Sometimes I'm not sure."
"I'm sure. You wouldn't have won the account if Harris didn't believe in you."
"Maybe." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "God, I miss you. Is that pathetic?"
"If it is, then I'm pathetic too." I leaned back against the cushions. "This suite feels like a museum. Too big, too empty."
"Poor Alexander, suffering in luxury."
"Mock me all you want. Doesn't change the fact that I'd rather be in our bedroom than this overpriced hotel."
Her expression turned playful. "Our bedroom? Getting possessive, are we?"
"Damn right I am."
"What are you wearing?" she asked suddenly, her voice dropping slightly.
I glanced down at my bare chest and pajama pants. "Not much. Why?"
"Just curious." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Needed a visual."
"You're trouble."
"You love it."
I did. More than I wanted to admit. "What time is it there?"
"Almost noon. I'm between meetings." She shifted again, and I noticed she'd unbuttoned the top of her blouse slightly. Probably because of the heat in her office, but my mind went elsewhere.
"You should take a break. Get some lunch."
"I will. After I finish reviewing the property demographics." She tilted her head. "Tell me more about Dubai. Have you done anything besides work?"
"Went for a walk. Ended up at this shawarma stand where the vendor gave me unsolicited life advice."
"Which was?"
"That work is important, but so is living." I smiled at the memory. "Then I wandered into a bookstore and bought something completely random."
"What book?"
"Photography book about the Scottish Highlands. Some elderly woman convinced me the photos don't do it justice."
Olivia laughed. "So you're just chatting up random strangers in Dubai now?"
"Apparently. Also bought you some things."
Her eyebrows rose. "Things?"
"A dress. Several dresses, actually. Some other pieces." I watched her reaction carefully. "They'll arrive in Los Angeles in a couple of days."
"Alex, you didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to. Saw this midnight blue dress in a window and immediately pictured you wearing it."
Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Midnight blue?"
"Like the ocean at night. Silk, elegant, sexy without trying too hard." I paused. "Perfect for you."
"You're going to spoil me."
"That's the plan." I stretched my arms overhead. "How's the team handling Cornerstone?"
"Everyone's excited. Nervous, but excited. We're building out the extended team structure. Michelle approved additional budget for designers and project managers."
"Good. You'll need the support."
"I know. Still feels surreal sometimes." She bit her lip. "This time last year, I was just a junior executive trying to make rent."
"And now you're leading the biggest rebrand in hospitality."
"No pressure."
I wanted to reach through the screen and pull her close. "You've got this, Liv. Stop doubting yourself."
"Easier said than done."
"Then let me believe enough for both of us."
She smiled, that real smile that made her eyes light up. "Deal."
We talked for another twenty minutes about nothing important. Her morning coffee disaster was when she spilled it on the kitchen island. My jet lag was making me crave breakfast at midnight. The weather differences between Los Angeles and Dubai.
Normal conversation. The kind of couples have when they're just enjoying each other's company.
"I should get back to work," she finally said, though neither of us moved to end the call. "I really do miss you."
"Two and a half weeks. Then I'm home."
"Feels like forever."
"I know." I wished I could kiss her, hold her, make this distance disappear. "But we'll make up for lost time."
"Promise?"
"Absolutely." I let my voice drop lower. "I've got plans for you. Things I've been thinking about that require privacy and several uninterrupted hours."
Her breath caught audibly. "That's not fair. You can't say things like that when I'm at work."
"Just giving you something to look forward to."
"You're evil."
"You love it."
She shook her head, but she was smiling. "Go. Before you make me completely useless for the rest of the day."
"Love you."
"Love you too."
We both paused, neither of us moving to end the call despite knowing we should.
"Okay," I finally said. "You need to hang up."
"You hang up first."
"We're not teenagers."
"Then act like an adult and end the call." Her smile was visible even through the screen.
"Fine. On three. One, two—"
We both hit the button simultaneously, the screen going dark at the exact same moment. I sat there staring at my blank phone for a few seconds, a stupid grin on my face.
Pathetic. I was absolutely pathetic.
I set the phone aside and rubbed my face, trying to refocus on work. The Al-Rashid acquisition wouldn't close itself, and I had plenty of research to review for tomorrow's meetings.
But sleep called louder than spreadsheets.
I headed to the bedroom, stripping down to boxers and collapsing onto the massive bed. The sheets were cool and expensive, the pillows perfectly fluffed.
All of it felt wrong without Olivia here.
"Two and a half weeks," I muttered to the empty room. "Get it together, Alexander Carter."
The next morning arrived with Dubai's relentless sunshine streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows. I woke disoriented, reaching for Olivia before remembering she was six thousand miles away.