Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Alexander Martinez pov;

I woke up and checked the time on my phone. It's 7 already. It's late. When I looked on my other side, I saw Isabella sleeping peacefully. I smiled at her, gently pulling the covers from under her head to cover her back properly.

"Isabella?" My voice was soft enough not to wake her, but she stirred anyway and turned over in bed with a soft sigh.

"Hey," she replied, rubbing her eyes and sitting up slowly.

"Get ready, we have to leave."

I got up and limped the way to the bathroom and got shower without making water touch the elastic bandage. The wound was healing quickly but it still stung when I moved too fast or took a sharp turn, even with all the pain medication I had been given by the doctor yesterday.

While I was walking out of the bathroom, I saw Isabella sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes.

I changed into my suit and said to her, "Why are you still in bed?"

"Because it's so early" , she answered me while yawning and continued, "Where are we going today with that leg of yours? Didn't you hear what the doctor told us yesterday? He said you have to take a rest for a week. What if the strain gets worse?"

"I have a meeting today so we have to leave." Said while buttoning up my coat.

"Meeting? Today?"

"Yes."

"How will you drive a car with this leg back to Santa Rosa?"

"I informed Mateo yesterday. He'll be here at 7.30 so get ready before he arrives."

"Okay." She walked to the bathroom with the clothes I bought for her.

Outside the inn,

"Sir, why are you limping? What happened to your leg?" Mateo ran towards me and asked while I was limping my way to the car.

Isabella answered him, "He sprained his ankle."

After we got in, I said to Mateo, "First take me to the office and then drop her at the house."

Isabella, "Do you really have to go to the office today? Can't you postpone this meeting until one day when you get healed?"

"It's already a postponed meeting so I can't do that."

"What about Big brother? Can't he handle this meeting on his own?"

"Even now he's the one who's going to discuss it but I have to be there as a CEO. I can't neglect my responsibilities because of some injury."

"Some injury? You just slipped and got a sprained ankle. You must rest now but you're saying that you have a meeting to attend while being in this situation."

"Like it."

"Huh?"

I looked at her eyes and said, "I like to see when you worry for me. It feels like I'm special."

Suddenly, she hit on my shoulder and said, "Don't change the topic. Do you really have to be there?"

I gave a nod and checked the time of the meeting. It's 1 pm in the noon. There's still time.

Isabella, "Cancel the meeting. Postpone it."

I patted her head and said, "Don't worry too much. It doesn't suit you."

She gave me a stare and went back to looking outside the car.

We arrived at our destination after two hours and minutes of silence.

While I was getting out of the car, Isabella asked, "Can I tag you to your office?"

"Okay."

I know that even if I refuse, you're going to do what you want so I let it go.

She stood beside me and put my hand over her shoulder and started walking to the office.

After getting into the elevator, the door closed, I whispered, "I could hear you breathing."

"You're sick so behave like one."

I smiled and looked at her face which was facing the door of the elevator.

I took off my coat as we walked towards a door that read 'meeting room'.

"Why are you removing your coat?"

"It's stuffy."

Infront of the meeting room, before opening the door, I said to her, "I'll take it from here so you can go to the house." And walked into the meeting room.

I walked into the small room where they were gathered. All of them were sitting around a low table, all staring at something on their phones.

"Good afternoon everyone," I said. They all turned to me, each one gave a different expression while I was limping to my seat.

I walked to my table that was set up in the middle of the room, and took a seat. The people around me started talking to each other.

Mr Johnson asked, "Sir, what's wrong with your leg?"

"Proceed with the meeting." Said with a firm tone.

My eyes wandered over the large group of people who were gathered at my office. The room was small, but cosy, with two tables for meetings in the back and a couch that had been moved up near a window for when we wanted to work on something from home. As everyone was finishing their own meetings, I stood, waiting for the last of them to take their leave. As it looked like most had done so, I took the folder from Mr. Johnson, closed it, and put it on his desk before he could say anything.

"You have an appointment for 5 pm next week at 4.30 pm to discuss the latest project with JI company, Sir."

I gave a nod and glanced at the time again and it read 4.15 pm but I'd have to leave soon if I wanted to make it back by dinner. The meetings were always short, but the clients tended to be important ones that required a lot of thought before they could be dealt with so it took a longer time than I expected.

I stood from the seat and walked out of the meeting room while saying, "I'm leaving home. Schedule every meeting for next week."

"What happened to your leg, Sir?"

"I slipped and got my ankle sprained while hiking down the mountain."

"You went hiking?"

"Let's talk about this later in the house."

"Mr Martinez?" I heard Isabella's voice coming from my right side. When I took a look, she was walking towards me.

I asked, "What are you doing here? Didn't I ask you to leave?"

"How can I leave you like this?"

I gave a flick over her forehead and said, "It's just a sprain, it's not like I lost a leg."

"But because of me…"

Before she finished, I said, "Did you have lunch?"

She shook her head and stood in front of me.

"Then, let's go and have one."

Mr Johnson asked, "Wait, what's going on here? What happened between you guys? What did I miss?"

"What did I ask you to do, Mr Johnson?"

"Rescheduled the meeting for next week, Sir."

"Then, proceed with that."

Isabella said to Mr Johnson before leaving, "See ya in the evening, Big brother."

In the cafeteria of the office,

"What do you like to eat?"

"Since you're the CEO, suggest to me which food tastes good in here."

I smiled and said, "That was not Ceo's job. That's what food bloggers do."

"I meant like you're the one who's working here."

"Oh, ice cream taste good in here."

"Then i want one."

I asked the waiter to bring ice cream for Isabella and a coffee for me and whispered to bring chocolate smoothie too.

Isabella, "What did you whisper to him?"

"You will see once it arrives."

After a while, the waiter placed an ice cream and coffee and chocolate smoothie on the table.

She got excited after seeing a chocolate smoothie in front of her and said, "Wow! You serve chocolate smoothies here?"

"It was added recently since someone likes it so much."

She smiled at me and continued drinking it. After every sip, her smile on her face grew big.

"It tastes delish."

I took a tissue paper and wiped over her lips and said, "You eat like a kid."

She continued drinking the chocolate smoothie in front of her.

She asked, "Are you taking a leave for a week?"

"How did you know?"

"I heard while you're talking to Big brother."

"Yes, to heal, I have to take rest first."

"That's good."

"Isabella…"

"Huh?"

"What are you going to do now?"

"After the chocolate smoothie, I'm going to eat ice-cream."

"I mean in your life. You graduated from college. What are you going to do next?"

"You know what I'm going to do then why are you asking me?"

"Are you sure about opening a restaurant?"

"Yeah, I've already done a business plan for the restaurant along with Big brother. The next step is to look for a place to open a restaurant."

"Do you want my help to look for a place for your restaurant?"

"No, you have to take a rest. I'll take care of it."

After I finished my coffee, I asked, "Can you handle it on your own?"

"I'm 22, Mr Martinez." And started eating her ice cream.