Anything serious

     The day had gone execption well for Xy. After his meeting, he had closed a few deals on the new product launch, lining up vendors that wanted to sell his latest pet accessories. Over the years, he had learned that there was very little that dog owners wouldn't do for their furry children, and when new lines were designed, he often thought the possibilities were endless.

     Initially, Xy's company focused on catering to smaller breeds of dogs, since their owners had the tendency to buy more costumes and accessories. What he had learned was that large dog owners also wanted to accessorize their pups, they just didn't know how.

    The new line for larger breeds was projected to increase sales dramatically, and Xy was excited to see what new opportunities it would lead them to.

    Sitting at his fine mahogany desk, he typed out the last of the emails, thanking those who attended the meeting. As he said in the email, it was an exciting time and he was grateful to have all of their ears and eyes dedicated to a project that had been years in the making.

 

      It was only a matter of time before the market research alerted his research team of other gaps in the market place, and he looked forward to dominating every field he could get in. Xy wanted to be the face of pet accessories, regardless of the animal or breed.

    Dogs were only the beginning, and the more opportunities he identified to grow the company, the more excited and aggressive he became. Clients were already sending their suggestions and requests, which was always a good sign.

    When someone didn't like a design, there wasn't much you could do to change their mind. But alterations meant that there was a way to change the product into something that would be more useful or beneficial.

    Scrolling through the emails, Xyrus read every word of feedback, always dedicated to learning as much as he could about his products, and providing the best customer service. He enjoyed being a personal CEO, a rarity in any industry.

     

     Truthfully, he worried that his success would change him. It was important that he remain the same ambitious kid just looking to create a useful product. It was that drive and ambition that motivated him to keep pushing, to continue setting and reaching new goals.

     Most people would be satisfied with the incredible level of success he had achieved, but not him. Those things didn't matter to him. It wasn't about having the biggest house, or the newest car, but instead he wanted to be the best in the business.

      Competition was fierce in the pet industry, so he could never take his foot off the pedal, or his eye off the road. New developments were constant, so he always tried to stay ahead of the curve, keeping the smartest people around him.

      As if on que, Akira appeared in the doorway of Xy's office, slowly knocking on his door three times as she nervously looked across the room at the boss who was more like a friend.

"Come on in, superstar," Xyrus called out to one of his oldest friends.

      It had been Akira's idea to branch out to larger breeds, so he liked to give her the credit. Her paycheck reflected how valuable she was to the company, but in many ways Xy felt he could never repay his assistant for all that she did.

     Watching her closely, he wondered what was bothering her. Akira was so easy to read, always wearing her heart on her sleeve. Xy assumed she must still be worried about how late he had been to the meeting, so he prepared himself to read her the great feedback he had received, hoping to put her worries to bed.

"I just wanted to talk a little," Akira explained, settling into the leather loveseat across from his desk.

    Her short and stout frame fit comfortably in the expensive furniture as she crossed her ankles while rubbing her fingers together.

Whatever it was she wanted to talk about was seriously bothering her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, cutting to the chase.

He hated to see her so stressed out, although it seemed everything caused Akira to freak out with concern.

"It's your schedule," she began, and Xyrus felt a lump ease in his throat, glad it wasn't about the meeting.

"What about my schedule?" He wondered what was up, trying to remember what meeting could be worrying her. She usually got uneasy about competitor meetings, but because there weren't any scheduled for weeks, he knew that wasn't the problem.

"You're here too much!" she exclaimed, her tone suggesting it should have been an obvious concern.

    Xy knew that people thought he was too involved in the business. Most CEOs did more supervision than actual execution, but he was the opposite. The way he saw it, anyone could watch after other employees to make sure they did what they were instructed. 

    What set them apart was his passion and commitment to creating the best products on the market, using environmentally sustainable materials with the least negative impact. His charisma and easy-going personality helped put investors at ease, while pushing the company to the top of every metric in the industry.

"You want me to take a vacation?" He finally answered, his tone laced with amusement.

"Not necessarily," she began, an uncomfortable smile on her face.

"Don't make this like pulling teeth, Akira. Just tell me what you're thinking," he shrugged,hoping to ease her worries. She was tiptoeing around whatever issue she had and he wanted to just get it over with.

"You don't have any personal life!" She yelled the response so loudly, Xy flinched.

"First of all, I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. I do have a personal life. You should know, you keep the schedule," he joked. 

     He knew he didn't make much time for anything outside of work. It was his way of closing off the world, focusing on the one constant in his life. Every couple of months, Akira would voice her concerns about his lack of friends or female companions, and he would entertain her for the sake of their friendship.

"You're right. I do keep the schedule, and that's how I know you don't do anything unless it has to do with this company," she continued, uncrossing her ankles so she could lean closer to Xyrus's desk. "You haven't been in a relationship for four years."

    Akira had said much more than the words that left her lips. Xyrus knew what she really wanted to discuss-the elephant in the room that was his last relationship. He'd discussed marriage and buying a house with his ex-girlfriend before she blindsided him, leaving without so much as an explanation.

    When she first left, he was devastated, trying to figure out what he could have done differently. In the end, Xy had come to the conclusion that they just weren't meant to be. She had done him a favor, because it would have been much more difficult to walk away if they had legally tied themselves to each other.

"I've gone on plenty of dates since then, Akira," he argued. 

"Yeah, but none of them have led to anything serious," she shot back.

    He knew it was the truth, but what he didn't want to say was that he didn't want them to lead to anything serious. He was over his ex, but he didn't care to replace her. Truth be told, he didn't want anyone interrupting his work schedule.

    But now, with the business taking off in such a major way, he knew there would be another opportunity to take a step back and allow his team to do what he paid them so much for.

"I don't need anything serious, Akira," Xyrus reasoned, stepping around his desk on his way to the dry bar at the back corner of his office.

Lifting the bottle of whiskey in the air, he silently asked if she would like a glass, to which Akira bashfully nodded. He poured the amber liquid into two glass tumblers before walking back to her, handing her a glass, and settling into the leather loveseat across from her.

    "You can't become one of those business tycoons who does nothing but work," she rolled her eyes before taking a swig from her glass. 

"Is that what you're worried about?" Xy laughed, taking a gulp of whiskey.

"Yes. I'm determined to keep you from dying alone, so please accept my help," she jokingly pleaded.

"And exactly what help would that be?" he asked sarcastically, already sure of what his oldest friend wanted from him.

"Let me set you up," she smiled, finally to her selling point.

    Akira loved setting him up, and her failure to find someone he was compatible with never seemed to dampen her enthusiasm. Some people had the skill to play match maker, but she wasn't one of them.

"Don't you remember the last person you hooked me up with?" Xyrus laughed, recalling the disastrous date he'd had a few months back.

    Determined to get him out of the house, or the office, actually, Akira had set him up with a model she met at one of the product shoots. The woman was drop dead gorgeous, so he couldn't be upset with Akira for the introduction, but in the end, there were just no sparks between the two. None whatsoever.

    At one point, the woman literally asked him how much he was worth, and he knew things between them would never amount to anything. Their date was torturous, and he had promised himself he wouldn't go on another one of Akira's forced interactions again.

    "Okay, so she was a bad choice,"Akira conceded, wincing as she recalled how badly the date had gone.

"You think?"

"All I'm saying is be open to the idea of meeting someone," she argued, taking the last sip of her drink as she stood from her chair.

"Will do," he smiled in response.

"Is there anything else you need? I'm about to head out," she announced.

"I don't think you'll be of too much use anyway, considering how quickly you've downed that whiskey," He smirked.

"Oh please. You're looking at the Bonifacio Global drinking champ. One glass of whiskey barely registers with me," Akira proclaimed, pushing her shoulders back proudly as she reminded him of her title from their college dorm room years.

"Have a good evening, Aki!" He called out to her and she waved her hand in response, making her way out of the office.

"Don't stay too late, boss."

     He chuckled to himself as he watched Akira pack up her things and leave for the day. As the laughter wore off, he wondered if she had a point. It had been years since he'd been in an actual relationship, but Xy liked to think it was just because he hadn't met the right person.

    No one had caught his attention, at least not until recently. The memories of the pretty barista were still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't deny the curiosity that tickled the back of his neck. There was something different about her, something to be discovered.

    Xyrus was unsure if she would be interesting enough to hold his attention for long, but the concern from his assistant was enough for him to consider giving it a shot. A night out couldn't hurt, and he would get to know more about the mystery woman.

     Ignoring Akira's advice, Xyrus stayed late, working well into the night to prepare for the following day. When he finally rose from his desk, he was the last person on the floor. Suddenly, Akira's claims appeared to be more valid than he'd initially imagined. 

     He did work too much, hardly ever making time for anything that wasn't work related. The last thing he wanted was to become a boring business tycoon with nothing to talk about but sales projections. As he made his way out to his waiting Range Rover, he wondered if the barista from the bakery could provide the balance he was missing.