The 3 Month Plan

Fire

My fingers tap nervously against my thigh. Four days ago, Rocky flew to the US for a business trip. Now...now I'm waiting at the airport to surprise him. It's his birthday tomorrow. I know his friends and business partners have a party planned at his penthouse loft. So I'm planning on showing up to the party, the exact party he has no idea about.

I'll be late considering my flight was delayed but I will still be there which is all that matters. Having this planned and coordinated with his friends was impossible but I think Rocky will be happy.

Pulling my luggage up and coming to a stand, I watch as we silently move towards the plane. My palms begin to sweat and I wipe my hands on my jeans to calm myself.

I should've taken Rocky's private plane to avoid delays but deep down I know that that would have informed him I was coming and I wouldn't have wanted to ruin the surprise.

I hand my ticket over to the air hostess who points me to the left of the plane where the first class passengers are seated.

—————————
*Rocky's Perspective*

My eyes scan everyone at the table. Some are nervous, others are looking down but no one dares to look me in the eyes. I know I'm intimidating but I didn't climb the ladder with a soft expression and an open heart. You need to let people know you're boss in order to be treated like one.

I watch as Nathan Wilkinson signs the document officially sealing the business deal. He closes the folder, hands it to my assistant and shakes my hand. "Pleasure doing business with you," he says before standing and stopping short at the door. He does a quick scan of the meeting room before turning back to face me. "We should organise a celebration to mark the start of something great."

I nod. "Leave that to me," I say as I watch him exit the meeting room.

I grab the folder in front of me and hand it to my assistant. "Give this to my lawyer and tell him to call me once he is done."

I walk out of the meeting room and into my office, my mind spinning with thoughts of Sky. I never thought I would be one of those husbands, the kind that cannot get his wife out of his head. It's almost like my life revolves around Sky now and I don't like the idea that I left her behind in Australia. Even though I've upped the security, if she isn't with me, she just isn't safe.

My eyes go to the clock and then I sigh.

Today is my birthday and even though I was never one for birthdays, I still want Sky close, I still want a text wishing me. I stare down at the phone for a minute too long, the blank screen making me obviously angry.

"Sir," a voice echoes by the front of my office door. I snap my head up from my desk to see Ian watching me.

"What is it?"

"Umm," he says nervously tapping his foot on the ground.

"Spit it out, Ian," I say. "I don't have all day."

"Your penthouse has caught on fire."

My head snaps up and I watch him carefully. "How bad is it?" I say having already lifted up from my chair, grabbing my keys and phone, and making my way out the door.

He shakes his head. "I don't know," he says frantically. "But it can't be good."

I feel like I should be concerned but I'm not. Not as I thought I'd be, my mind still on Sky. Tension builds on how she might be. I shouldn't have left her there alone. Sky is all for celebrations and the likes. It's not like her at all to not wish me and that makes me concerned...that something bad might've happened.

"Fire brigade?" I question.

He nods. "Already there."

"How did you find out?" I say going down the stairs and avoiding the elevator.

"The security team called me," Ian says following behind me.

Nodding, I exit the office through the office carpark and get into my car. I don't speed, I don't panic, I just drive. It's just a property I tell myself, everything can be replaced. The only thing that I cherish is the watch Sky gave me as an early birthday gift knowing she was going to be in Australia for my birthday.

I grip the steering wheel and slam my hand hard against the wheel in frustration.

Then I stop and the tension I'm holding escapes. I stop the car by the side of the road and pull my phone out. No notification from the security company, or fire safety. Surely this fire isn't as bad as Ian made it out to be.

I call Sky. It rings. Once. Twice. A third time. No answer and then it goes to voicemail. I try again and get the same response. My throat tightens but I try not to think about it. She's okay. She has to be. She's probably in the shower or something.

Before I start the car again, I text one of the security guards out the front of the house then I enter the road again and head toward the penthouse. It doesn't take long to get a response back and the automated system in the car tells me that Sky is perfectly fine. That calms my nerves.

The longer I drive, the more I think about Sky, my birthday and the penthouse. My thoughts are jumbled and in reality, I just want to be on a plane on my way back home. I however have a few things I need to complete before I can go back.

My fingers curl around the steering wheel as I apply pressure on the accelerator beneath my foot. The car's speed picks up and before I know it, I'm rushing. Rushing to get to the penthouse, rushing to see how bad it is because I know Sky would be disappointed that I would be this relaxed. I can almost hear her voice in my head telling me that I worked so hard for this and shouldn't throw it away.

When I get to the building, the security let me in. As I pull up to the underground carport, my eyes scan the twentieth floor where my penthouse is. There is no smoke or fire and the lights are out, something I never do.

I park my car and watch the security guard seated by the entrance. "Has something happened to the twentieth floor?"

He watches me in confusion before shaking his head. "No."

"No fire or smoke?"

He shakes his head again. "Not that I have heard of," he says. "And the building would have been evacuated if something had happened."

I nod walking past him and into the foyer before pressing at the lift button. If there is a fire, I should really take the stairs. I don't do that though. I wait as the elevator doors open and I get in.