A Perfect Fit

32

Jackson

Today marks exactly three months since Isabelle and I have been officially dating.

With every second and every moment I'm with Bella, it feels as though nothing else in the world matters. I want to hold onto that feeling forever, and most importantly, I want to be the perfect boyfriend for her.

For our anniversary, I've planned a dinner at a fancy Turkish restaurant and then a little surprise getaway to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Bella's been working so hard on her upcoming fashion show—which is now only one month away—and I want to make sure that she has also some time to relax and recharge before the final push.

Tonight, everything is going to be perfect. Nothing can go wrong.

But before then, I have to finish getting ready for a meeting with an important client later this afternoon.

At that moment, Aaron appears at my door holding a container of grapes.

"Hey," I greet.

He takes a grape and pops it into his mouth. "Hey Mr. CEO, want to have lunch together?"

"Can't, sorry." I shake my head and gesture to the large pile of paperwork in front of me. "I have to finish going through these files before this afternoon."

"That's a shame," he playfully replies. "I was going to grab pizza with a few others."

"Maybe tomorrow," I smile. "These papers unfortunately aren't giving me a break. But enjoy your lunch."

I bury my head back in my paperwork and try to focus on what I'm supposed to be doing. Yet it all feels like a chore, and the only thing that's keeping my sanity right now is the fact that I'm going to be seeing my girlfriend tonight.

I thought I would have seamlessly transitioned into the CEO role by now, but most of the time, I still feel like I'm some kind of imposter here—as silly as it sounds.

Without saying anything, Aaron remains standing at the door, and I can sense him studying me carefully as if he's deep in thought.

"Do I have something on my face?" I ask, glancing up from my paperwork.

He shakes his head. "Are you okay? You look a little...miserable. No offense."

"I'm fine," I assure him. "It's just the stress of work."

"Alrighty," he shrugs. "See you later in the afternoon, then."

"Yeah, see you," I reply.

When Aaron leaves, I focus my attention back on work for the next little while and run through my notes for the client meeting again.

At one point, the phone in my office rings. "Mr. Carter, your mom is here," my receptionist, Donna, informs me. "Shall I buzz her up?"

Surprise flashes through my body—Mom never told me that she'd planned on visiting New York so soon after her last trip during Christmas. "Yes, of course, thanks Donna."

Not knowing what to expect, I wait patiently for my mom to arrive and when she appears at my office door, there's a hesitant smile on her face.

"Hey Mom, what are you doing here?" I gently ask. "Is everything okay?"

"Jackson, I..." Her voice trails off and she takes a deep breath. "I...uh...just thought I'd pay you a surprise visit."

I cock a brow, not knowing what to make of her words. But before I can reply, another figure walks through the door.