The CEO's Secret✔️

14: The Discovery

It didn't take long for Katie to get ready for bed, she was exhausted. She had a quick snack and then got everything ready for work in the morning. Her bed welcomed her tired and aching body, it didn't take long for her eyes to feel heavy and for her to drift off to sleep.

The noise of her phone on the bedside table ringing loudly woke her up. She looked around the room, not ready to get up yet. Once she picked her phone up she was surprised to find that Colin was calling her and it was three in the morning.

"Colin?" She croaked out, thinking there must be some mistake, until she heard him answering and the state he sounded like he was in.

"Katie, Kate. Thank god you answered." His words were slurred and he began mumbling something else that she could not understand.

"What the hell Colin? Are you drunk?" she didn't want to sound like a scolding mother but it was late- or early depending on how you looked at it and she needed all the sleep she could get for work the next day.

"I'm sorry. S-so sorry. I-I just..." he took a deep breath, one that Katie couldn't tell was to try and stop himself from vomiting on the street. "I don't know where I am. What should I do?" his voice was breathless and she could really tell then by his voice how drunk he must have been. She heard car horns go off loudly in the background that made her wince.

"Are you in the middle of the street?" she didn't want to panic but that was exactly what it had sounded like.

"Maybe." he said as he stumbled around on his own, trying to find something to hold on to.

"Colin for christ's sake." She pinched the bridge of her nose then, already feeling herself wake up.

"I don't know where I am." He repeated again.

"Well first of all get the hell off the street. Go to the sidewalk and try to hail a taxi okay?" Katie spoke slowly as if talking to a child, trying desperately to will it to understand.

"Okay okay." He stuttered. There was silence for a moment or two before he said "I'm here but there's no taxis- Oh wait!" he sounded excited then.

"Do you know your exact address?" she hoped the answer would be yes but sadly she was met by more silence. "Colin-" she sighed.

"I know it, I know it. It's um... um it's-"

"I'll take that as a no then." She said monotonously. He could sense somehow despite his drunken state a hint of annoyance in her voice which led him to apologise again and again. She took a minute to think before giving him more instructions. "Colin I need you to hail down a taxi and put me on loudspeaker okay?"

"Okay. I got it." He said but Katie wasn't entirely convinced until she heard a car door open and close. "I'm in the taxi now Kate."

She spoke over the phone to the taxi driver and told him her address. She felt this was the best solution to the problem. Katie would help Colin inside from the taxi and let him sleep on her couch before work tomorrow.

It took a lot of strength to help him up the stairs of her apartment building and by that time he seemed to have gotten worse. His speech was difficult to understand and he mumbled to himself under his breath.

"God damn it Colin." Katie shook her head at the sight of him once she shut her front door. But Colin did not understand, he was too drunk and the only thing she could make out was his apologies that were of no help to her. She helped him take off his jacket and then to the sofa where he lay down, thanking her every step of the way.

"Here, use these for tonight." She spread out blankets on top of him before he tugged at her hand so that she would come closer to him.

"Thank you Katie. You're the best."