Chapter 89

89 The Way He Likes It

“Essentially, it’s not really what people would consider coffee. It’s basically, coffee mixed with a lot of whole milk and a lot of sugar. The key thing is to make it as sweet and creamy as possible so that it sort of tastes like coffee ice cream. You know, the coffee ice cream that even little kids could enjoy because it’s just so sweet...” I explained as I brought out the ingredients that I had used earlier.

Kenneth watched me as I made black coffee from the machine before pouring in whole milk and mixing in loads of sugar. I turned to smile at him only to find that he had a ghastly expression on his face. It was like he didn’t want to believe the thing that he was seeing.

“Are you serious? I never knew that he liked his coffee like this...” Kenneth exclaimed before trailing off.

“It’s not common, I guess. It’s so sweet and milky that it’s not really like coffee anymore. Would you like a taste?” I offered followed by a giggle.

Kenneth seemed surprised for a bit but then his expression softened, and he nodded before taking the cup from my hand. I wasn’t trying to be mean, but I was curious to see Kenneth’s reaction from drinking coffee the way that Brandon liked it. I watched as Kenneth took a sip from the cup and then his eyes immediately widened. In the next moment, he started sputtering on his coffee before coughing quite loudly. He stroked a hand on his chest as he tried to calm himself.

“Is it that bad?” I asked, unable to keep in my laughs although Kenneth seemed to be suffering a little.

“Well, its...not ordinary...I guess...” Kenneth mumbled as he stared at the content in the cup.

“Don’t worry. No one should be drinking stuff like this besides Brandon,” I said before smiling at him reassuringly.

...

.....

When we made our way back from the pantry to Brandon’s office, we found him collapsed face down on his table. Kenneth was shocked and ran in immediately to check whether or not Brandon was still alive. I was more relaxed about it since it was a sight that I was used to. I knew that he didn’t die or anything like that. He just passed out from over work, which I guess may still be a big deal.

“He probably just fell asleep,” I said calmly.

“Really? I was so shocked. I thought he had a heart attack or something...” Kenneth said as he wiped sweat from his brows.

He seemed truly shocked, and I wondered if this was his first time seeing Brandon like this. For me, it wasn’t something new. This happened quite a lot when he was working hard to start this company. I honestly still think that what he did and managed to pull off was extremely impressive.

“Maybe we should take him back home,” Kenneth suggested.

“Umm...ok...” I mumbled as I was forced to go along.

I didn’t even know where Brandon lived right now. I always met him here at the office and I realized that I didn’t know much about him and his personal life anymore.

“I’ll drive you two there. Thank heavens you are here with him today, Miss Elena. I wouldn’t know what to do without you, seriously. Please help take care of Mr. Brandon until he feels better. Also, please don’t tell anyone about this, it could affect the stock price if news or rumors leak out,” Kenneth warned sternly.

“Right. Of course...” I murmured in reply.

...

Kenneth and few bodyguards did the perfect job of transporting Brandon to the car. Kenneth gestured for me to sit in the backseat, and I obediently followed his instruction. Brandon was placed in the car next to me. The moment, the car started moving, Brandon lay down with his head landing on my lap.

I peered at his sleeping face before I shook my head slightly to myself. I couldn’t believe that he’s still sleeping with all that’s going on. Brandon slept like the dead with his head pillowed on my lap without stirring all the way until we arrived at his place.

The car parked in front of one of the most prestigious high-rise condominiums in the city center. It didn’t surprise me that someone like Brandon would live in a place like this. Guessing that it was probably best to act like I’ve been here before as to not blow our covers, I started going with the flow as I followed Kenneth and the others inside the building. The bodyguards support a sleeping Brandon and we entered a private elevator that only led to the one floor: the highest floor in the building.

Great, Brandon lives in a penthouse. No surprises there.

The elevator opened and there a well decorated entry way that led to a very large living room with a magnificent view of the city. The view was truly breathtaking and so was the fact that there was only one unit on this entire floor which meant that Brandon owned the entire floor. Sweet. This was truly like Brandon. This wasn’t a blunt display of his wealth alone but also a clear display of his anti-social self. Brandon hated living with other people which made the years we spent together in that small and regular apartment a very weird part in his life’s history.

“Maybe you guys can put him in bed. I’m sure that he needs the rest and it’ll be a while before he wakes up,” I suggested before smiling politely at the bodyguards.

“Yes, right away,” one of the guards replied politely before supporting Brandon’s body in the direction of his bedroom.

I followed close behind to make sure that Brandon would get to his bed safely. After they placed Brandon into bed and helped remove his shoes, I thanked them.

“We’ll head back then. Have a restful day. I hope Mr. Brandon gets a chance to catch up on his sleep,” Kenneth said as he nodded at me.

“Of course. I’ll be here with him, so you don’t need to worry,” I replied kindly.

–To be continued...