Seduced By The Boss Brothers

Frank

I woke up to the alarm Monday morning, rolling over as I sighed. I had to pull out my suit and go into the office to learn the ropes today.

I'd been there as a kid and seen some of the operations, but it was mine now, as well as Mark's. I knew that we'd both been out this weekend, drinking and working the stress out of our systems but I felt guilty every moment. I knew that I needed to take care of Mom and Annabella, since our family happened to be small. There were a lot of friends and business partners offering help, making me feel the wonder of how many lives Dad had touched.

I heard the alarm blaring through the room again and pushed the button to shut it off as I ran my hands through my hair.

Once I was showered and partly dressed, I walked downstairs with my tie and jacket to get some coffee. Mark was already there and we exchanged a long look as he poured me a cup. He was dressed in similar black pants and a crisp white shirt and I sipped the hot liquid gratefully. "Ready for this?"

His voice was gruff from sleep and I nodded as Mom walked into the room, admiring us both as she gave us each a tight hug.

"You boys look so handsome. Just like your father," she sniffled a bit with those words, making slow work of preparing her coffee as we allowed her some privacy. "I think you'll love everyone there. They are kind and welcoming because Dad wouldn't have it any other way."

We talked for a bit, eating some toast before we got into the Range Rover to head over to the office. L&P stood for Louis and Patif, the last names of my father and his best friend. They started the company together, but eventually Jim moved onto something different. I looked at the tall building as we pulled into the garage, feeling my heart palpitating in my chest.

We got inside and went to the tenth floor, where the business took up the entire space. We greeted the receptionist, who gave us a sad smile before she directed us to the conference room in the right corner of the floor. I glanced around at all the offices along with Mark and saw how many employees were busy with work in the generous spaces that offered beautiful views. Dad wanted nothing but the best for working conditions and I could see the expense of it all as I took a close look around.

The conference room was large and there was already some fruit and pastries on the table. We looked at a man sitting wit

h a folder, who glanced up at us and stood immediately. "The Louis boys. I have heard so much about you." He shook our hands and gave us a sympathetic look. "Again, I am so sorry for your loss but we are going to make this as smooth a transition as possible. Your dad ran a tight ship and we are all here to help you keep that aspect of this company. He was also so generous to all of us and the average career here is twelve years and going strong."

I looked at Mark, all too aware that we never worked a job for a couple of weeks much less years. He showed us to the spacious break room that offered all the amenities and we made some fresh coffee in the machine before following him back to the conference room. Mark and I took seats and watched as the room filled with a total of ten people, all shaking our hands and extending their condolences before we got to business.

Dad had an impressive staff of three managers that handled the company, all intelligent and business savvy men. They went over the basics with us, assuring us that there would be a more private meeting many times to come. We spoke with a representative from customer service, a manager, who explained that process to us. I already knew that L&P was one of the best shipping companies due to their stellar customer service and now I saw the reasons why. She was professional and comfortable with her position, not to mention gorgeous.