Sleeping With The CEO
Chapter 66: Room Wrecker

Chapter 66: Room Wrecker

One of the things that Derek loved the most about having money, was the ability to purchase what he wanted, when he wanted. That was a truth that he was willing to admit to. He was not one of those spoiled rotten people who acted like having money was a burden.

Money was a tool, a very beneficial tool provided you knew how to spend it. And just as Derek Haven knew how to make money, he also knew how to spend it.

So bright and early, that Monday morning after reminding himself of the lesson that his father had taught him many years ago...Derek spent money. A miniscule, insignificant amount as far as he was concerned. Without a care in the world, Derek thought nothing of booking a short notice flight back to the small town that he had recently come from. It was set to take off on Friday.

Were anyone to ask he would tell then that he was doing it so that he could personally check in on the workers. But in truth, Derek was doing it so that he could check himself into the run down motel where his insomnia had gone away for a few hours.

With his flight booked, Derek spent the rest of his week in quiet anticipation. Hope was an awful thing indeed, even after all of the failures that he’d had. Just having something that just might solve his sleeping problem be within reach was enough for Derek to feel lighter. He knew that he should not, that he should control himself, but he could not help it.

His relationship with possible cures for his insomnia was similar to the one that people who chased extreme weather events for a living had with the elements. Even when they knew they were risking disappointment at the least, and serious injury at the most. They still went for it. The possibility of success enough to bolster them. To keep them going long after everyone else had given up and gone home where they could be safe and warm.

Derek was the same way when it came to chasing possible solutions to his insomnia. And so with a plan in mind it took a lot of restraint on his part to hold himself back. To stay in the city and not just take his jet and head for the town.

To make sure that he was not tempted , Derek had buried himself in work. Something made easier by the fact that Emily also seemed to be in a similar mood to his. Both of them quietly anticipating something good. Barely able to hold their hope within themselves. But in addition to not focusing too much on his up coming trip, Derek was also trying his best not to think too much about Emily. Which was the cause of a lot of stress on his part since he saw her every day at work.

Something very strange was happening to him when it came to her.

Ever since they had come back from the town he just felt...well, he felt feelings whenever he saw her. Strange gooey feelings that he had no idea how to interpret. Just that Monday, she had smiled at him and Derek had felt his whole face catch fire. A strange reaction indeed, but he had chosen to put it down to appreciating her more. Afterall, the woman had stood beside him when he had been certain he was about to receive a possibly fatal beat down.

Such an act of loyalty and courage was bound to make him see her a bit different. In fact, he had almost thought of asking her to come with him( this time she would sleep in a separate room, of course) but he had quickly dismissed the idea. She had her own life to get to, and it would not have been appropriate of him to ask her that.

So most of the week, Derek’s thoughts went from his upcoming trip to why his PA suddenly seemed to glow at times( probably just the glare of the sun). But by Friday, Derek had figured out a way to go around the strange situation, and his solution was simple. All he had to do was focus back on the steps that had led to him coming up with his plan and then detail how he was going to apply them...

The one and only time that Derek had fished in his life, which also happened to be the one and only time that he had caught a fish, Derek had learned a valuable lesson, and now he was going to be applying that lesson to combat his sleeping problem. Back in the day, what he had done to solve his fish not biting problem, had been to follow a few steps.

Number one had been to stop fiddling about.

Number two had been a reminder to stop moving around for real.

Number three had been to relax and breathe easy.

Number four had been to just let what was going to happen, happen.

Luckily this time, Derek’s plan for success was a very simple one.

Number one, book a flight back to the town...that he had already done.

Number two, take the flight.

Number three, arrive and check into the motel.

Number four, get some sweet shut-eye.

And so it was that when Friday, finally came around, at five on the dot, Derek did something that he rarely did. He left the office early, which was to say he left on time.

Walking up ahead of him was his PA. She was practically sprinting, given the speed with which she was walking. It made Derek want to laugh at her childishness, but it also made him envious.

Clearly she was excited to get to wherever she was going. He was excited to be on his way too. Bit unlike her he could not run. He walked with slow, purposeful strides, a walk of power. And when he got into his car and drove himself to the airport, he did so slowly. He got to there just in time and was able to catch his flight without any trouble.

And just as he had done on his first flight there, he worked to pass the time. When the flight landed, the same driver from before came to pick him up and take him to the solar panel plant.

The meeting with workers this time was brief, and had more smiles than the last one. His reason for being there finally established, Derek said his goodbyes and made his way to the rundown motel that they had slept in the first time around.

It was just as creepy as Derek remembered, the only shocking thing was that the old man was still alive. He gave Derek the key he requested without a word. And soon enough Derek found himself back where it had all begun.

He showered, got dressed in his pyjamas, and doing his best to ignore all of the strange noises coming from outside, slipped beneath the covers.

Taking a deep breath, Derek closed his eyes and waited for the rest to sort itself out.

Ten minutes passed, then fifteen, then twenty...at the thirty minute mark, Derek began to prepare himself for failure. At the one hour mark, he knew that it was a real possibility. At the two hour mark, he accepted defeat and got up.

An hour later the entire room was completely trashed. And Derek was leaving, the driver having been called back to come and fetch him. His private jet on its way. At checkout he paid enough money that if he wanted, the old man could have simply bulldozed the place and started afresh.

Given the mood he was in, that was what Derek wanted to do, but it was not his place to do that. So he just grabbed his bags and headed home, waves of disappointment flowing from him.