Chapter 9 – The Old Man is a Menace

****Joe’s POV****

I was buried under a mountain of paperwork. Files stacked like mini skyscrapers around my desk, contracts, invoices, reports… the usual chaos. The office smelled like coffee and cigar smoke, mostly mine from this morning. My brain, though? Not in work mode.

Not that I was complaining too loudly. There was just… something nagging at the back of my mind. Something I refused to name. Something that kept creeping in despite the mountain of work and the constant ringing of my phone.

And then the door swung open.

“Joe.”

I looked up. Not expecting anyone. Definitely not the man appeared with a smug smile at the corner of his wrinkled jaws.

“My old man.”

Don Julian leaned on his stick, smirking. That grin that meant trouble and sarcasm in equal measure.

“Not the man you were expecting, huh? Looks like you’ve forgotten who built this empire you’re sitting on.”

I smirked, leaning back. “You do the building. I do the ruling. Agreed?”

He chuckled, tapping the stick on the floor like a metronome. “Brat, what have you been up to? Still playing the king, I see.”

I waved him in. “Sit. Don’t just stand there.”

He did, slowly, surveying the office like it belonged to him too. His eyes fell on the papers, the chairs, the little tchotchkes I didn’t remember putting there.

“Hah, paperwork and stress. Typical. But let’s get real, shall we?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Kids.”

I laughed, even though I didn’t really. “Kids?”

He leaned back in the chair across from me, arms folded. “Saw some at the school you sponsor. Two little rascals. They looked like you. Twins, I’d bet my last cigar.”

I rolled my eyes. “Twins? Don, you’re imagining things. I’ve got enough to deal with without worrying about kids I don’t even have.”

He leaned forward, smirking. “Are you sure about that? Maybe you’ve impregnated a woman somewhere. Stranger things have happened.”

I leaned back, pretending to laugh. “Don, I trust myself. That’s… it’s probably just a coincidence.”

He slapped the desk. “Coincidence, huh? Sure, sure. But if they exist… they’d have your charm. And probably your attitude too. Little troublemakers, just like their father.”

I shook my head. “Don, I’m busy. Don’t start with this. I can’t be babysitting hypothetical kids.”

He chuckled, standing. “Alright, brat, I’ll leave you to your paperwork. Don’t let me catch you slacking.”

I watched him go, still laughing to myself.

And then… for a second, I imagined it. Two little kids. Twins. Loud, messy, stubborn little things with my face. My hair, maybe my stubborn jaw. I smiled a little. Just imagining it made me feel… weirdly warm. Not that I’d ever admit it. Not to anyone.

“Yeah, I’d love them,” I muttered under my breath. “But… no. I don’t see myself loving any woman. Again.”

I went back to the paperwork, but my mind kept wandering.

And then the door opened again.

“Hi, Joe.”

Miranda.

My headache in heels.

She came in carrying a tray with snacks, looking like she planned to make me forget the world. “I brought you some treats. You must be starving.”

I didn’t look up. “I’m fine.”

She set the tray down on my desk, leaned over like she owned me, her hand brushing my shoulder. “You’re always so cold. Come on, let me warm you up.”

I rubbed my forehead. “Miranda… really? Not now.”

Her smile faltered a little, but she recovered, twirling a strand of hair. “I was thinking… maybe we could take a break. Just a little vacation. You, me… a few days away from all this madness.”

I finally glanced at her, one brow raised. “Vacation? Now? You do realize how ridiculous that sounds?”

She looked away, still smiling. “Could be fun. A little escape.”

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. “Fun, huh? You know me. I don’t have fun. You’d be bored in two hours.”

Her smile faltered, then brightened. “Fine. But one day… you’ll say yes. I know it.”

I smirked. “Maybe. Don’t hold your breath.”

She sighed, and picked up the tray. “You’re impossible.”

“Yeah,” I said, returning to the papers, “but you knew that already.”

I glanced at the tray. Chocolate, pastries, coffee. All things meant to tempt me. I rolled my eyes. “Nothing tempts me right now, Miranda.”

She leaned against the desk again, hands on her hips. “Come on, Joe. You used to enjoy this stuff.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Used to?”

“Yes. Used to. Back when you weren’t all work and no fun. Back when you actually smiled at life instead of scowling at it.”

I snorted. “Yeah, well… those days are gone.”

She leaned a little closer. “So, you’re telling me… no fun, no smiles, no vacations… nothing?”

“Exactly.”

“Hmm…” She tapped her lip, pretending to think. “Fine. I’ll take no for now. But remember… you owe me.”

I chuckled softly. “I don’t owe you a thing, Miranda.”

She shrugged, giving me that fake pout that was more cute than intimidating. “We’ll see. One day, Joe. One day, you’ll cave.”

I shook my head, trying not to think about it.

I went back to my papers, ignoring it, even though a tiny part of me wondered if it would be easier to just say yes.

The thought of kids crept back into my mind again. Twins. Little troublemakers running around the office, around my house… my life. I couldn’t see myself with anyone, not really. But little me-like versions running around? That didn’t sound so bad.

I shook my head. “Focus, Joe. You don’t do this.”

Miranda cleared her throat. “Well, I guess I’ll leave you to your work… Mr. Cold Heart.”

I smirked. “See that you do.”

She left, the door clicking shut behind her. And suddenly the office felt… empty.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. Twins. Kids. Miranda with her relentless charm. Don Julian poking at me like always.

And somewhere in the back of my mind… I realized, just for a second, that maybe I’d like the chaos. The trouble. The little things that made life messy.

I shook my head again. “Not now, Joe. Focus.”

I grabbed my coffee, taking a long sip, trying to ignore the ideas that kept creeping in. And then I chuckled.

“Imagine that,” I muttered to myself. “Joe, the man who can’t love… thinking about kids.”

The phone rang, breaking my thoughts. I ignored it. I had work to do, power to maintain, control to keep. Kids, vacations, fun… that was all for someone else. Not me.

And yet… I couldn’t stop thinking about it.