SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

My phone pings inside my bag. It's from Julie, her usual dancing sticker. I reply with one of my best stickers, sticking out a tongue, then I push back the phone into my bag as I look around the restaurant. There's a queue of people waiting to buy coffee. I was in that queue five minutes ago, drained my first cup of coffee and now I'm tempted to step into line for a second one. I need it to stay pumped with all the meetings I have lined up today, both physical and online meetings.

I have always thought of hiring an assistant, but I have never gone through with it. Without knowing it, Philip had actually filled in for that role in the past and now that he's no more. Not like he's dead, just never going to work with me anymore— I now appreciate the things he did, but no regrets. I don't know if Julie would like to take up the offer. I don't trust strangers to handle my personal business effectively. The agent I'm here to meet is not yet here, and a cloud of doubt is beg