Who’s the Dog Now? novel Chapter 108

“Is everything okay?”

Naomi’s heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly felt incredibly awkward.

“Well, it’s like this. I have a friend, he’s like an older brother I grew up with, and his birthday is coming up. I want to pick out a gift for him, and Patricia said you’re about the same age, so she suggested I ask you. I was wondering if you could help me brainstorm some ideas, Mr. Flores?”

Colbert’s message came back quickly.

“If he’s only a few years older, you don’t need to be so formal. You and Patricia are good friends, so you can just call me Colbert like she does.”

“As for the gift, if he’s a working professional like me, I’d suggest something that pairs well with a suit. It’s something every man our age needs.”

Colbert even sent a smiling emoji.

Naomi nodded to herself, thinking his advice was very reasonable.

“Okay, okay, thank you so much, Colbert! I have a general idea now. I hope I didn't bother you. Have a great day!”

A slight smile touched Colbert’s lips when he received her message.

He recalled the sweet-faced girl from the video call, sent a “you’re welcome” back, and put his phone down.

On the video conference, everyone was waiting for Colbert’s response.

Instead, they had just watched him pause a business meeting to reply to a few messages.

Curiosity filled their eyes.

Who could possibly be so important to Mr. Flores?

He was known for being meticulously professional, so why had he broken character today to answer messages? The person on the other end must be someone incredibly important to him, right? A girlfriend, perhaps?

Colbert replayed the brief conversation in his mind and only realized he was still in a meeting when he came back to his senses. He quickly adjusted his posture, cleared his throat, and said, “Let’s continue.”

...

Following Colbert's advice, Naomi started by researching suit accessories online.

She soon discovered that ordering luxury items like these would take time.

A colleague urged her to leave.

The studio had a healthy work-life balance; the staff valued their well-being over overtime.

It was completely different from what Naomi had expected.

Naomi loved this philosophy. She went downstairs with everyone and called a ride-share.

By the time Lennon emerged from his office, most people had already left.

“Where’s Naomi?”

Steven looked up from his computer screen. “She’s already gone.”

Lennon’s brow furrowed. He grabbed his car keys and left without another word.

Steven stared at his departing figure, muttering to himself in confusion, “He barely did anything after he got here. Did he really come all this way just to give Naomi a ride?”