Prodigal Son (Jensen Family #1) (37 page)

He kept up his routine for
six weeks before it began to take its toll. Working six days a week, partying
Friday and Saturday nights and spending most of his Sunday’s working out in the
gym left him permanently tired. Each day he found it harder to wake up and staying
awake during office hours was a mammoth task even though he now found the work
interesting thanks to Alan Satchell but as Monica kept telling him, something
had to give, she expressed her concerns for his health on a daily basis but he
would simply smile and tell her he was fine.

Returning home from the gym
the following Sunday, Monica found her son in the kitchen at his favourite
stool by the breakfast bar. He had made himself something to eat and was
glancing through his staff rotas while chasing the food around his plate with
his fork, he greeted her with a weary smile and she watched him as she peeled
potatoes. Paul began to sway in his seat, almost asleep over his plate of food.
Monica removed the plate from him, closed his diary and ignored his protests as
she told him he had done enough for the time being and he should go and take a
nap.

Within the hour, the phone
rang, Monica answered and listened to the woman on the other end speak, hanging
up, she climbed the stairs, entered her son’s darkened room and crossed to the
bed shaking Paul’s shoulder and saying his name, he didn’t stir on any of the
four occasions in which she tried to wake him and, taking note of the dark
circles under his eyes and the way his deep breathing didn’t alter, she knew further
attempts at waking him would be futile, he was utterly exhausted and in a dead
sleep, she returned downstairs, leaving her son to his dreams.

End