Jeffrey looked confused and offered to open up a private lounge in the back of the house for him. Xavier was not listening anymore because his gaze had finally landed on the tiny table in the far corner where I was sitting.
He frowned for a second before a genuine and warm smile spread across his face as he began walking directly toward me. Jeffrey followed him with a look of pure terror while I tried to keep Parker’s juice from spilling on my lap.
“Hello, Cassidy,” Xavier said as he reached our table and looked down at the crayons and nuggets. “Good evening, Mr. Thorne,” I replied as Jeffrey stepped forward to apologize for my presence.
“Sir, I am so sorry that my sister is bothering you,” Jeffrey stammered while telling me to stand up and leave immediately. Xavier held up a hand to silence him and said that I was actually the only person he had been looking forward to seeing all night.
He pulled out a small plastic chair and sat down at the children’s table which caused a wave of shocked silence to ripple through the entire ballroom. It was a bizarre sight to see a billionaire CEO sitting next to a crying baby and a plate of half-eaten fries.
“What are we working on over here?” Xavier asked as he picked up a green crayon from the table. Parker told him we were drawing a dragon that destroys trucks and Xavier nodded solemnly as if that were the most important project in the room.
He leaned toward me and spoke loudly enough for the surrounding tables to hear every single word he said. “The draft you sent for the Tokyo keynote was brilliant, especially the section about innovation being born from silence,” he remarked.
Jeffrey looked like he was about to faint as he asked how it was possible that I had written that famous speech. Xavier laughed and told him that people at his level do not write their own material because they hire the absolute best talent available.
“Your sister is the best in the business,” Xavier added while I watched the color drain from my brother’s face. Jeffrey asked if I really worked for him and I explained that I worked for many high-profile leaders who valued my perspective.
“My schedule is booked through next year, but I always make time for Xavier because he respects the craft,” I said. Xavier nodded in agreement and told everyone within earshot that my work was worth every penny he paid.
A few executives tried to approach the table to pitch their ideas to him, but he told them he was busy coloring and they would have to email him later. They backed away in embarrassment while Jeffrey stood there looking like a broken statue.
“Shouldn’t you go back to your bride now?” Xavier asked him in a voice that was soft but incredibly sharp. Jeffrey muttered a response and hurried away while the rest of the guests watched him with newfound pity.
