Jake sat in the cockpit of the Audi R8, the engine idling in a low, rhythmic growl as he waited to pick up Catharine. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out; the screen lit up with Aliya's name.
"Hey, big shot," Aliya's voice came through, sounding strained, the background noise of Gaborone traffic audible on her end. "Mom's birthday is next week. Have you even looked at the cruise itineraries I sent? We need to book the flights today if we're going to get the whole family together."
Jake rubbed the bridge of his nose, his eyes scanning the professional crowd exiting the nearby office blocks. Between the Golden Investments restructuring and the vultures circling the Meridian Group, a ten-day Mediterranean cruise felt like a lifetime away.
"Scrap the cruise," Jake said firmly. "I can't be off the grid for that long right now. Things are... moving fast."
There was a pause. "Jake, it's Mom's fiftieth."
