One Man Band System

After wrapping everything up, Anthony and Sarah headed home first. Eric, Emma, Priya, Chloe, Monica, Heidi, Laura, Katie, Mike, Jade, Ruby, and Tania headed upstairs to inspect the CEO and board executive suites, as Eric hadn’t seen them yet. After checking out the spacious, comfortable, and exclusive rooms, they finally made their way to the top floor. As they opened the door,

"Whoa,"

Eric couldn’t quite believe his eyes. The sight before him looked like a two-story residence featuring a rooftop backyard setup complete with a barbecue patio, a long wooden table and chairs, a swimming pool with lounge chairs, and a gazebo built at the edge of the roof for relaxing and taking in the view below.

"Come on... you definitely haven’t seen the bathroom yet," Emma said, grabbing Eric by the hand.

Emma pulled Eric into the bathroom, and sure enough, he was left even more stunned. Inside were three distinct tubs: a single-person bathtub, a multi-person tub, and a jacuzzi.

"Holy crap... what do I need this many bathtubs for?" Eric asked, completely overwhelmed.

"For group baths, obviously! What else would they be for?" Emma replied.

Eric glanced over at Chloe, Laura, and Heidi, who clearly had very different ideas brewing in their heads compared to the rest. Looking at Mike and Jade, it was painfully obvious they wanted to try bathing in there together, while Katie adjusted her glasses, her cheeks flushing slightly even as a faint smile crossed her lips. Ruby appeared to be holding back from asking to stay there. Tania, meanwhile, kept her eyes locked on Eric as if scrutinizing his every move.

Stepping out of the bathroom, the main living area opened up into a massive space equipped with a deep, comfortable section couch that could be pulled out into a daybed for a full movie-theater experience in front of a giant TV. There was a mini-bar adjacent to a fully stocked, large kitchen, a long coffee table next to the sofa, and floors covered in luxurious plush carpeting.

"Wow... this is unbelievable," Eric muttered in awe.

"Yup... let me show you the second floor," Monica urged.

This time, she grabbed Eric by the hand, and everyone headed up using the spiral staircase. Once at the top, they arrived at an empty, boxy common area with no furniture in sight. Surrounding the space were three bedroom doors on the right, three on the left, three in the middle, and one door leading to a dedicated private study. Eric opened room after room, on average, every single bedroom was sized like a primary suite, complete with a walk-in wardrobe and an en-suite bathroom.

"Unbelievable... how much money did you drop on a renovation this massive?" Jade asked.

"Yeah, sorry, if you’re asking about the kitchen budget on that, my lips are sealed," Eric answered.

"This is... seriously incredible," Ruby muttered.

"For real, bro, you went all out on this," Mike added.

"Hmm... maybe I should just move in here. My apartment lease is almost up anyway, and it’d make commuting to the office so much easier," Katie teased, her eyes darting over to the six girls.

"Absolutely not!" Emma, Chloe, Monica, Priya, Heidi, and Laura shouted in unison.

"Hahaha... relax, I just renewed my lease yesterday," Katie replied, thoroughly entertained.

"Grrr," the six girls growled.

"Still... building all of this in just a week? I’m genuinely curious," Tania said.

"Hey... drop it, Tania," Mike warned.

"Just curious, that’s all," Tania shot back.

"Alright, come on, let me show you downstairs," Eric suggested.

Everyone headed back down to the 18th-floor meeting room, taking the private elevator—which turned out to be how they were moving between floors all along. Once everyone took a seat,

"Are you sure you want to be the CEO, Eric?" Chloe asked.

"Um... truth is, I’d rather just watch the business grow, but there’s no way I can let someone from Trinity be CEO... no offense, Mike," Eric answered.

"None taken, you’re good," Mike replied casually.

"Hmm... I see. How about appointing an interim CEO like Mr. Bryan? Though it’d have to be a shareholder," Katie chimed in.

"Who?" Eric asked. "I don’t have anyone I can trust for a position like that," Eric replied.

"Well... the important thing is to get Trinity on board first and draft the agreement. We can figure out who takes the top spot later," Monica replied.

"True, but usually whoever steps up needs to convince their side first, right?" Priya added.

"Relax, Eric can still compose songs while being CEO, so I don’t see the issue," Heidi said, leaning back.

"Right, especially since he lives upstairs now—which means he’s always at the office whenever he’s needed," Laura added.

"See, they’re right, bro," Mike said, turning to Eric.

Suddenly, "ring," Eric’s smartphone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. It was Caleb.

"Hello," Eric greeted.

"Hey Eric, Uncle Martin stopped by earlier. He said you two already talked, right?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah, he dropped off Ruby and Tania earlier. Is he at your apartment?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, said he wanted to visit Avery. He already left, though," Caleb answered.

"Hmm... I see," Eric murmured, lost in thought.

"Where are you anyway?" Caleb asked.

"My new building... Oh, by the way, do you want to be the CEO?" Eric asked casually.

The entire room went dead silent. Jade, Ruby, Mike, Katie, and the six girls all spun around to stare at Eric as if he had grown a second head. On the other end of the line, Caleb seemed like he was having a heart attack. After a moment of heavy silence,

"Hello... why’d you go quiet?" Eric asked.

"What... did you just say?" Caleb asked.

"Do you want to be the CEO or not?" Eric asked.

"Have you lost your mind, or are you just pulling my leg?" Caleb asked.

"If it’s him, I’m all for it," Jade chimed in.

"Wait... Jade is over there too?" Caleb asked, confused.

"Yup... we’re discussing a new project. Want to come over?" Eric asked.

"Hmm... sure. Mind if I bring Avery? We want to check out your building anyway," Caleb answered.

"Sweet, I’ll be waiting," Eric replied.

Hanging up the phone, Eric set it down on the table, only to realize that every single person in the room was staring right at him.

"What?" Eric asked.

"How can you just offer someone a CEO position out of nowhere like a used car salesman?" Chloe scolded.

"She’s right, you can’t just spring something like that on people out of the blue. From a legal standpoint, it could even be considered fraud if it turns out you were just shooting your mouth off, or a breach of contract if you forget to keep your promise after he takes it seriously," Katie added.

"Relax, if he’s serious, I’m serious... I didn’t say it as a joke. I just have a feeling he can pull it off. Besides, he’s always building systems, so he’s bound to be more analytical than me, right?" Eric replied.

"Hmm... good point," Mike murmured thoughtfully.

"Wow... so you’re actually planning to make Caleb the CEO?" Ruby asked.

"You... were actually being serious?" Jade asked, having initially assumed Eric was just joking around and pulling Caleb’s leg.

"Yup... I’m serious. Besides, I have no intention of living upstairs. I’m going to stick to living in the apartment," Eric said.

"Huh?" The six girls whipped their heads toward Eric at once.

"Why?" Chloe asked.

"Upstairs, we each get our own room," Laura added.

"Right, it’s not like living in a dorm anymore," Priya chimed in.

"Plus, this place is close to school, right?" Heidi asked.

"Upstairs has every amenity you could want, and you wouldn’t even need to leave the building often," Monica pointed out.

"Hmmm... okay," Emma said nonchalantly.

The other five girls instantly shot Emma daggers, completely stunned that their friend was betraying them so easily.

"Okay?" Chloe, Laura, Priya, Heidi, and Monica all blurted out.

"Well... I promised my mom I’d live with Eric. If you guys stay here while Eric stays at the apartment, then obviously I’m staying at the apartment, right?" Emma asked.

Hearing Emma’s words felt like a slap in the face for the five of them, as their situations were virtually identical to hers. They finally understood what Emma meant, wherever Eric was, that was where their home was.

"Okay... we agree then," all five echoed in unison.

"I was just kidding, though... Who wouldn’t want to live up there?" Eric teased, shrugging his shoulders with palms facing up.

"Grrrr... you’re gonna pay for that!"

Instantly, thump! the six girls sprang up and leaped onto Eric, tackling him straight to the floor. Meanwhile, Ruby smiled as she watched her older brother joke around like that. Jade, seemingly sharing the exact same thought as Ruby, smiled as well. Katie gave a warm, gentle look, her smiling face practically broadcasting, "So sweet." Mike simply shook his head with a grin, though Tania kept her serious face on, staring at Eric as if she was intensely curious about him.

Of course, none of them realized that downstairs, right across the street, a gorgeous woman was standing and staring up at Eric’s building. She was wearing sunglasses, a red button-up shirt left unbuttoned, and a pair of jeans. She was still nursing injuries, her arm was in a sling, and she relied on a walking cane since her leg was still bound in a cast. A wide grin spread across her striking face,

"Found it... So this is Eric’s building," said the woman, who turned out to be Melissa, as she pulled off her sunglasses.