12. Will
I stood in my office, staring out of my floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring the view that sat right in front of me. My mind couldn’t help but reminisce about the time I spent with Elizabeth the other night.
For the first time, we ended a conversation on a good note, and to be honest, it did feel good. Just a few words exchanged, but talking to her in that way, I never thought I was capable of apologizing.
Letting out a sigh, I could not help but think through all the times I had acted as a jerk. That could only explain why Elizabeth saw me as arrogant, egotistical, and proud.
But was I really all those things?
I mean, I could be hard at times, but only because I wanted things to be done well.
Was I proud?
Well, I had to be, considering the amount of wealth and power I had been able to attain at such a young age. Who wouldn’t be proud?
Will! I heard my subconscious calling my name, and right at that moment, I heard a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said before turning to face the door, revealing Anthony.
“Sorry to bother you, sir, but we just got news from Mr. Charles.”
“Mr. Charles? The client I’m supposed to have a meeting with by 10:00 a.m.?”
“Yes, sir. He canceled the 10:00 a.m. meeting and asked that you and your fiancée have dinner with him tonight by 7:00 p.m., sir.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised as to why he had made a sudden change of plans. “But why?”
“Well, with the news of your engagement everywhere, there are more people now interested in you, sir.”
“I see. This is good then, isn’t it? The arrangement with Elizabeth is turning out to be a wise investment.”
“I guess you can say that, sir.”
“Hmmm . . .”
“All right, inform him that we’ll be there,” I said as I picked up my phone to text Elizabeth about our plans tonight.
After a few minutes, she replied to my text, confirming that she was available, and just for a split moment, I felt a tinge of joy and excitement at the thought of seeing her again in the evening.
I immediately reached out to my sister to help Elizabeth out with her outfit.
“Will do, sir.” With that, Anthony exited the office, leaving me again with my thoughts. A part of me was excited about having dinner tonight with Elizabeth.
***
As I parked my car in the appropriate spot, I spotted Elizabeth walking out of her apartment building, looking stunning as usual. She wore a short black sequin dress, with her hair pulled back into a nice messy bun. I felt my heart race a bit as she came close.
“Hold on! Why is my heart racing?” I asked myself as I looked at myself in the rear-view mirror, as though warning my body not to try anything funny. This thing with Elizabeth was strictly business; nothing more was allowed.
“Hi,” Elizabeth said as she opened up the door.
“Hey, umm . . . you’re early,” I stuttered a bit, which was a first.
Will! What is wrong with you? I asked myself as I held the steering wheel tighter than usual.
I took in a slow breath and let it out slowly to put myself in order.
“As always, I’m never late. So shall we?”
“Sure.”
I looked at her again before starting the car. The ride was silent but conveniently so. However, as I continued to steal glances, my tongue itched to tell her she looked beautiful. But surely, expressing such a sentiment did not imply any romantic feelings, did it? I was just simply complimenting my sister’s effort, nothing more.
“Lydia did a good job. You look good.”
“Oh, this? This was all me. Lydia is still on her shift. She could not afford to leave work, so I told her not to worry.”
“Oh wow, you . . . umm . . . you did well.”
“Well, thank you very much.”
I could see the slight blush on her cheeks as she smiled softly.
We continued with the silent ride, and in a few minutes, we reached our destination: Mr. Charles’s private home.
As we drove into the compound, I could already see Elizabeth in full awe of the sight in front of her.
To be honest, even I had a similar reaction the first time I visited him. His house was nothing like I had ever seen before; that was enough motivation for me to ensure I nailed him as my client.
“Massive, right?”
“I think ‘massive’ is an understatement. This is more than massive.”
“Well, wait till you get inside.” I chuckled as I went on to park in a familiar spot.
“Now, you see why this meeting is such a big deal! He is one of the big shots, not just in the city but in the world. Not having him as our fiercest competitor gives us an advantage. So, we need to bring our A-game tonight, Liz.”
“Wait, we?” Elizabeth asked, confused.
“Yes, we. For some reason, he asked that I bring you here with me, and that is why we’re here. That means this contract depends on both you and me.”
“Oh, wow, well, let’s hope things go well then.”
“They have to,” I affirmed before getting out of the car alongside Elizabeth, while a porter who had walked up to the car earlier led us into the main house.
I could tell Elizabeth was even more amazed by the interior of the house. But I also respected how she tried to hide it. That way, she didn’t make us look like some hungry peasants who had never tasted wealth.
I guess she is smart, after all, I thought to myself as we were guided into a dining room, which was already fully set with diverse meal choices.
“Oh, wow,” Elizabeth whispered under her breath.
Reaching the seats reserved for us, I pulled out a chair for Elizabeth before settling into mine. I knew that took her by surprise, but I needed to be the best fiancé at this point. This contract could change the status of my company forever or probably turn me into a trillion-dollar person rather than just billions. To be honest, the title of billionaire was getting boring.
“He will join you shortly, sir,” the porter said before leaving the room, and just shortly after he left, the man of the moment walked in.
“The one and only Will George!”
I stood up as soon as the seventy-plus-year-old man entered the room. “Mr. Charles! It’s always a pleasure to see you,” I said as the man hugged me as a father would hug his son.
“Same here, my boy, same here.”
“And you must be Elizabeth,” Mr. Charles said as he faced Elizabeth, taking more interest in her.
“Yes, sir, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Elizabeth said as she stood up as well, hugging him.
“Pleasure is mine. Please have your seat, and please manage this meal and my humble home.”
There was nothing humble about this house, but who was I to comment?
“You have a magnificent home, sir.”
“Oh, thank you. Your words flatter me. And please just call me Charles. I don’t like the honorifics. It just makes me feel old.”
“Well, you’re not so young now, are you?” I joked, causing the room to be filled with laughter.
“Well, I’m young at heart. Age is only a number.”
“If you say so, sir.”
“Please help yourselves. I’ve had one of my best chefs prepare this meal for us tonight.”
“Wow, thank you, sir,” Elizabeth expressed her gratitude humbly.
With a slight wave of Mr. Charles’s hand, the servers were right at our sides, each serving us a dish.
“So tell me, Elizabeth, how did Will manage to get you? I’m sure he’s a lot to handle. These men with money always think they don’t need love.”
Elizabeth busted into laughter, easing herself and the conversation as she looked at me with a smile before responding.
“Well, he is quite an arrogant one, to be honest. I’ve known him since I was young, and oh boy! I tell you, he has always been like this.”
Mr. Charles and Elizabeth erupted in laughter as they continued to converse, with me being the subject matter. Of course, I interjected once in a while, but I could tell the man was enjoying the conversation.
Oh, thank heavens. Now, all I needed was an opening to bring in talks on business.
Well, that’s what I hoped for as the conversation continued, but there wasn’t a single opening. At some point, I started to get tired of the laughter and jokes. I mean, I’m not a party pooper, but I came here to discuss business, not listen to a nonexistent romance story.
However, Mr. Charles had the final say, and if he was enjoying his conversation with Elizabeth, there was nothing I could do about it. Besides, Elizabeth seemed to know how to keep him engaged with the right words and manner. They were both engrossed in their conversation, ignoring me, the middleman.
“You know, I’m happy to know that you’re not like the rest, Will.”
His statement immediately got my attention, and I paused my meal to listen to what he had to say.
“I’m flattered, sir, but I would like to understand what you mean.”
“You know, men of your age and with your level of wealth often lose sight of what truly matters—values, family, and morals. They believe money is everything, but take it from someone who has lived far longer than you on this earth: money is not everything. Family is more important.”
I remained silent as I felt the heaviness that came from the words he uttered. The weight of each word dropped in my heart.
“I’m really glad to see you’re choosing to hold on to the things that matter.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said genuinely, as his words seemed to prick me a bit. What values did I have? Yes, I’m principled, but I’m not sure I have values.
As we rounded up our meal, I wondered if now was a good time for us to discuss business. Well, not until he surprised me by bringing it up.
“Will, once you’ve finished your meal, would you like to take a walk and continue our conversation? My assistant can show Elizabeth around in the house.” Then he turned to Elizabeth and asked, “I’m sure you’d like a tour, right?”
“I would love one! Thank you, Charles,” Elizabeth replied.
Oh, don’t be surprised. Now, they were on a first-name basis. But finally! Thank goodness, he was finally bringing up business. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?
As Charles and I walked, Elizabeth was already being led away by his assistant. Walking through his gardens in silence, I pondered whether I should initiate the conversation. However, as I watched him further, I realized it was best for him to start, and indeed, he did. However, it wasn’t the conversation I had hoped for.
“You’re a very lucky man, Will.”
“How, sir?” I asked, confused as to how and what luck had to do with the business we ought to discuss.
“Elizabeth—she is a rare gem. You should hold on to her tightly.”
The manner in which he spoke those words caused a prick in my heart.
Elizabeth?
I resisted the urge to delve into thoughts about Elizabeth. I didn’t want to get myself involved in that kind of relationship, not now and probably not ever.
“Not every woman is willing to pick values over money. She would increase you, for you have found a good thing.”
A good thing?
I felt guilty because everything with Elizabeth was a charade, yet this man was speaking such deep words.
“Thank you, sir,” I said, pushing aside thoughts of his words, even though they kept replaying in my head.
For a few minutes, he fell silent again just as I was about to bring up the topic of business.
“You have a deal with me. Send me the contract tomorrow, and I’ll sign.”
Wait what? Just like that? With no convincing? No discussion?
“Are you serious, sir?” I asked to be sure he meant business, even though the look on his face already told me what I needed to know.
“Yes, I am, and I am a man of my word, so you don’t have to worry. Just make sure you listen to my advice, Will.” He paused for a moment, placing his right hand on my left shoulder, looking at me with sincerity and complete seriousness. “Don’t lose that gem that God has given you. You have found a good thing. Don’t let it go.”
His words had a certain effect on me. They seemed to stir something within me that I had hidden and buried for so long.
“I won’t, sir. Thank you very much. You would not regret doing business with us.”
“I trust that I won’t. Come on, let’s go meet your fiancée. She must be lonely without her better half.”
I smiled at his statement, knowing well that the opposite was the case.
Upon reflection, it seemed as though Elizabeth was the sole reason he agreed to this contract. To some extent, I felt as though I was cheating him, considering that my involvement with Elizabeth was purely business.
As we walked back to the house, I spotted Elizabeth as she picked up a scented candle to her nose to smell. The expression on her face after being satisfied with the scent of the candle was so pleasing. I had not even realized I had paused in my steps as I watched her smile genuinely.
The relationship we had could have been fake, but I knew for sure that her experience and her display of emotions since we got here had been so genuine. Now, I wished she could be like that with me—happy, free, and open, just as she had been with Charles.
Taking in a deep breath, I moved in my steps with my gaze still fixed on her. “Having fun without me, I see?”
As she looked at me, I could see through her eyes that she had raised a wall. The smile was still there, but it lacked the previous warmth, and honestly, it hurt.
“Thank you very much, Charles. You have such a beautiful home,” she said.
Pushing thoughts of Elizabeth behind me, I turned to face Charles, saying, “Thank you for hosting us. Hopefully, one day, when we have the opportunity, we get to host you as well.”
“Now, I would love that, but in all sincerity, I hope the next time we meet will be at your wedding,” Mr. Charles replied.
“We hope so, too.” I smiled as I shook his hands before we left.
In a jiffy, we were back into the car, driving out of his compound. The night, despite its success, turned out totally different from what I had expected.