AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How about tomorrow?” he said softly.
"See you then."
Chapter Six
ALEXANDER
Ella's green eyes sparkled under the dimly lit restaurant, and her enthusiasm for conversation was palpable. Throughout the night, she shared her stories and experiences with me, including her struggles with her uncle's battle with cancer. I admired her. Ella seemed so much more interested than the last few women I had dated, actually taking the time to ask genuine questions about my career ambitions and plans for the future - something even my own parents lacked curiosity about.
When our lips met, it was like a flame had been lit inside me. I felt my stress and worries drift away in that moment, replaced by an overwhelming sense of joy. Intellectually, she seemed to understand me on a level that no one else did; I felt like we had this special connection that was more than skin-deep. Her intelligence and wit further captivated me. Our conversation was stimulating - she was wickedly smart and seemed to know more than anyone that graduated from the same prestigious school I did. This piqued my interest even more.
Shawn's name lit up my screen, while out with Ella, but I couldn't let my time with her be interrupted so I waited until I was back at the hotel to return his call.
“Hey, bud, what’s going on?” I asked.
“Sitting at home," he replied. "Fixing to go out. How’d your date go?”
"It went really well," I said. "Ella looked gorgeous, and we talked for hours. I plan on seeing her again tomorrow."
"Well, that's awesome. You deserve a girl like that. From what you've told me, she seems like a keeper."
A pang of jealousy sent a chill down my spine. He better keep his paws off her. He had stolen a girl from me once.
“I sure hope so. We’ll see. She’s smart, man. I think she’s the whole package. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah, hard to find. Don’t let her go. Someone will pick her up quick.”
Shawn knew that I was very picky about who I spent my time with, and the fact that I wanted to see her again tomorrow spoke wonders.
“I just can’t understand how she’s single. It blows my mind.”
“Well, time will tell if anything is wrong with her. Usually there’s a reason a woman like that is single. Hope not though.”
I could tell that Shawn was trying to be supportive but cautious. He doesn't want me to get my heart broken. As my best friend, he would have to pick up the pieces, and we had businesses to run.
“You gonna be in town tomorrow?”
My heart had been soaring minutes earlier, but now it sank like a stone. I cursed under my breath and realized I had forgotten to ask for Ella's number. He contemplated running back to her house, but it was already too late. My heart sank knowing that leaving without telling her would cause problems, but hopefully she would forgive him.
"Ah, crap. I completely spaced. I'll leave first thing in the morning. We have that big meeting with Parker, right?"
Shawn sighed. "With him backing us, our futures would be secured."
I scrubbed the back of my neck, fighting the rising anxiety.
"I need you to be at your best for this. We can't afford to mess this up."
We had worked so hard to get us this far, and here was the final missing piece. I shook my head, trying to skip the regret for forgetting about it in the first place. "I know," I said," I'll see ya tomorrow."
Leaving without notice wasn't the best way to handle things, but I didn't have a choice. We had tirelessly been trying to get this investor to meet with us for years, and this could be our last chance. I had to go, no matter what.
My alarm went off, but I hit the snooze button a few times and quickly woke up late. I scrambled to throw my clothes and a few toiletries in my bag, running around the room making sure I hadn't forgotten anything. With no time to eat breakfast, I was desperate for a cup of coffee. I rushed to the hotel bar and filled up a paper cup to go and booked it to the airport, my hands shaking with the thought of missing my flight.
The jet roared as the engines spooled up and the crew readied the plane for takeoff. Shawn had clearly called ahead; there was no delay in their response. I took my seat, pulled out my laptop and went over my notes for the upcoming meeting; the stakes were high and I had to be prepared. I felt a mix of excitement and apprehension, but knew that my best work always came when under pressure.
I spent the entire flight rehearsing the presentation, digging out an array of graphs and slides, adding in facts and figures about the estimated returns on investment. The thought of his hard-edged questions looming in the back of my mind keptme focused, despite the turbulence and endless cups of coffee. Investment was a risk, but I had to make sure that every detail of my proposal minimized that risk and made it seem like the perfect opportunity to his money-minded gaze.
We had already decided to open five new businesses in the New Year, with plans to expand across the United States. Between the restaurants, family fun centers and luxury resorts, it was estimated that our portfolio would exceed our combined age in just a matter of months.
