"Fancy seeing you here, Mr. Suarez." The youthful-looking woman sat before Denzel. She was clad in black with her legs crossed, her lipstick bold and her gaze sharp. It was almost as if her mysterious and evil plan was working like puppets following their puppet masters.
"Yes, thank you for your time, Ms. Mendoza. I assure you that your time won't be wasted." His tone was very formal and serious.
She laughed. " Oh, let's cut the chase. I heard that my daughter offered to be your underling in exchange for a partnership. I suppose that's the reason for your presence?"
She was right, and it gave a not-so-good feeling; her words just gave an unsettling vibe. It was as if she already knew what the sequences of events were. Denzel agreed toy her statement, expressing his thoughts and agreements with her. During his turn, he observed the woman; the way she looked at him was uncomfortable. It wasn't seductive, it was just... creepy. Even the way Sharmaine stood was very scripted. It was obvious that she wasn't trained for long.
In the end, no other words came out of the president's mouth but, "Do you agree with his wishes, my dear daughter?"
Even the way she said 'my dear daughter' was weird. There was not warmth and familiarity at all. It was as if she wasn't hers, though his thoughts could be just wrong. In the midst of intense silence and eye contacts, Sharmaine nodded with a poker-face. At the party she seemed interested, however, the Sharmaine he saw was robot-like—like her movements were programmed by the peculiar scientists beside her.
"Well, any more request?" she asked, but Denzel shook his head. His conditions were good enough and was suited to his liking, though it was weird that the other party did not have any other conditions beside the mandatory partnership.
"Well then, Sharmaine dear, please escort the gentleman outside. If you like, you can show him around." Her voice was suddenly sultry.
"Yes, mother." She precisely escorted Denzel out without batting any eye nor freeing any words. She was just silent. When the glass door closed, she suddenly breathed out obnoxiously.
"That tension was too thick, I tell you."
"Yes, it was." A very surprising scene was just witnessed, one that could immediately be funny if done correctly. She never failed to amaze Denzel once again; her actions were just simple yet every move of hers feels majestic in a way.
He smiled warmly. "Welcome to the team, Ms. Mendoza." He reached out his hand toward her, stiffly waiting for her hand.
She smiled. It was one of her warming and sweet smiles; the very same vibe he felt when he first met her—when they first locked eyes while he was on that cold stage. He could never forget that sense of familiarity and warmth.
"Please take care of me," she said as she shook hands with him. The way she said her sentence felt nerve-wracking—almost like the feeling you get the first time you said 'I love you' to your loved one. Her hands were small and it perfectly fit into his. He gazed at it for a brief moment before he let go, trying to diffuse the silent atmosphere with an awkward and forced laugh.