My son is one of my best business partners. Sabastion knows how to run a business, knows how to be ruthless yet kind. Tonight he had planned to make a deal with James Smith. On the outside looking in Mr. Smith is a simple business man that owns a large company that deals with human affairs.
Yet for some reason James couldn't keep it steady. Most of his sales ended up falling through. He asked for a meeting to get a partnership. Most people would let his business burn to the ground let it go into bankruptcy. My son thought he could fix the company, save it. So he agreed to a meeting. Sabastion knowing that I have saved many businesses in the past asked me to come along. I proceeded to invite my other children to show them one what a good sales pitch looked like, and two different businesses they would own someday. Yet that is not how the meeting went.
My son Sabastion told me that the meeting would be held at a simple restaurant named Starlite. My eyes got bug and I thought to myself that it was not simple. Back when my children where little my wife loved Starlite her best friend owned it and for the life of me I couldn't remember her name. I didn't realize that I was tearing up till Sabastion asked if I was okay.
I was, its just after my wife died there wasn't a whole lot of things left to remember her bye, and the place she loved most would be the meeting spot it was a bit much. I arrived later that night and noticed the parking lot looked different. Dirtier some how. I then laughed at myself I was complaining about a parking lot.
A few minutes later two cars pulled up and Johnathan and Nathaniel got out. Yet a few more minutes went by and Sabastion was no where to be found. Worry started to sink sense Sabastion wasn't usually late to my knowledge. Johnathan was setting up his new office so he wouldn't know where his brother was, so it left Nathan.
"Nathaniel have you seen your brother?!"
I didn't mean to sound so on edge, but by his reaction my voice betrayed me.
Nathan's head fell "Dad him and I got into a fight and he stormed off."
Sabastion and Nathan always fought. Nathaniel reminds me so much of his mother, my wife carefree, kind. Yet disappoints me he keeps refusing responsibilities for work and instead messes around with just about any girl he lays his eyes on.
"I'm not going to waist anymore of their time Sabastion will get here when he gets here." My son picked the perfect time to leave angry.
My personal driver grabbed the door I didn't even have time to tell him not to. When my wife came here we didn't have body guards, or personal drivers she just wanted to be normal. As we walked in I spoke in a low voice telling my driver to go home. I would call him when we were done. Yet he argued with me. I didn't need extra staff not here. So I shot him a dirty look telling him I was serious and to back off. Still looking at me with doubt and worry he bowed his head and left.
The first thing I did when I walked in was closed my eyes and smelled the air. Starlite had its own special smell a mix between lavender and the smell of a fireplace on a cold winters night, but that was not the aroma in the air. Rather like every other restaurant garbage and alcohol. I opened my eyes praying, begging that my nose was deceiving me but to my dismay it wasn't. Instead what was to be seen was dirty floors, cracks in the wall, lights changed, paint changed and chipped. All I could do was stare in udder shock. As my heart felt as if it were ripped out trown on the ground only to be stomped in and crushed.
As I walked further I saw women dressed like prostitutes and robot expressions. This place used to be whats dreams were made of and now it was just sad. Every face I saw was not hers the women that owned the place. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man and a women dressed to impress with two children following closely behind.
As the got closer the atmosphere changed your probably thinking there is no way it could get any worse, but thats where your wrong. The air got colder people that were chatting had stopped as the man walked up to me. He had one of the worst fake smiles I had ever seen. I know it was fake because I spent half my life perfecting my mine. Making people happy that's what a fake smile is suppose to show. Yet his was ery it made common people shudder and made powerful people want to punch him in the face.
I out my hand out and showed him what a real fake smile was to my surprise this was the guy my son agreed to meet with James Smith. My smile got bigger because at this point of the night I new that he wasn't getting the partnership. we got seated away from all the people. As a waitress laid napkins with silverware down I could help but look at them. I picked up the napkin and ran my fingers over it and I squeezed the napkin and it ripped in my fingers. I set it down knowing everyone in the room was staring.
Giving a gental smile as a young women walked in, her face was soft her eyes were almost teal while her hair was a blonde bright and almost gold. It pulled straight back, her face was so familiar I was lost in thought as she asked if we were ready to order. I knew my son was already trying to flirt with her. While my youngest was trying to read the place. I didn't blame him, but then James snapped and all of us looked at him except for me. I was trying so hard to remember why she looked so familiar her face didn't fall.
That was either impressive or sad. Impressive not to let a man like that put her down, or sad if she's just that good because she deals with it all the time. At some point I learned her name was Angela Hale. The name hit me like a rock a pit in my stomach, but I still couldn't figure out why. Throughout the night janes got crueler as his patients ran thin. I ordered a drink to pass the time and I regret it wondering maybe had I waited the result would have changed.
Angela grabbed us all drinks and went to grab one for my very late son when he walked through the door with André. Sabastion never was the one to show feelings and wasn't good at comforting he was stern and a workaholic. A big part of me regrets it knowing my wife would complain, but what could I do force him to stop working. The Smith family's back was facing the rest of the restaurant so they didn't see Angela crying. I know my both my boys did cause they both squirmed in their seats to see if she was okay.
My kids never seese to amaze me Sabastion came in from the rain and started talking to a beautiful bartender which just so happened to be Angela and made her laugh, laugh as if she hadn't cried. I knew from the second I saw them that there was something more. She made him smile and kind through all the sterness. She saw through all the fake bullshit just like my wife did.
My only question was why she was working in a dump like this and for a man that was to put simple just a dick. All of a sudden Angela starts laughing. I can feel Johnathan relax next to me, but still doesn't take his eyes off her. Her laugh made the whole restaurant lighten up. The sound southed my ears, happiness and laughter in a place so full of despair.
Soon enough they walked to our seats and Sabastion sat down. He gained his firm look back as he layed eyes upon James. I played it cool but I was sick of him the place everything. The only thing I cared about here was helping Angela. With all the money in the world what is the point if I can't use it to help people. I asked her what was wrong and ignored all the protests to keep her silent. She looked so scared like a deer caught in headlights. The silence was deadly a staring match took place until James broke it by blaming my son, mine.
I refrained from breaking his nose. If you thought I was bad Johnathan tried to lunge at him and I wouldn't have stopped him if there wasn't someone so calm. Leave it to Sabastion my eldest to have more composure, more strength than me. He wavered through as his hands shook watching Angela start to cry. Finally Nathan was about to step in well until Angela slammed her hands on the table and screamed at James. Then proceeded to storm out. With everyone reeling and I mean everyone nobody was prepared for James to follow her.
We were to slow Angela went flying into the ground and without a second to spare Sabastion had socked James in the face. Not once or twice but three times sending him into the bar counter and onto the floor. James looked a lot worse than Angela, but it didn't stop Sabastion from plowing into James face lifting him up just as he did to Angela. Angela got up and rubbed her head. but when she realized what was going on she cried for everything to stop. Sabastion did and James fell to the floor. Nathaniel tried to be there for Angela but she yanked herself away yelled at him and ran away. Even Johnathan wanted to go after her and I loved him for it, but it wasn't the right thing to do so I held him back.