Early the next day,my phone sprang alive with a buzz. I rolled over and saw it was dad. Why was he calling early this morning? I wondered.
"Hey Dad!" I said, first thing when I answered the phone.
"Dress up officially and meet me at the 6th Avenue Cafe right now"he said more like ordered.
"Okay?" I stuttered and he ended the call. Why did dad want me to dress up officially and meet him at this very hour? Did he actually miss me? Nah, he wouldn't have asked me to dress up officially then. I sighed and got up, showered and as dad asked... dressed up 'officially' in an office suit . I had my hair in a tight ponytail and run downstairs.
"To work?" Sonia asked when I came downstairs.
"Who knows? Where's mom?"
"Kitchen" she answered
"Will be back in a jiffy. mwah" I blew her a kiss and in thirty five minutes I parked in at the the cafe dad asked me to meet him at. I spotted Mr. Houston far away and cat walked over. I pulled a seat.
"Hey Dad!"
"Want anything to drink?" he asked and I nodded. He called the waiter and I placed an order.
"I called you here because I needed a proper accomplice to visit the Hughes with me" he revealed.
"The Hughes?" I asked clearly confused as to what business my dad would possibly want with these men? Powerful and rich business tycoons.
"You haven't been watching the news?" Dad asked and I knew I was in trouble.
"Um..not these days. Arnold keeps me busy with dates and I hardly ever..."
"I'm not taking that as an excuse Sarah. I've told you..."
"Not to mix my personal life with business I know and I get it dad. I'm sorry"
"Anyways our company, Houston Inc has signed a three year contract with the Hughes' company - Six hundred and fifty million dollars. You know you'll be taking over from me soon hence I'm using this opportunity to let you meet them" he explained.
"But what about X Tech?" I asked about Arnold's company.
"Our contract is coming to an end in September" Dad explained
Already? I couldn't believe the five year contract with X Tech had come to an end already.
"We shall set off once you finish with your breakfast?" Dad said. This man! How did he actually know this was my breakfast and that I'd not yet eaten? I was taking time savouring my food not until I saw a man, tall, blond and walking over to one of the tables with a drop dead gorgeous lady in hand. He pulled out a seat for the lady and one for himself too facing me with the woman facing him. Immediately he settled down in his seat, I recognized those blue eyes. I choked on my coffee sending the liquid dripping outta my nose and different wrong areas. Dad handed me a tissue and I cleaned up apologizing to the waiter who rushed by profusely. I looked up and he was busy grinning. Really? I clenched my fists.
"We're getting late, Sarah" Dad said loud enough for the next table which was ' blue eyes' ' table to hear my name. I was slightly embarrassed as blue eyes nodded slowly and smiled.
"Let's go dad!" I muttered holding the tissue to my still dripping nise as we walked out of the cafe. Blue eyes were the only words in my head as we were driven to meet the Hughes in my dad's tinted black GMC. Ugh! I texted Sonia to drive back Range home as I had left her at 6th Avenue and left the keys with the cafe's owner. Suddenly my phone rang and when I looked at the caller ID, my face turned pale.
"Hey!" I said fake cheerfully.
"Oh God! Mi senorita! How much I've missed your voice!" Arnold said once I answered the phone.
"I...I um missed you too" I managed to say even though I hadn't even remembered having a boyfriend ever since he left yesterday.
"I love you, you know" he said out of no where.
"And me you" I said back biting my lower lip as I looked at dad.
"I love you" he said this time in a whisper and I cleared my throat before saying, "Um...Arn can I talk to you later? I'm kinda busy here".
"Busy? How? I've told you, you don't need to work! You don't have to!!! I'll take care of you. I wanted to hire maids for you but your mom was against the idea so I told her she'll have to do everything by herself then, because princesses don't work!" He revealed. Really? Like seriously Arnold literally asked me to be my maid?
"Arnold I'm twenty-three" I reminded him.
"And I'm in love with you! You got me worried when you didn't answer my calls today".
"When did you call?"
"At 2:00am?"
"How many times?"
"Not less than a hundred and fifty three I guess!"
"You counted?" I asked shocked outta my wits.
"Yup. Why didn't you answer?"
"I had my phone on airplane mode, that's why" I actually did that because every time Arnold left for Spain he made sure to call me every midnight or Dawn and I was tired of answering his calls at that time so last night I placed it on airplane mode and he actually kept calling for what? A hundred and fifty-three times? I'm sure he would've continued if maybe his phone hadn't died.
"Sarah we're here" Dad's voice came through
"Bye Arn" I said wishing to end the call so I could get out of the held opened car.
"Where's "we're here" ?" he asked instead of saying bye back.
"I'll tell you later bye!!"
"I lov...." I ended the call before he could complete the sentence. Whew! I muttered an apology to the doorman and stepped out into the magnificent building of the Hughes, hand in hand with dad. Quite Impressive. The doorman held open the door and we walked into the air-conditioned luxurious living room. Immediately, all heads and eyes turned to our direction and so I wore on a smile.