It was a good deal. Negotiations felt like century long, but they came to terms that satisfy both parties. This was the end of the last meeting. After the handshakes and pleasantries, the lawyers would settle the last changes and they could finally arrange a press conference for the presidents of both companies to publicly sign the contract. Emir was extremely happy that his opponent was not hard on him as he previously thought he would be so. Fatih Kayman, the CFO of Kayman Holdings, was notorious for his ill personality, and they were not considered in the best of terms since their days back in the college. But today, he was extremely pleasant that he even personally led Emir to the elevator.
Emir realized that they were abruptly alone in front of the elevator. There wasn't a single person around them, not even his secretary. He couldn't understand how the people around vanished into thin air without a trace. He low-key had an ominous feeling, like the final boss was about to appear. He was rarely wrong with his gut feeling. While he was silently praying for the elevator's fast coming, the man talked.
"I heard your wife is known for being an excellent matchmaker around our circle."
Emir coughed. He especially avoided mentioning his wife in front of Fatih in order not to make their relationship any weirder, and he never thought that this guy would be the one asking.
"Well, yes."
"I'm considering remarriage nowadays. Can she arrange me a blind date?"
Ping! The elevator came. Emir unconsciously entered the elevator as if he was avoiding an answer, but the man followed him like a predator. He had nowhere to run.
***
"Can you imagine yourself pimping that bastard? HĂźlya, can you imagine? Oh, I wish I could just kick his balls. Even a slap would do."
HĂźlya was calm, as opposed to her fuming husband. Emir was telling her his previous encounter with Fatih. He was being irrationally jealous as if she broke up with that guy yesterday. It was a thing from decades ago and that guy might even forget that they have ever dated. Later on, he even married to her cousin and they happened to face one another occasionally. He was never uncomfortable, and this fact irritated her a bit, but it was a different case for Emir. She didn't know when or how they came to know one another, but she knew that their stars were crossed. She had the need of not mentioning his name in front of Emir since she felt that her husband had a serious case of inferiority complex concerning Fatih. It was funny to see her always rational husband's struggle with his jealousy.
"Just calm down, will you? I never said I would find a match for him."
"No, we should at least introduce someone to him." He said dejectedly. He was very annoyed with the idea that he was making his wife pimp her ex-boyfriend, yet the matter was in a way that Emir wasn't able to speak his mind. It is not that he would go bankrupt if the project failed, but it would definitely help him strengthen his position in the family business. This project was a very good opportunity for him. That guy knew this too. Emir thought that, that bastard did this just to make him miserable. It was like 'Hey, tell your wife that I'm available if she considers dumping you.' It was a situation beyond messy since that guy's late wife was HĂźlya's cousin. He slightly wanted his wife to find really a good person to prove herself that she doesn't think of Fatih anymore, but he was never to admit his insecurities to her.
"Why? The deal is almost done; and I don't think he has the final say in this matter."
HĂźlya couldn't understand what her husband was thinking. He was overly jealous and fuming a minute ago. Now he wants her to find a match.
"Of course, his sisters have the final say; and he is not someone unprofessional. Yet, he holds the money. He may delay our funds or payments; he can do any kind of nasty things in legal base just to make the project less profitable."
HĂźlya knew how that man's mind works. Emir was right, as long as he manages the finances, he could do things without breaching the contract just to make them miserable. She looked back, sat down on the coffee table, and hold her husband's hands. She decided to coax her jealous husband and arrange a blind date randomly.
"So, what is he looking for in his prospective wife? Any specifics?"
"Do we know someone we hate enough to match her to that scum?"
"Maybe?" she giggled. "Just tell me what he asked. I know a lot of people, there might be someone. They will only meet once anyway. She is not obliged to marry him."
"You don't need to coax me. I have done this myself all the way from his office to home." He said. "He simply wants a governess to his daughter. Shouldn't be a gold digger. His only condition for his new wife is that she has to be a good person with a slight defect to irritate his mom. He even said he could be happier if she is ugly."
As if they both imagined him marrying an ugly woman, they laughed till their sides hurt. That guy was a well-known playboy. There wasn't a single model he hasn't dated, yet he asked an ugly wife? HĂźlya was laughing so hard that she lost her balance on the coffee table, almost fell on the floor. Emir helped her sit on the couch next to him.
"I told him hiring a governess would be cost effective, yet he refused by saying that there is a difference between a hired hand and the lady of the house, and a governess couldn't make his mom shut up. I understand he is just looking for a contract wife to prevent his in-laws and mother from interfering his daughter's education. The child is still young, he is so busy to be with her all the time. A hired hand will really not have a say on the child's matters in the face of her grandparents."
HĂźlya was silent. She never knew this side of that man. "He really loves his kid, right?" she said. At first, she really thought finding him a gold digger and watch from sideways. But remembering the child, she was reluctant. In the end, the kid was still her family.
"But what is it with the slight defect? What does it mean?"
"Ah, that is his escape route. If his mom refuses his marriage with this person, he would be free to not marrying as long as he pleases. You know, 'You prevented my love, now how can I marry a new person?' kind of thing. Not having a good background, not being rich enough, not being educated enough, divorcee with children or something like these." He paused a moment. "He is serious about his preferring an ugly woman. His mom cannot openly protest this kind of 'defect'. She would be irritated but definitely cannot say 'I can't let you marry a dog'."
HĂźlya, of course, understood why her husband and that man think like this; but she knew that man's mother very well too. That man was thinking too highly of himself. The slight defects he thinks could irritate his mother are now not defects at all. He wasn't the same young bachelor of ten years ago. He was now a widower. It would be different if he didn't have a child. Since he already had an heir, no family with a background would consider him for their daughters unless they are in dire need of money. There is no way of not marrying a gold digger if he insists on a young and beautiful miss, and his mother would prefer her new daughter in law being Miss Gourde than Miss Universe so she would be content that her son wouldn't be cuckolded. She could even think they married for love. If he married a divorced woman, she would think they suit each other. It was really a shame for that man that he was never able to understand his own mother's heart.
"So, what do you think," asked Emir.
"Will you be okay if I find him a good match?"
"Yes," he sighed. He had no consideration for the guy but he couldn't probably tell his wife to find a gold digger bimbo stepmother for her own orphan niece. She was only five years old this year, and if she had a good person by her side, she could grow up to be a decent human being no matter who her father is.
"HĂźlya," he said "You know, right? He seems to ask so little, but actually asking too much. Do you know someone this selfless? Why would someone in her right mind accept marrying him if she doesn't gain something in return?"
"Yes, she has to gain something in return. But if the thing she gains is money, then she is a gold digger." She was deep in thought.
"That's what I'm talking about."
"I have someone in mind. But you shouldn't oppose right away without considering it."
"I get goosebumps when you say something like this. I won't oppose as long as it is reasonable."
"It is reasonable. That man is someone powerful. There is not much he couldn't do if he really wants to."
"Yeah"
"I'm saying that, no one can go against him easily."
"I'm losing my patience, you know."
"I mean, he could protect his wife from anyone."
"No, no wayâŚ" Emir said. "Don't say it."
"I will say. This benefits for everyone. She is a teacher. She loves children. Even though it is not considered a good background for that man's mother, she won't oppose since she is your cousin."
"No."
"Just don't say no. Ask her opinion first."
"She sacrificed so much for my well-being. I don't have the face to ask her more."
"Do you think she will marry for your sake?" she scoffed. "You don't know her well enough."
"I know her better than you do."
She sighed. "I don't trust that man in many aspects, but I can be sure that he will protect his wife. And I know she wants to lead a normal life. She doesn't want to live under your wings. She wants to meet a guy and marry"
"HĂźlya," he said firmly. "You may be right, but she doesn't need to marry some scum man."
"Have you ever asked her opinion?"
...
"Just ask her opinion first. See if she says no." she handed him his phone. "Call her."