Two months later,
December, 2011
"Seriously? I'm just stunned by these media houses. I mean, look at the news. We are all over. Is this that big to get into the flash of NBC?" Eric said, switching the news channels.
"I know right! Just yesterday night at ten we received confirmation about us merging with Menzen law firm. How did they get the news overnight?" James said, reading the front page of the New York times.
"Law and fashion? Will that be a success? Why would a law firm merge with a modelling agency or a fashion company? Panache and Menzen are among the top thirty companies that contribute significantly to the economy's GDP of our country. What if they merge? Who will be the CEO of the largest corporation then? The country is eager to learn more about the merger. Keep an eye out for updates."
"Damn! I can't believe what I was hearing. Is it really going to be a big of a deal?" Eric wondered, as he read the NBC highlights.
"We're New York City's hot cake! Today is the time to party and drink I believe," James said as he sipped his coffee.
But what's the matter with me? Why am I unable to think as they do? I haven't been able to digest any of these since yesterday. It felt as if I had missed out an important piece or something here. I didn't feel anything right about today, and didn't want to ruin the excitement that was in the air.
Why did I have a feeling something wrong would happen at today's meeting?
"Do you think the same, boys?" I inquired.
"About what?" Eric responded.
"Why would a law firm merge with us? Don't you think there's something behind it, I mean it's weird?" I tried not to sound suspicious with a chuckle, and that's when Mark appeared in his suit.
He sat beside me wearing a big smile and a newspaper in his hand, enjoying his morning coffee. He came to work as usual, as if nothing was going to happen. Maybe I was the only one who was overthinking about the situation. He appeared carefree, as if he was enjoying his life and that coffee of his. Exactly! Why would he ever care for this nonsense and I had no idea what to do with my gut feelings.
"Mark! Aren't you looking forward to today's merger? I've heard there are a lot of hot lawyers in that firm too," James had done his homework.
"I've also heard they are smarter people there too. So, do you believe you'll be able to make a move?" Eric began to laugh as Mark responded to James.
"Do you have any thoughts on this merger, Mark? Aren't you anxious about it?" I asked, so he could at least give me hope but he replied, "What and why would I be tense? I'm not like you guys and honestly don't care what happens to this company as long as my bank accounts are getting filled. What is my take on this merger you ask? Dollar brother, Dollars."
Okay, Wow! And when did Mark become a money-grubbing individual? He sounded different to me, which was unusual for him.
The press, journalists, employees, and shareholders were all told to gather in our company's convention hall which was scheduled to start at twelve in the afternoon. The directors of the organisations were told to gather in the meeting hall for an introduction I guessed. We arrived at the hall as soon as we received the information and the COO, who was soon going to become the CEO of a larger corporation, was nowhere to be seen. It sounds strange, so I'd rather put it on as my girlfriend. We had no news about her arrival and the usual murmurs circulated about how they planned to manage both companies jointly. So, I texted her,
"Hey! Where are you?" And, yeah. We hadn't yet gone on a date due to our hectic schedules to be clear. We text each other and have good conversations in the office whenever we have some alone time. When I texted her, she was already inside the meeting room, walking behind the chairs and taking a seat.
It was the first time I saw her in the office, not in her usual stable formals, but in pastel colours. She was dressed in a viridian button-down blouse that was tucked into a pearl white skirt. She also wore sandal-coloured heels that complemented her dress perfectly. Her flawless feline stroke eyeliner and caramel nude matte lipstick, as well as her high ponytail that reached her shoulder and I must say she looked like a stunning queen who had slayed my heart a million times. As I smiled at her, she winked at me, which surprised me and I coughed to cover it up. We all soon settled into our seats as the conference presentation began. The meeting lasted a little longer than expected because they provided a detailed explanation of the new organisation's working structure and future plans.
I heard someone's stomach growl in hunger in the absolute silence of the meeting and when I looked at Ms Williams, who always kept her stomach in hunger, was completely engrossed in her laptop. And we heard the growl sound again, this time louder than before, which diverted one 's attention. It was none other than James who was gulping a bottle of water to quiet his stomach growl.
It was just a simple stare, but he took it as if I was going to kill him with it. "Your stare isn't going to fill my stomach. Tell that goddamn guy to finish his shit as soon as possible," James said with his face drained and angry. I was convincing him to stay for a few more minutes when they announced that the closing remarks would be delivered shortly by Menzen's CEO, Mr. Lucas Devies. James's sign with a huge smile on his face as soon as he heard it.
As I turned to face Ms Williams, I noticed her not paying attention to the presentation, but instead playing games on her phone without even turning down the volume.
I texted her right away, asking, "What's wrong with you?" and shit, we could all clearly hear the pop-up notification on her phone. I assumed she would have silenced her notifications, but James immediately noticed I had my phone in my hands. He grabbed it right away to see if I had texted her, and I winked at him as I locked the screen before he grabbed it from me. She softly tapped the desk to get my attention and when I read her lips, she said she was fine. Ms Williams, you could have texted me instead! I nodded and turned away to focus on Menzen's CEO's closing statements.
He appeared to be in his late twenties, with the perfect manly elegance, as evidenced by his movements while delivering the speech. He had gelled his brown hair and finished it with a classic side part finished with pomade, allowing a clear view of his forehead. He was dressed in a fine tailor-made Payne's grey suit that matched his complexion perfectly. "I hope Panache and Menzen can work together to embark on our new journey with a grand vision and core competencies," Lucas Devies ended his speech.
"Do we agree with this merger and our new company's policies?" Lucas Devies enquired of the board members. Some agreed, while others were still debating the necessity of the merger. "What are your thoughts, Ms Williams? I would really recommend this merger," Mr Paul, Panache's next largest shareholder, asked.
She set her phone down on the table and said, "Mr Paul I can very well understand the reason behind the urge you have for the merger. But let me discuss this with our executive board and confirm," to which all nodded their heads.
As the meeting came to a close, one of the staff announced that we would take a brief half-hour break, before re-joining the conference in the convention hall. All of the department heads were slowly leaving the hall while discussing various things. Lucas approached Ms Williams and whispered something into her ears as I stood there buttoning my suit pretending to leave. But yes, I noticed something odd about her today as her behaviour at this conference was not professional like she usually is in the office meetings, instead she was more ignorant during the presentation.
What's wrong with you Ms Williams?
"I am very excited to work with you and your team, Ms Williams. I hope they will happily welcome me to your organisation for the upcoming projects," he said, extending his hand to Ms Williams for a handshake.
As she rose from her seat and reached for her wallet, she exclaimed, "I had no idea I could reach this next level so soon in the game. You should try them once in a while, it's such a therapy from the bullshit around. Now, if you'll excuse me, let's end this here," she said as she walked away without turning back.
Ms Williams, what kind of attitude was that? Did she really speak to him in that manner? I should have guessed it the moment she walked into the meeting room with a carefree vibe. The same thoughts ran through my mind as I walked to the convention hall because she wasn't the person who made mistakes or ignored meeting presentations at work, and it was unusual for me to witness those amateurish conversations.
As I walked into the hall, the first thing that caught my eye was the banner and Eric shouting at the top of his lungs. Is this the right place? And I looked around to make sure. There were far more new faces in the media than usual. Was James correct that I had begun to forget my schedules or had my assistant actually failed to add this new company meeting to my calendar or was it all a mistake?
I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do at this point, and Eric was yelling at the staff members while pointing to the banner.
According to my knowledge, this wasn't the Menzen logo. Whose company is this?
I went looking for James and Hazel, the people who were responsible for this incident. While I was trying to contact James, Mark was arguing with Hazel about the same issue and from what I could tell from their conversations, even Hazel had no idea about the poster with a different logo. James' luck rescued him from getting scolded by me because he didn't pick up the phone at the time. Eric called out my name from a distance and dashed towards me.
"Ryan, I have no idea what's going on here," Eric stated. "I asked Hazel, and she too had no idea," Mark chimed in, saying, "I've been calling James for a long time and he's not picking up either."
"I was right. If Hazel doesn't know about it, neither will James then," I said and they agreed.
"Ryan! Just let Ms Williams know about it. If not, she'll eat us alive as soon as she finds out." Eric stated.
So, I went to her office in search of her and found her sitting comfortably. Emma, her personal secretary, was standing beside her, handing over a few files for her to sign. As I walked in excusing myself, she signed her last file and closed it while throwing a smile at me which was the witchy grin she has when she has a lot of suspense up her sleeve. My gaze was drawn to the logo of the file when she was winding up. It wasn't a Menzen logo, again.
Oh my god! The file she was signing now had the same logo that I had seen in the convention hall. I guessed, she was planning for something really huge and explosive.
Emma immediately gathered all the files with her and I sensed a big show was about to begin soon.
"So, what is our famous ladies' man doing in my office instead of handling our press conference?" She asked while closing her laptop. I knew not to get carried away by her kind words because it was not the time. When I didn't respond to her, she looked at me with a serious note and asked, "Fine, jokes apart, what's wrong? Tell me."
"But because it's getting late, why don't you tell me while we walk to the conference room?" she suggested as she stood to leave.
As we entered the elevator, I asked, "That guy, who was he?" while looking the other way.
"WHO?"
"Mr. Lucas Devies."
She was about to say something, but when the elevator stopped on the fifth floor, our conversation came to a halt. It was the actual person who we spoke about and the devil appeared. The temperature dropped the moment he stepped inside the elevator. As soon as the doors were shut, he turned towards Ms Williams, moved closer, and grabbed her arms, giving her an icy stare.
"What the hell is going on?" I asked, shocked.
When I took a step forward, he stopped me and said, "And YOU!" He raised his voice and pointed his index finger directly at my face. I wished to break that finger of his.
"This is between me and my girlfriend. So, stay the hell out of our way, got it? It will be good for you and her," he said, returning his gaze to her. When she looked at me, her eyes told me to stay calm.
"Don't do anything stupid with that peanut sized brain of yours like you did before. This isn't some childish prank you could pull to get my attention. Just do what I say," he said, releasing her from his grip.
"Oh also, are you going to tell him or should I make the move first and tell him that you're going to be officially my lady after this press?" he asked, a clever smile on his face.
What exactly is he attempting? His lady? Why isn't she opposing him?
The nervousness in her caused her to breathe heavily and sweat rolled down her neck. He gently caressed her cheek until it reached her neck and all she did was stand in the corner with her eyes closed. It all seemed weird to me and I felt that they already knew each other somehow, for him to act this way. At that point of time, I wanted to break his ribs and bury him alive beneath this building, but all I did was stand there and watch everything as a spectator, holding my anger in my fist.
"You can never break free from your past or throw away the things you don't want in your life, Ms. Williams. You're back, right into my hands. To make this day even more special, I have a gift for you," he said as he took out his phone to show her something. When she saw the screen of his phone, her eyes widened and tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Dad," she said gently in fear.
"He's a little old to play games with, but who else would have been ideal? Perhaps this boyfriend of yours?" he asked, a smirk on his face.
I was clenching my teeth in rage when he said, looking at me, "Take a look at his face, bloody Mumma's little boy. What exactly has happened to your choices? When you liked me as a boyfriend, I thought you had good taste in men, but now," he laughed loudly.
He choked her neck and drew her up to his eye level in a split second. It was heart wrenching to see her in such pain in front of my eyes.
"WILLIAMS!" When I took a step forward, he pushed me back and onto the elevator's sides. "You son of bitch," I said as I took another step forward, and he said, "ONE MORE STEP FORWARD, AND I WON'T THINK TWICE ABOUT KILLING HER WITH MY BARE HANDS. So, if you want your boss alive, get your a$$ in a straight line and stand right there," and she didn't respond to anything.
'Dar-Lin!' Did you simply forget about the game? I'm the king and you're just a pawn, maybe like just a soldier, born to be a slave for me," he winked at her and kissed her neck.
I was boiling with rage and could burn him to ashes in a split second. When the elevator came to a stop on the ground floor, he took a step back, adjusted his coat, and exited as if nothing had happened.
I was uncomfortable standing there and wanted to be out of the place when she grabbed my hand with those phoney pitiful eyes as I was about to walk away.
"Who the hell is he?" I was furious at her.
"Ryan, if you give me a minute, I can explain, and I'm..."
"JUST ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION. What does he mean to you?"
"My boyfriend! However..."
"Enough is enough. I'm sick and tired of hearing from you and trying to find out secrets about you. All I can think about right now is how ashamed I am of myself for falling in love with the wrong person like you."
I pushed her hands away and said, "No, you've made me regret having you in my life. Oh! I apologise for forgetting to mention you with respect, Ms Williams" and proceeded to the conference.
When I walked into the conference, Mark kept calling me to stand next to him, but I ended up standing next to Eric, who looked at me strangely. "Why do you look so angry?" he wondered aloud. "Did something..." and I finished it with a single line, "Shut the fuck up."
I cooled down because I knew I'd make hasty decisions about everything when I'm angry. When it was time to begin the conference, I noticed that the hall was completely full. I gestured for Hazel to take the stage and begin the conference, but Smith, her bodyguard, suddenly appeared and took over the meeting. She walked in wearing the perfect formal suit, a blazer and a pencil shirt. The entire staff and our team looked at us with a puzzled look on their faces.
"Are you going to explain this nonsense, Ryan?" Eric questioned sternly.
"I'm in the same boat as you, so even I have no clue," I explained.
"I would also like to welcome our shareholders, who have been a backbone of our firm, as well as our beloved great company, who have decided to join hands on this special day. Thank you to the mainstream press for joining us to celebrate our special occasion," Ms Smith concluded her welcome speech, giving us a horrible jolt of the welcome speech and making us wonder why a bodyguard would welcome the guests.