Chapter Eight
The sounds of concrete plates, silver forks, and knives filled the dining table as we savored the meal. After a few minutes, we were done eating, and one of our maids, Raquel, came to take away the plates.
"Damn, that was so delicious. You were the one who made it, weren't you?" Lionel commented.
"Hmm, should I be surprised? How did you know I was the one who cooked it?" I inquired curiously.
"It has your fingerprint written all over it," he said as he cleaned his mouth with a serviette.
I scoffed with a puzzled look on my face. "My fingerprint? How?"
"The pepper."
"Really? But it's not that hot," I defended.
"Yeah, true. It was nice, no doubt," he said. "So, what's up with Lucia?"
"I think we should go talk about that upstairs," I suggested, responding with a faint nod.
We ascended the stairs to the bedroom. Lionel sat on the bedside, removing his shoes. He had come in so hungry that he hopped straight to the dining table to have his meal before doing anything else. I walked to the bathroom to take a nice shower, washing away the remnants of the day. I emerged from the bathroom in my white robe; feeling refreshed and an iota of cold.
"So, can we talk now?" Lionel asked, his face filled with curiosity. As much as he loved to deny that we were okay without kids, deep down inside, I knew he also concerned and he wants to have kids but would never do anything that would hurt my feelings and I so much respect and love him for that.
"Lucia has agreed to be our surrogate mother," I said bluntly.
"Really? Just like that? I knew you could do it," Lionel said with a smile on his face.
"There's a but."
"What's that?" Lionel asked, his eyes and every ounce of his being focused on me.
"I made a deal that's not part of what we planned."
"And what is that?" he asked, curiosity evident on his face.
"I told her that she would be offered one million euros after the child is delivered," I revealed.
Lionel shrugged, not seeming surprised. "I knew you did it for the safety of our child."
Lionel stood up from the bed and moved to the bathroom to take his shower while I lay down flat on the bed, watching him amble to the bathroom. I exhaled heavily. Today seemed like a victory, but it didn't really feel like I had solved a problem. It felt as if I had added gasoline to the fire.
---
We were startled awake by the sound of the alarm. Lionel stretched his hand and hit the button, ceasing the buzzing sound. He exhaled deeply, tilting his head towards me, and our eyes locked. I curved my lips into a smile, and he kissed my forehead.
We were interrupted by a knock on the door. Lionel walked over to answer it. It was Raquel, as usual, with two cups of coffee on a tray. He took the tray from her and thanked her for her service.
I took one of the coffees from the tray as he settled down on the bed. Lionel was the first to finish drinking. As he set his cup down, I said, "Lionel, today is my meeting with the JK board. Let me use the bathroom first."
"Hmmm," he looked at me. "You know what, we can use it together."
"No, no, no," I said, putting down my empty coffee cup. "It didn't go well the last time. I can't be late on my first day as CEO. I need to make a good impression."
"Okay then," Lionel said. I walked to the bathroom to take my bath and emerged wrapped in a towel.
---
As I drove the black Audi R8 Spyder out of the garage, all I could think about was the meeting I was about to have with the board members of JK. The reality I was living today was a dream that seemed impossible years ago when I was with Ramon. JK clothes were something I had always wished to have one day. I envisioned myself shopping for their clothes. They are among the most expensive clothes in New York, but fortunately for me, I can now not only afford them, but I am about to own the company, thanks to Lionel.
He was the one who made the magic happen. He bought shares in the company in my name until I became the highest shareholder, although most of the shares were overpriced. The amazing part was that I only had to say I wished to run the company, and kaboom, he made it happen.
As I arrived at the front of the company, I tossed my car keys to one of the guys standing there. "Handle it with care," I said as I walked inside JK and headed to the boardroom where all the board members were waiting for me.
As I got closer to the room, I became very nervous. I had many dreams and strategies I had put in place to help the company grow. I hoped this anxiety wouldn't prevent me from presenting everything effectively.
As I entered the room, everyone stood up. I dropped my bag on the table and exhaled heavily. "Good morning," I said, placing my hands on the table.
"Good morning," they all echoed. I looked at their faces, none of their smiles seemed genuine. I could sense it in the room. They only saw me as Lionel's wife, nothing more. It was written all over their faces that they didn't see me as someone of value. I took another deep breath, and all the anxiety vanished. The value I would present today would determine if they would trust me to lead the company. I brought out files containing my planned strategies and designs, tossed them to the middle for everyone to take a copy, and began breaking down the plans and how we could move forward.