Chapter 13 13 An Offer

TIME PASSED QUICKLY. I just finished my meeting with Mrs. Talameda. Our discussion was very long, and now it is past four o clock in the afternoon. I was late for my meeting with Lawrence, and the traffic was still heavy. "Shit!" I said in disgust. I took my cellphone out of the bag to get even more frustrated because it turned out to be a low battery. "Why now?!" It was 5:30 pm when I got through the traffic. I was an hour and a half late for the meeting. I immediately parked the car in front of the famous coffee shop where Lawrence and I will meet. My eyes immediately searched for Lawrence as I entered. "For reservation, Ma am?" the waiter politely asked me. "Yes, with Mr. Saavedra," I replied as the nervousness was still in my body. "Ah, this way, please." He guided me up the stairs, where there were very few people. "Thank you!" I said as he pointed me to our table. My chest tightened immediately when I saw him. At this angle, I was consciously watching him. I couldn t take my eyes off his strong and attractive shoulders. His built didn t surprise me but overwhelmed me big time. I immediately stopped as he turned to me. He looked perfectly handsome in his gray suit. Oh, damn! I missed him! "Good evening, Ms. Collins," he greeted me with his baritone voice. His lips weren t even smiling even though he was already looking at me. "You re late," he added, then lazily glance at his wristwatch. I gasped heavily and forced a smile. "I m sorry, I was stuck in traffic," I explained and bowed my head. I didn t hear his answer, so I thought of offering something. "Please, let me buy you a drink—" "No, thanks. I already finished my coffee," he interrupted what I was about to say. I bit my lower lip. I didn t even get to sit down because of the embarrassment. "So shall we?" Then he stood up. "Look, Ms. Collins, my time is important. I came here early, and then you came here quarter to six?!" he said in a deep-down voice. Obviously, he just holds back his anger. I swallowed hard. I could not immediately answer him. "I have a meeting right after this, and since I can t contact your cellphone, I decided to cancel my meeting with Mr. Del fierro, but he insisted. So I have to get there by seven o clock," he kept on talking in a cold voice. I want to speak, but I do not know what to say. I have never felt like this in my meetings. Because almost all of them I get along with, but him? I feel like melting ice cream. "Can we reschedule the meeting?" I asked timidly. "If you will accompany me to my meeting, I may agree." His lips hitched a little as if something was playing in his mind. "H-how about our meeting? Aren t we going to discuss it now?" I insist. "Just reschedule our meeting for next week. I need to attend this important meeting with Mr. Del fierro.," he seriously answered. I sighed deeply. Do I really need to be included in that meeting? Is this my punishment because I was late for our meeting? Even though I did not agree, I felt him grab my hand and pull me out of the coffee shop. I could do nothing but follow his wishes. It seems that someone was telling my mind that this was wrong, but I don t know why I did it anyway. Since I was carrying a car, we just conveyed to a famous hotel that he mentioned to me. We got out of the car at the same time after we parked it in the parking space. We also went straight inside and took the elevator. I was nervous as we boarded the elevator. I feel like something is wrong with what I am doing, especially the tight grip on my hand that he never let go. I keep my eyes on the floor. He has not opened a conversation since we entered here at the hotel. He seemed distant and nervy. Until we reached a private room where he knocked. "Please, come in!" I heard the answer of whoever was inside. "Hijo! Nice to see you again!" The old man greeted us warmly. He looks older than Lawrence, but his face was still bright. "Good evening, Uncle!" he said to the old man. "Elliesse will be a little late, but she s on her way," he told Lawrence before tapping him on the shoulder. I felt Lawrence s grip on my hand tighten when he heard the name mentioned by the old man. The old man glanced at me, so Lawrence quickly introduced me to him. "Ah, Uncle, this is Margaux Collins," he introduced me to him. "Good evening!" I respectfully greet him without forgetting to extend my hand. *** SUNDAY MORNING, I was quietly having coffee on the veranda. I let the sun kiss my face, sip some coffee, and taste the air that touches my skin. I have no plans to go out today because I plan to bake a cake and enjoy my day off. But I frowned when I heard a series of knocks from my unit door. I went to the door, and opened it and that s how my jaw dropped when I recognized who it was. "Good morning!" he greeted with a big smile on his face. "Lawrence? W-what are you doing here?!" "Just visiting," he said before pressing a hand to the door. I quickly bent down and closed my eyes firmly before smiling at him. "Can I come in?" he asked, still not removing the smile from his lips. "S-sure, come in. I ll just get dressed for a while," I said softly before turning my back on him. I went straight to the walk-in closet and quickly rummaged through the clothes. "Relax, Margaux," I deeply whispered to myself. I took a deep breath before choosing a dress. I also tried on a few other outfits before deciding on the flowery pink above-the-knee dress. I put my hair up in a bun and put some lipstick on my lips. I decided to exit the room once I was satisfied. I frowned when I couldn t see him in the living room. I went to the kitchen where I heard a crackle. My feet stopped when I saw him facing the stove. He glanced at me for a moment and smiled a little. "I hope you don t mind if I mess up your kitchen." He leans both his hands on the table and wait for my reply. "No—I mean, no problem!" His eyes rested on me before facing the stove again. I could smell the fried chicken he was cooking because I marinaded it last night. I didn t do anything, so I decided to pull a chair in front of him and wait for him to finish what he was doing. I was speechless as I watched him serve breakfast. He cooked fried rice, fried chicken, fried eggs, and ham. "Another cup of coffee?" he asked before looking down at my empty coffee cup. "No. I ll do it for you." I quickly stood up to look at the coffee maker in the corner of the oak table.