(Currently on hold) Their little trade of hearts

10 - The Petersons

Parker Peterson sat proudly, with his son Cubert Peterson on one side, and his daughter, Karyn Peterson on his other side, he has a pleased look on his face. His eyes crinkled as he smiled, and his hair has started to turn white. He believed that his hair showed his experience on the field, and with his old age, he's prepared to hand everything over to his son.

"You see Mr..?"

"X," Philleas sharply answered, refusing to tell more of his identity.

It's a widely known fact that the head of the famous tech conglomerate is so anonymous that they wouldn't be able to tell should the one they see on meetings are them, or actually representative. They all used the same name, and that is 'X.'

Parker howled a laugh, nodding to himself, and then looked at him with a smiley face. "Alright Mr. X," he emphasized.

"I'll cut straight to the point. We're not just talking on a small investment here. My son had grown up in military schools, and with him taking over the company, he's able to gather the people he knew to support the demand of our supplies. Your company covers most military-grade technology, and just think with the profits for our business, how much could we get with this benefit."

The whole time, Karyn had only kept her eyes on him. The youngest and only daughter of the Peterson truly seemed like she didn't grow up knowing that the word shame means. She had ogled him so shamelessly and tried every chance she got, battling her eyes at him, and waiting for him to notice her.

Whomever this man is, for him to represent Xynorp Industries means a lot of things. And Karyn couldn't care less if he's not the most attractive men she'd seen, or not even rich himself. It's the power he has that she's after, and she'd been raised that men can't resist the charm of a woman. If she could get to him, they would get the contract, and she'd be able to find out some of his contacts.

"So, what do you say, Mr. X?" Parker asked, while Cubert looked at him with a proud smile on his face. His father had acted in replacement to his secretary and seemed to be helping him with his meeting instead of the other way around. But the Peterson is old fashioned family. Women aren't to work and men are supposed to inherit, and took care of the family.

Though the company stood for over two generations, not many things have improved, especially that their biased opinion had given the youngest child the better perks, and Cubert himself is arrogant and spoilt. For them to come to Xynorp for cooperation says a lot of things, and a sane person wouldn't want to be involved. But Philleas isn't a sane person or just any ordinary businessman.

Philleas' hand reached to the glasses that rests above his ears. He lifts it from sliding down, and his lips stretched to a thin smile. His expression betrayed none of his thoughts as he stood up, offering a hand to Parker Peterson as agreement to close the deal.

"I am convinced Mr. Peterson," he said, glancing at Karyn who noticed it and expression changed as if her mission is accomplished.

"I'm waiting forward to our wonderful partnership," he told him as he shook his hand giving the man a firm note that they've had a deal, and left right away.

With the contract signed, one by one the people leave the room with Karyn going last, making sure to pass Philleas her lovely smile before she left. But she didn't realize that through he looked like he's looking her way, she didn't notice at all that Philleas not even looking her way.

With the people gone, the small smile that was on his face disappeared. He stood up from his seat, walking towards his office, to found a familiar figure sprawled on his lounge chair in her favorite position, leaning back with her feet straight and crossed, and files stacked on her side, and her lap.

She looked up when she noticed him entering the room and smiled up to him. He scoffed as he pulled his tie off. She had turned his charming mature face into a young assistant look. He took a seat at his desk, throwing the glasses off him, as she approaches him.

She leaned closer to him, fingers touching his face as she gently wiped his cheek from the dot stain she'd painted there. The corner of her lips crooked up slightly, holding back a smile as she reached to his drawer, and drawn out the small storage box where she'd prepared cotton soaked in micellar water, and wiped his face gently with it. The white cotton slowly turns brownish, and his expression darkens.

"I wonder what will Karyn thought of this face," she speaks in a low voice as if she's talking to herself but Philleas knows better that she's actually teasing him. With the way she's engrossed with her paper, he'd thought that maybe she wouldn't notice him leaving for the meeting, let alone to see who comes to the meeting.

Stacey had arranged so the Peterson would come to talk, and arrange the deal after he had burned the proposal, a chance to not mention the proposal and where had it gone to, to the sender. And they had barely noticed a thing. They didn't care if he reads all the terms or not because they obviously didn't.

"She could think all she wants," Philleas told her ignorantly. She walked backward, paying attention to his face. When she's just about to turn, Philleas suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled her so she crashes to his chest. The smile disappeared from her face in surprise.

"Thank you, but I'll have to return the lip balm," he told her. Not waiting for her to respond, his lips settled on hers, and his arms wrapped around her waist as his neck crooked up to meet his standing height.

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