Chapter3-An Unexpected proposal
1583 Words
Julia shut the door behind Loyd Kingston, her fingers trembling slightly as she turned the lock. She leaned against the wooden door frame, slowly went up to the floor, sat, and closed her eyes for a brief moment to collect herself.
“What just happened?”
“A dinner?”
“In exchange for my suitcase?” she thought to herself all confused.
She exhaled loudly, pushing away the uncomfortable feeling “If dinner was what it took to end this ridiculous entanglement, so be it.” she confidently convinced herself.
She could suffer through one evening in his presence, retrieve her things, and never have to see his annoying face again.
At least that's what she told herself.
Julia grabbed her phone dialing the airline once more. If there was any way to resolve this without feeding into Kingston’s ridiculous power play, she would gladly take it. But after several minutes of frustrating automated responses and nothing from customer service, it was clear that her suitcase was not turning up anytime soon.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. Took a deep breath, rolled her eyes, and said,” Fine, one dinner won’t hurt.”
She checked the time, 6:45 PM
With a determined sigh, she went through her clothes and picked up a sleek black dress, simple yet elegant, the kind that would make a statement without trying too hard.
By the time she stepped foot into the dimly lit restaurant area, she was already set and determined for whatever game Loyd Kingston thought he was playing.
She let her eyes wander across the restaurant, and then, suddenly, she saw him.
Loyd was already seated, very composed, a glass of whiskey in his hand as he glanced at his watch. When he looked up and saw her, something sparked in his eyes. Was it approval or amusement? She couldn't tell. But whatever it was, it made her pulse tick a little faster than she liked.
“You are punctual,” he remarked as she approached.
Julia settled into the chair across him with composure and elegance.
“I don't like wasting time,” she said
“Neither do I” he added while slowly swirling the golden liquid in his glass.
Their waiter arrived and Julia ordered a glass of red wine. Loyd ordered food for both of them.
Her eyes flashed angrily at him.
“Just so you know, I can order my food.”
“I don't doubt that Ms.Grey, but trust me you will like what I picked,” he said with a smirk.
She exhaled, reminding herself to keep herself under control. Getting all fired up would only give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting under her skin.
“So, let's get this over with you,” she said, resting her elbows on the table.
“You have my attention, what exactly do you want?” she asked.
Loyd’s green eyes slightly darkened, and for the first time that evening, his smirk faded. “You are a brilliant entrepreneur, but I don't understand why your business isn't much bigger and more successful.”
Julia’s breath caught, but she quickly masked her reaction.
“You’ve been snooping into my personal life?”
Loyd took a slow sip of his drink. “Let’s just say I did my homework. You’ve built something impressive, Julia. But you are not aiming high enough. You have the kind of vision that could change industries, yet here you are, struggling to achieve progressive success.”
“Why?” he tilted his head slightly.
Her fingers curled around the delicate stem of her glass. “Because not everyone is born with their destiny unfolding beneath their feet, Kingston. Some of us have to build from the ground upwards”
His expression was unreadable.
“Then why are you letting people like me tell you how high you can go?”
Julia’s heartbeat quickened, not because of the words themselves, but because he wasn’t wrong. She would give in everything she had for every deal, every contract, every inch of progress. But she had also learned to be humble and stay in her lane to avoid stepping on the toes of men who could shut her down with a single phone call.
The likes of Loyd Kingston.
She forced herself to laugh while shaking her head. “You’re seriously interested in my business. What's your motive?”
Loyd set his glass down, leaning forward slightly. “Maybe challenges pump me up.”
Julia’s eyebrow rose in amusement.
“And you think I’m a challenge?”
“With no doubt,” he said smoothly,
His gaze locked into hers.
“And I do not lose.”
Julia smirked, meeting his vigor with her own.
“Neither do I.
”An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, with none willing to be the first to look away. His eyes were fixed on her, trying to read between the lines, but Julia wasn’t about to let him see what was going on inside her head.
Not at all.
The waiter arrived with their food, breaking the moment, and Julia took the opportunity to change direction.
“So what’s the real reason we are here, Kingston? Because if you are about to pitch some kind of business partnership, you are wasting your time.”
Loyd chuckled as he dug into his meal “Oh, I’m not pitching anything. I’m simply offering an opportunity.”
Julia rolled her eyes. “And what opportunity would that be?” as she dived into her meal.
He set down his knife and fork, looking her straight in the eye. “I want to buy your company.”
She felt like she had been hit hard with a blow in the stomach.
She stared at him, stunned.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Loyd said, his expression unreadable.
“I want to acquire your business, Julia. I see potential. You have potential. But you’re fighting a system designed to keep people like you from winning. I can change that.”
Julia’s grip on her glass tightened.
“You arrogant—” She stopped herself, breathing in faster. “My company isn’t for sale.”
Loyd was not shaken.
“Not yet.”
Anger burned through her veins.
“Let me make something clear, Kingston. I built my company without your help. And I’ll keep growing it without selling my soul to you or anyone else.”
Loyd’s lips curled into a small smile.
“I admire that.”
He leaned back and lifted his glass.
“But everyone has a price, Julia. Even you.”
“She stood abruptly and snatched her purse. “This dinner is over.”
Loyd remained seated, watching her with an annoying calmness.
“Keep the offer in mind, Ms. Grey. Because when you’re ready to play in the big leagues I will be waiting for you.”
Julia turned abruptly and went out, with her heart pounding and her mind reeling. She would never sell to him. But as she stepped out into the darkness of the night, she could not stop feeling anxious.
The cool night air hit her as she stepped outside, but it did little to calm the fire burning inside her.
Who the hell did he think he was? She muttered to herself.
Loyd Kingston had spent less than an hour in her presence, and he already thought he could read her, predict her moves, throw some golden deal in front of her, and expect her to give in.
“Arrogant and infuriating,” she thought
With a fierce determination, she pushed the thought aside. She had no reason to even consider his offer. She had worked too hard, sacrificed too much to let a man like him swoop in and take what was hers.
Julia jumped into a cab, slid into the back seat and gave the driver the address to her hotel. She needed to get out of here and put as much distance as possible between herself and Loyd Kingston.
As the car joined the traffic, her phone vibrated.
She hesitated before pulling it out. It was an unknown number.Her stomach twisted, but she answered anyway.
“Hello?”
A pause then a low, playful tone came through the phone.
“You left in a hurry, Ms. Grey.”
Her pulse jumped, she turned her head very fast with her eyes scanning the streets outside the window. She felt like she was being watched.Her fingers tightened around her phone.
“How did you get this number?” she demanded.
Loyd chuckled on the other end. “I have my ways.”
Julia’s facial expression turned firm.
“Of course you do.”
There was a moment of silence, and then his voice lowered and became serious.“You should really reconsider my offer, Julia.”
“I already told you, my company isn’t for sale.” she replied.
There was a moment of silence.
And then he said something that made her face turn pale.
“Oh, I was not talking about your company.”
The call ended abruptly.
Julia stared at her phone, her heart racing wildly.
What did that mean?
The cab slowed down as they neared her hotel and all of a sudden she was not sure if she actually wanted to go inside because for the first time since this whole mess started she felt like she was no longer in control.
- Writer
