Mr. Sinclair

5. Could you keep a secret?

Nathan Sinclair closed the door to his office with a sigh. The day had been long and stressful, as always in recent weeks. His relationship with Amelia had been particularly complicated lately, especially with the deadline for the design prototypes approaching.

Without warning, he left the building and lit a cigarette. The day was gray after a rain had hit the city. Nathan walked with his leather shoes dampened by the street puddles, until a message lit up his phone screen. He smiled to himself and walked towards the bar a few streets away, which he frequented quite often. Upon entering, he smiled as he walked towards where he knew his best friend, Ryan, was already waiting with two glasses of whisky.

"What's with that face."

His friend teased, finishing the last of his drink.

"I've had some pretty complicated days, if you're asking."

They greeted each other with a brief hug.

"Troubles with your new acquisition again?" Ryan asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow as he handed one of the glasses to Nathan. He rolled his eyes as he slumped into the chair.

"If only it were my acquisition, I wouldn't have anyone to blame."

"Hey, man." Ryan interjected, holding back a laugh. "It hasn't been that long since we last saw each other. Are things going that bad?"

Nathan nodded, taking a large sip of the whisky and feeling the warmth of the drink go down his throat.

"I don't know what to do with her."

"Who's 'her'?"

At that moment, the CEO realized he had been thinking about her for so long that he had forgotten to even mention her name.

"I'm just talking about the new design director. Her name is Amelia Johnson."

"Oh, i've heard of her. Linda says she has pretty dresses."

Nathan smirked at the mention of his best friend wife’s name in the topic. He knew she loves design dresses.

“You know? Her mind is brilliant. And I know that, but our working relationship is a disaster. Every decision I make, she questions it. Every idea I have, she counters with something different. It's like we're constantly at odds...”

Ryan chuckled, asking for another round of drinks.

“ Well, at least your work life isn't boring.”

Nathan placed his glass on the table with more force than necessary.

“It's not even that, Ryan. I wish it were fun, but it's frustrating. I need us to work together, not against each other. Especially now, with the meeting with the international designers approaching. It's a huge opportunity for Sinclair Fashion, and we can't afford to be at odds like this.”

“So...when is this meeting you're talking about?”

“ The final meeting is in a week and a half. But we have another one tomorrow, with some of them, to explain our progress. But there isn't any progress because I still can't get us to agree on which designs to choose. She's the most difficult woman to convince I've ever met...”

Ryan looked at him thoughtfully, playing with his glass.

“ Have you considered not telling Amelia about the meeting? I mean...if she's not aware, she won't be able to interfere with your plans.

“That’s impossible, she's already aware of the meeting.”

His best friend shrugged, drinking his whiskey.

“And? Tell her it was rescheduled for next week. Just give her the day off.”

Nathan furrowed his brow, laughing at his friend's suggestion.

“Are you really encouraging me to sabotage her!?”

“ Just suggestions, from one businessman to another, buddy.” He replied, lighting a cigar.

Nathan shook his head.

“ I don't know, buddy... If my mother finds out that I'm trying to sabotage her new acquisition, she'll kill me. And behind her, Amelia will come to spit on my grave.”

Ryan clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

“Come on, just think about it. You're the CEO of the place now, Nathan. You can't afford distractions or interference, and if this young woman is a thorn in your side, maybe it's time to consider other options. Besides, if things go well, you could prove to your mother that your decisions have merit.”

Nathan fell silent, reflecting on Ryan's words. He didn't like the idea of hiding information, but the tension with Amelia had reached an unbearable point. He needed to find a solution, and fast.

"Let's suppose I don't mention the meeting..." he finally said. “What if she finds out later? It could be a disaster.”

Ryan smiled.

"Well, in that case, make sure that when she finds out, you have everything resolved so she can't do anything. It could be a way to show her that your leadership is effective too, and who knows... maybe that will calm down her sassy attitude” he said sarcastically, leaning in closer. "You know...sometimes the bitches need a little tightening of the leash to act right."

Nathan sighed again, finishing his drink.

"I don't like the idea of playing dirty, honestly. But I need to find a way to make this work or the whole company will end up in ruins."

Ryan nodded in understanding.

"It's on you, buddy. But remember: in war there are no good or bad guys. And sometimes, to win a war... you have to win a few battles first."

"I guess you have a point there."

"Plus," he began teasingly. "When was the last time a woman kept you up at night? I thought that didn't happen to Mr. Sinclair..."

They both chuckled before Ryan's words hit home: the truth was, far from what was believed, Nathan was a disaster when it came to relationships. And they all shared the same factor, which was that they never interested him enough to do something about it. Their encounters were one-night stands, and since his last girlfriend, he had not tried again in matters of love.

"And how about you? How is married life treating you?"

Ryan smiled broadly, nodding his head as he gave a nostalgic look.

"Not bad, I must admit. I thought these things would be boring for someone like me. But since I found someone to share my most intimate moments with, I feel like every day I wake up being the luckiest person in the world."

"I never thought I'd live to hear you say that."

His best friend laughed, blowing smoke from his cigar.

"And you still have to hear me say cheesy words at the wedding."

Both laughed. And it was true; their wedding was approaching in a few months. Ryan and Nathan had met in college, and since those times, they had become inseparable. Even though each had made a completely different life from the other, they knew that all it took was a call to reconnect. Occasionally they would meet up like that time, in a small bar drinking whiskey and catching up. Ryan was one of the few people Nathan felt he could fully open up to and trust.

After a few more rounds, Nathan placed the empty glass on the table and stood up, swaying a little.

"Thanks for listening, buddy. I really needed to get that off my chest. I'll see what I can do about it. But now, i need to go back to the office."

Ryan patted him on the shoulder, in the same drunken state as him.

"That's what friends are for, my brother. Good luck with the beast" he replied, slurring his words while laugh.

Nathan left the bar, feeling a bit lighter than usual. The cold wind hit his face as he watched the night fall over the city. He walked back to the office, ready to gather his things and car keys. From a distance, he could see most of the lights in the building were off, indicating that everyone, or at least the majority, had already finished their workday.

Trying to open the large glass lobby door, he bumped into the receptionist.

"Here you are, I've been looking for you. Oh..." she interrupted herself, taking a step back and looking him up and down. "Nathan, have you been drinking?"

The called one shrugged.

"I don’t know. Maybe I enjoyed a couple of drinks..."

"Relax, I don't have time to ask if you have alcohol problems. But I need a favor," she spelled out the words carefully.

"Before you leave, I need you to send me the list of people attending tomorrow's meeting so I can prepare the executive room. Okay?"

Nathan nodded with a hiccup, and she hurried out the door, ignoring it.

The young CEO walked to the elevator, pressing the button for the twentieth floor where his office was located. He felt his feet become light with the gentle movement of the elevator going up, reacting like a child to the stimuli. It was only when he saw his reflection in the mirror that he tried to compose himself, adjusting his posture and hair.

Upon the elevator opening, he noticed the floor completely empty, with just a few lights on desks illuminated. It seemed like there was no one else there but him. Without giving it much thought, he walked to his office, grabbing his things and placing them on his desk while turning on his computer.

Sitting in front of it, he accessed the previously saved files regarding the meeting. Inside, there was a list of guests and each one's occupation, along with the topics to be discussed during that time.

Among them, he noticed the name of Amelia. Even though the conversation with his best friend had taken a different turn, the seed of doubt had already been planted in Nathan's mind. He was fully aware that it wasn't right to do so, but he had felt in his hands the power to change it all.

Taking a deep breath, he erased her name from the list. He controlled everything else. Thirteen guests, no more no less. Without wasting time, he opened his email and sent the file to Tonya, the secretary and receptionist of the Sinclair group. The same one he had bumped into at the entrance.

"What are you doing here?"