Catch You!My Billionaire

Meeting

Afternoon in his office, Glen Hopkins, called three members of his board of directors and five of his top-tier engineers and architects. Piles of papers sit on his desk, and most of them are blueprints of building infrastructure. Glen lies in his chair, and watches his people, do the talking. They debated and discussed for hours and hours, until Glen raises his hand, and placed a decision. Afterwards he ordered the engineers and architects, to now construct a plan, then present it on his table when they’re done.

When they have left, Glen sighs on his chair and rubs his face a couple of times. His body stands firm, but the strength of his mind left his empty head. He skipped breakfast and lunch and hasn’t eaten a single bite of food. His stomach growls and rumbles, yet he didn’t let him overtake his whole being, therefore he managed to last until the end of the meeting.

Glen called his secretary, and ordered her, to buy a sandwich at the nearby shop in the office. The secretary complied, and in fifteen minutes, she came back, with a paper bag in her arms.

“Here is your sandwich sir, and I also bought you coffee”, she takes it out and was about to place it on the table when all of a sudden Glen stopped her. “You could have spilled it on these papers”, he pickles up the files and compiles them on the other side of the table. His secretary apologized and continues to put his meals on his desk. Glen unwraps his sandwich and takes a huge bite, then out of nowhere, his phone buzzes. All he wanted to do at the moment is eat, but it seems he doesn’t have a single moment for himself, he dropped his sandwich on its container and frowns a little. He can’t understand why receiving a call, infuriates him so much, therefore he didn’t pick it up, but still looked for the identity of the caller. The name that showed up on his phone, is something he didn’t anticipate, Congressman Melvin Read. It made Glen puzzled about the reason for his call, it must be urgent. He now blames himself for being foolish, but luckily, Congressman Melvin calls again, and this time Glen answers.

At first, they do the usual greetings, asking each other’s life, and situation even though they don’t care about the events in each other’s lives, yet they have to be nice because business is business, but then Melvin told him, the conversation won’t be long since he has a lot of work to do, and Glen says the same. Melvin uttered his purpose of calling right away, He informs, the newly elected Mayor May, agreed on the deal. Glen could now offer his business and service in the city.

The tingles of joy rise into his chest. is it real, after the years of the last construction his company completed, he can now again, resume his business in the city? He couldn’t believe it although it was like going back to the beginning of his journey on success, this city is where his father started the company. However, a realization hit him in the head, the cost Martin would ask him to pay for. He ignored his thought because Glen is confident he can come up with an idea, later on, thus he thanked Melvin for now. All of a sudden, another impend of a problem, faces him when Melvin releases a request.

Glen ask what is it, and Melvin answered, “Martin wants to see you first”. Glen sneers, “Did he sign the paper of franchise?”, he asked,

“Yes, he just wants to exchange a few words with you”, Melvin said,

“I understand”,

“If you could make it later at dinner, it would be the best time, for your meeting”, he added,

Glen paused for a few seconds, but he still agreed, if he finds free time on his own. Afterwards the call ends.

Glen ordered his secretary to come once again to his office, and his secretary didn’t delay a second or else in a blink of an eye, she had to pick up all of her stuff and never come back to the office. Her boss ask her from his schedule, if he has a vacant time between six and seven in the evening, and his secretary informed him, his whole evening is vacant. Glen didn’t pull off any reaction or words instead, he nodded.

Glen looked at the clock and he has to wait for a couple of hours, before six in the evening. The endless piles of paper on his desk to sign can drag him out from the boredom of waiting, time would fly, and Glen won’t even notice it. He picked up a pen, but then he remembered, to notify Melvin about the dinner with Martin, then Glen came back to his papers.

Glen was right, hours felt like minutes, therefore when all of the papers were signed, he didn’t notice it was already six. He stands up, packs up his stuff on his bag, then yells at his secretary for not telling him the time. His secretary could do nothing but apologize, Glen ignored her, and rides the elevator, then walked towards his car.

Earlier Melvin messaged him the meeting place, and Martin’s number, so the two of them, would no longer need him, to become their intermediary. Glen sneers in his car, after he read the message, he understands Melvin didn’t want himself to be bothered, and his job is done. What would he expect, Melvin’s service was an offer in exchange for money, not a help.

Glen puts his phone in his pocket and focuses his eyes back on the road. The journey, towards the location, didn’t last long since it’s only a couple of blocks away.

He arrives in a modern two-story restaurant. Glen pushes the french style wooden door and walked inside, then a waiter meets him at the entrance. She asks him if he wanted to reserve a table, but Glen refused, he said to her, he’ll be meeting a person, and he mentions Martin’s name. The waiter recognized the name right away, and lead Glen to a VIP private dining room, at the back of the counter.

She opens the door for him, and Martin sits on wide dining, cushion chair. Martin is on his phone, he laughs and chatter, making Glen wait for him for a couple of minutes. Glen sits down on the chair, even though Martin didn’t give a word, he could, but Glen doesn’t bother making an impression. He pulled out his own phone and starts to swipe, and scroll. Martin noticed Glen’s action and bid goodbye to his caller.

“You really haven’t changed in years”, Martin told him with a smirk

“I don’t think so”, Glen chuckles, “Time, always challenges me, but I am winning”, he added.

Martin nods a little then smiles at him, “Well, I see the two of us, did go on our fair share of struggles” he said and pours the champagne on an empty stem glass “yet, we can’t be defeated, Martin slides the glass in front of Glen. “Cheers!”, he shouted, and the two clank their glasses against each other, and takes a sip.

Afterwards, Martin apologizes, because he hasn’t taken an order yet, since he doesn’t want to order a meal out of a guess, or instead, at the start of their meeting, a bad impression, would be made. Glen chuckles and agreed, he didn’t let Martin’s words ruin his mood. If he wants

to play a game, Glen can give it to him.

Martin then called a waiter and ordered their dishes. After the waiter left, he asks Glen how’s the company. Glen states every achievement and milestone the company achieved in these past years, with intense enthusiasm. However, Martin only replied with a few words and nodded, and then eventually, he changes the subject, through another question. Glen’s personal life, he teases him, about the lady, Glen used to date, to put salt into his wounds, and it is effective. Glen pauses and diverts the subject, “Still the same, very busy on the company, how about you?”, he said. Martin laughs a little, “Great, my wife and I have one kid, and now she’s pregnant again”, he then grabs his glass, “All my efforts in politics can never be in vain”.

At this moment, Glen’s jaws tighten, even though he pulled a smile on his face. Deep inside his mind, he wanted to grab the knife on the table, and pierce it on Martin’s chest, yet he must hold the rages of anger inside him, or he’ll lose their little game.

Martin’s entire face brightens, but Glen didn’t let it last long, therefore he pulled his own card of the question, “How’s your father?”, he asked, at the moment Martin takes a sip of the champagne, causing him to choke a little. When he’s done coughing, he wipes his mouth and stares at Glen. “He passed away a few years ago”, all of a sudden the complexion on his face becomes straight, but Glen didn’t have a single bit of remorse towards him, instead he still continues on their game, “He must be proud, right now, his son is now a mayor”, Glen said, with sincerity in his voice. However, Martin knew at the back of his mind, he wanted to ridicule him, and his tricks towards him works. It gives a torn of pain in his chest.

All of his life, his father, had never been proud of him because he’s always in the shadow of his older brother, the former senator, who helped him escape the case a few years ago. Now even he holds the office of the mayor of a city, his brother is only second to the president, thus even though Glen hated him so much, he won’t lay a finger on him.

“Sir. May?”, Glen uttered, after Martin stayed silent, for a few seconds,

“Oh sorry”, Martin shakes his head a little. “You’re right”, he smiles, but then leans forward to the table, and was about to say something when the waiter arrives out of nowhere. Martin jokes on the waiter, “I thought this is a restaurant, why the food, come so fast?”, he said.

“Sir, it has been half an hour”, the waiter said, which makes Martin look at his wristwatch, “Oh! My bad” he laughs “My friend, and I here must be having too much fun, we didn’t notice the time”. The waiter chuckles but never replied. He then places their plates, in front of them, and left a few words of gesture before he leaves.

“Where was I?”, Martin places his arms crossed on the table and stares on Glen’s eyes, “Let’s make things straight, I wanted you to come here, and personally warn you, don’t block my path, if you don’t want me to block yours, remember, I defeated you once, and I can do it again”.

Glen drops the utensils in his hands, and laughs aloud, “Did I intimidate you much? You lower your pride for a warning, are you scared?”, he asked.

“Of course not!”, Martin smirks,

“Good, I agree with your deal then, but I’m going to warn you as well if you provoke me, I won’t be bothered to drag you in your own grave”, Glen uttered in conviction. He stands up and makes his way out of the room.

Glen goes back to his car, in the parking. He closes his eyes and listens to the movement

of his breathing. He gathered half of the remains of his strength in order to face Martin. The long days of work added with an empty stomach, heavies his body, but Martin’s words, about his wife, stabs his wounded heart. He sighs and asks himself, when can he find his own personal happiness. Almost all of his life, he gave his effort for the company, isn’t it the time for himself? Glen shakes his head, he must carve a straight path on the road first before he can walk on it, or else his journey will be rough.