EPISODE2:PEARSON CONFERENCE
1053 Words
Lucas
"You're all set, Mr. Hayes." Mr. Scott nodded as I walked out of the lobby into the courtyard, glancing around. A motorcade of three cars cruised to a halt before me, and the door swung open. Inside, there sat a grinning Daniel, grinning in a tux.
"You're late." He frowned a little. "Working your ass off when you should be living a little?"
I groaned. "Aside from your call, I wouldn't have left my office at all."
"Seems you need to be reminded again and again that smart work pays better than hard work."
"Seeing that you're here," I changed the topic. "It's easy to judge that the conference is over."
"Right on the first try." He smirked. "You owe me one for representing the great Lucas Hayes in the conference. Now we are headed for the ball, and a one last opportunity for you to trap down more businesses."
"Why don't you go ahead and represent me in the ball too?" I tilted my head ever so slightly to the left.
"No, sir." He smirked at me. "Didn't you dress for the occasion?" I grunt, sliding out a bow tie from my pocket and wriggling it.
"You mean this?"
"That would be doing a better work on your neck, Mr. Templeton." He chuckled. "It's just for a day."
"I'm not fully convinced." I joined him in the car, and Mr. Scott closed the door from outside. I sent him a curt nod, which I barely saw him receive, and then returned to Daniel. "If I had my way, I wouldn't go for this event."
"If you had your way." He repeated. "You should always thank me for being by your side. I will always be your sanity."
"A sanity that is leading me straight to insanity, you mean?"
He narrowed his gaze at me, then snickered. "Listen, while those rich asses get lost in the dance and booze of drinks, make investments on returns that will grow you bigger. All of them would be dying to have you invest in their businesses."
"The more reason why I should stay behind." I groaned. I wouldn't say I liked that much attention, even though I was proud of my self-image. The attention can get so nerve-wracking. Slowly, the car eased out of the courtyard into the road.
When we arrived at the venue, the car door was pulled open from outside, revealing a steward bowing curtly. He was wearing a well-ironed waistcoat over a white shirt. A matching black bowtie hung below his beard, slightly tilted to the side.
I quickly put on the bowtie I was holding, and Daniel adjusted it a little on my collar. With a final glance at myself from the rearview mirror, I slid out of the car to meet a blinding light of camera flashes, camera shutters going off on every corner. In a moment, Daniel sidles up beside me.
Together, we walked down the red carpet to the double-door entrance into a large lobby. The lobby was lit with a yellow light that glittered on the gleaming walls, where a few art paintings hung in random areas beneath an abstract chandelier.
A few couples swayed gently to the soft beat from the speakers, their feet moving in perfect rhythm over the glittering marble floor, which sparkled in the room's soft yellow light. Daniel headed across to the left, and I followed him.
"Now, it's time for you to put the goodwill I got for you into good use." He gestured to a man wearing an expensive suit that matched my pay grade. "That is Mr. Callaghan."
As we approached, he turned to see us, and a grin revealed well-set teeth. "Mr. Hayes, seeing you join us at the ball is good. You didn't make it to the 'business part.'"
"Actually," Daniel came in. "He was having a meeting with Parkinsten in Japan. He was unavoidably absent, but he sent me to represent him."
I wanted to call Daniel out on the lie but struggled to put on a plastic smile. "Actually. But I'm glad I could still join the event."
"I understand." The man nodded. "Sometimes we can be so busy with the demands of our clients."
I smiled. "It's good to meet you, too."
We exchanged a firm handshake, and Daniel led me away. I called him out in a hush.
"Hey, what kind of lie was that?"
He turned, c*****g his head to the side. "Where's the lie? Are we not currently working with Parkinsten?"
"I never had a meeting with them this afternoon."
"Sorry if you were expecting me to walk up to him and say," he feigned dramatically. Uh, my boss actually forgot he had a meeting and got lost signing papers," he met my gaze again with a small scowl. " No, sir. Your reputation is my job to keep."
"I think I need a break." I shook my head, plucking a flute from a passing server and downing the drink in half. "I'll just head over and make acquaintances on my own."
"Suit yourself."
Separating from him, I weaved in between the crowd, taking in the faces of the rich, pompous fools. They know how to party hard, but they don't know anything about the technicalities of business. Their enterprises shook, yet they had the guts to leave their offices to party hard and get drunk.
Weaving across, a woman stood alone at the right side of the room. One hand held her purse, and the other swirled her wine in her tumbler, her gaze glued to the ground. Her curves caught my interest, so I weaved through the crowd, closing the distance between us and getting a better look.
Auburn-haired and parked into a ponytail, with some strands left to fall over on one side of her temple, she was sand-skinned and well-toned. My gaze trailed her curves as I approached, and she looked up to meet my gaze.
"Hey?" I said almost in a whisper. "You're doing okay there?"
She gave me a subtle once over, then shook her head. "I'm fine."
I walked over and stood before her, narrowing my gaze. "You don't look so sure about that."
"I'm fine." She held my gaze, defiant.
"I'm Lucas." I stretched my hand towards her, and her eyes widened.
- Writer
