ETHAN CARTER
When it came to work, I had always been diligent, hard working, time conscious and patient but when the news of us losing a property worth millions of dollars hit me, I almost forgot my principles.
The board of directors all stared at me and I tried being calm.
I had worked around the clock to get that piece of land and now, it was gone? Like vapor into thin air?
I couldn't accept it.
"How did this happen?" I asked my hand gripping the edge of the ten seater table infront of me.
"Word got out, Sir. When we bought Mr Chang's property for ten million, Mr Buchan also wants to bargain for more money"
Fucking shit!
I almost growled. Last week, I had spent a whole lot of money on a cheap piece of land the company needed and now, another seller wanted us to up the price?
I wouldn't allow it. They were taking advantage of us and I had to stop it either way before the situation got out of hand.
"I'll deal with it", I simply remarked.
"An additional twenty million isn't much. The company can afford it",Biden, one of the oldest board of directors said and the rest of the men and women in the conference room nodded in agreement.
"I agree. We can't lose that property. Other companies have been dying to get their hands on it", Shannon, another member, added.
"I feel the need to remind you, that we had an arrangement with Mr Buchan. The price was three million no more, no less. Agreeing to his demands will only encourage the rest of our sellers to rebel and ask for more"
"Then what do you suggest, Ethan? The land is very important, it's strategic to the desired market and the resources. We simply can't afford to lose it"
"Believe me am aware. And if flying to the Philippines to talk to Mr Buchan will resolve this issue, then I'll gladly take the first flight there", I stated watching them talk amongst themselves before they nodded in agreement.
The meeting was adjourned a few minutes later and I immediately went back to my office to handle the rest of my paperwork.
I would be flying to the Philippines later this evening to resolve the whole matter. There was no way Mr Buchan would go against our deal, he was being a greedy bastard.
I would also talk to Mr Chan, make sure that he stopped spreading false rumors about Mecha Builders.
I was in the process of reviewing the last of the documents when the glass doors leading to my office glazed open.
"Hey stranger", Crystal's voice greeted and I raised my head to meet her face.
She was dressed in a pair of high waisted jeans and a nicely tucked navy blue blouse.
"Crystal? What are you doing here?"I asked which was the wrong thing to do because I saw her frown a little before a small smile engulfed her face.
"It's nice to see you too. You weren't answering my calls or my texts so I thought why not see if you are alive",she humored and I glanced at my switched off phone on the desk.
I hadn't really had time to text her or call her since our last encounter at Evon Restaurant, which was by the way two days ago.
Yesterday I was so caught up with my mom asking a lot of questions about Aliya and afterwards things at work getting heated, I forgot all about Crystal.
And today with the whole Mr Buchan thing, my mind was so occupied to think about texting or calling Crystal.
"Am sorry about that", I said sincerely.
"It's been two days, Ethan. You didn't even think to send a simple 'hey' or 'how are you doing?"
"I know. I know and am sorry. Bringing up work isn't a good excuse but I really am sorry, Crystal"
She narrowed her eyes into slits before taking a seat in one of the chairs against my desk.
"What's going on? Anything I can help with?" She asked.
But what really could she help with? She was an interior designer, not a good one though, if I was being honest. There was nothing she could do to help me.
Perhaps Crystal had her dad doing everything for her. She was daddy's little princess, having everything at her disposal be it cars, luxurious condos, clothes, everything she wanted.
"Nope. I have things handled", I said honestly,"I'll be flying to the Philippines later this evening to resolve matters"
"Philippines? And you didn't think about telling me?"
"It was a last minute decision. The clients aren't easy to deal with, you know", I complained.
She reached for my hands, caressing them lightly as she smiled.
"My dad can help you, you know"
The whole mood turned sour. The last thing I needed was Julian Perez's help and I was sick and tired of Crystal suggesting it everytime I encountered a problem.
"I can do this on my own. It's my company, I'll deal with everything myself", my voice changed to a raspy sharp one.
"Ethan, I didn't mean that you can't handle everything yourself. Am letting you know that there's no shame in asking for help"
"How long am I going to keep asking for help? Crystal, your dad may have contributed to me being where I am but I want to be my own man not just some guy dependent on his girlfriend's father"
"Ooh okay, it was merely a suggestion",she said abruptly taking her hands off mine.
"Look I didn't mean that I don't want any help but I-there are things I have to do by myself and so should you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to finish"
I went back to the mountain of papers on my desk, hearing Crystal's footsteps recede out of my office.
Nina got me the exact location of where Mr Buchan was staying and by four in the evening, I had already called my pilot asking him to get the jet ready.
"So about the new maid", Jai trailed off, his scrutinizing look peering at me at the front mirror while I sat in the back seat of my Mercedes AMG G63.
"What about her?" I asked indignantly.
"She seems nice. I almost didn't recognize her as the coffee girl",he jeered.
I almost forgot that she was coming in today. With everything going on, her moving into my house was the last thing on my mind.
"Am not really sure if she's as nice as she seems", I scoffed glaring outside the window.
"Why hire her then?" Jai asked.
We hadn't really gotten the chance to talk. And I hadn't told him specifically about Aliya Torres, about how she owed me or about how she was the culprit behind the wasabi accident.
"She owes me money so she is simply working for me"
"Does Crystal know about her?"
Jai's question was a little off guard. What did Crystal have to do with anything?. And if even if she knew what good would it be for her?
"No. Why?"
"Well I don't know, you have a maid who is hotter than the Kardashians combined, I'd think Crystal would be jealous if such a woman lived with you under the same roof"
I chuckled...a warm hearty chuckle. Aliya Torres was beautiful but I couldn't categorize her as hot...not that hot atleast.
And please, Crystal was a decent woman who trusted me wholly. She wasn't the type to be jealous or insecure.
Plus insecure of what exactly? Aliya Torres was the type of force men stayed away from. She was rude, had a temper, wild and overly pessimistic.
"Chuckle all you want but that was definitely the wrong move buddy. Beautiful women tend to be dangerous but kind women tend to be even more dangerous"
That didn't even make sense. At all.
"I have a girlfriend. A beautiful one at that, believe me the last thing I would do is cheat on her", I retorted defensively.
"That's what all loyal husbands say before they meet their mistresses"
"Since when did you start being some sort of relationship guru? You have never been in a relationship as far as I know", I asked recalling our days in highschool.
Jai Hayes was always the badboy, the college football player that girls swooned over. He was the type that changed girls faster than he replaced his shoulder pads on a football match.
"You would be surprised by how much I know about relationships",he muttered taking a sharp left just down the road that led to my house.
The iron gates automatically opened as Jai drove down to the driveway.
I walked into the house, throwing the keys to occasional spot and hanging my coat on the rack.
I followed the smell of freshly cut oranges into the kitchen. The sound of mariachis playing caught my attention as a chubby woman danced to the tune squeezing oranges against a squeezer.
"Mila?" I called out.
"Ethan!" She shouted turning off her phone and leaving everything to hug me.
"Oh dear boy, your mom was right, you are growing skinny",she teased letting go of me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked questioningly.
Mila Canela, had been my nanny ever since I was five so seeing her here instead of my mom's house was a bit shocking.
She was the same except for the two to three grey hairs on her head and some wrinkles on her face. She still loved mariachis though.
I remember on my tenth birthday while mom got me a new bike, Mila bought me a pair of maracas so that I could learn how to be a spanish musician. I ended up throwing the maracas one week later in our garbage can having grown weary of them.
"Your mom, she was worried about the new girl working here so she sent me to help her out",she grinned cheerfully.
It was ironical that instead of sending a young energetic middle aged woman to help Aliya, mom had sent Mila, a fifty something old woman to help out.
"Ah-ah I know that look. I may look old but these bones are tougher than you know"
"I don't doubt that but mom shouldn't have bothered. Aliya can handle the work in the house by herself"
"Nonsense! It's a good thing your mom sent me here. She couldn't manage you and the house all by herself",Mila nearly smacked me while she pointed her chubby finger at me.
"Where is she by the way?" I asked scanning around.
I hadn't seen her in the living room, nor in the dining room, frankly I doubted she was even in the house.
"Somewhere around the house. The girl has been working non stop since she got here"
"As she should", I whispered under my breath.
"What?" Mila asked giving me the stink eye.
"Nothing. Nothing. Am glad you are here", I said walking out of the kitchen, up the stairs to my bedroom.
Once I slipped into my bedroom, I got a small duffel bag stuffing a few clothes inside. I grabbed a few Visas too incase I lasted longer in the Philippines than I had expected.
I took off my watch before going to the door to lock it. Afterwards I slowly unbuttoned my shirt, throwing it in the laundry basket.
I unzipped my pants and took off my briefs throwing all of them in the laundry basket too. I was about to turn around and head to the bathroom when I heard,
"Ah-chew!"
Someone sneezed.
I was naked like a new born baby.
I didn't bother to cover up.
Rather my eyes went to the floor length curtain where someone was clearly hiding behind.
I walked towards it stealthily, if it was a thief, I would easily punch the living daylights out of him but that sneeze was way out too sharp to be a man's...it resembled a child's or a woman's.
The only two women in the house were Mila and Aliya. I had left Mila downstairs and Aliya was somewhere in the house but she wouldn't hide.
She wasn't the type to hide behind curtains like a frightened lamb.
My hand grabbed hold of the brown curtains pulling them back to see someone standing there nervously.
"You?"
I asked watching her innocent eyes glide down from my face to my manhood.
