Chapter 101: Chapter 101

(Avery’s Thoughts)

I am still in bed when I am awakened by Jeff’s voice who seemed to be having an argument with someone over the phone.

I turn around and he notices me. He puts the phone down and sits beside me in bed. He embraces me and kissed me on the lips.

I see his brows furrowed so I know something’s wrong. I get up and scratch my eyes and then inquires about the phone call,

“Babe? Is everything okay? I woke up from your voice,” I utter.

“I’m sorry I woke you up, you should go back to sleep,” he says while smiling and still, worry is all I see in his eyes.

“Is everything okay? You look worried. Tell me,” I convince him.

He sighs and hesitantly says, “Babe, I have to fly back to France, I am afraid I can’t join you for the signing session,” he sadly announces.

“What happened?” I stand up and go to the bathroom. I wash my face and go back to where he is.

I sit on his lap and he embraces me even more. He looks me in the eyes.

“It’s Uncle–”

The moment I hear it, my hear races fast, “–What happened to him? Is he, uh, okay? Do you want me to go with you, we can postponed the–”

“–No babe, just go as planned, and I-I will be fine, I promise,” he says while burying his face in betwee my breasts, “He has a minor heart attack, luckily, it happens at a restuarant, so some workers immediately brought him to the hospital. And thankfully, he didn’t hit his head.”

“Oh my God! Babe, we have to go to him!” I impose.

But he squeezes my cheeks, “No! I can handle this! Just be here and close the deal, that’s something you can do for us, right?” he says. And I nod and kiss him. Then he adds with a sad voice, “I will leave at noon.”

“But it’s already 10. You have to hurry. Want me to bring you to the airport?” I ask, but he disagrees.

“I see. Take care, babe. Send my regards to Uncle and please be careful, too,” I remind him.

“Yes. babe. Now, go back to sleep,” he puts me on the bed and gives me a hot torrid kiss on the lips. Then, he leaves the hotel.

***

I am waiting at the hotel entrance for Seid to pick me up. When he sees me, he honks and rolls down the window, “Where’s Jeff?” asks Seid.

“Why?” wondering Sied. And I opens the passenger door, and hops in, “Something happened to his Uncle and he needs ot take care of the restaurant,” I explain. “Let’s go!”

“I guess it is inevitable, let’s just proceed as planned,” Seid suggests, and I nod.

We drive straight to the rendezvous, a private conference room, as per the new owner’s preference. But as soon as we get there, Seid receives a call, something that he couldn’t decline, so he excuses himself,

“Ava, I need to answer this,” he mouths, and I tell him to go. I could hear him explaining to his boss why he couldn’t go there, but with the look on his face tells him how urgent it is.

He takes a deep sigh and accidentally looks at me. So I signal him to go and not to worry about me.

“Are you sure, Ava? I am really sorry, something urgent happened at the office, some important files from my drive went missing. It costs a million dollar deal,” he tries to explains to me while his phone is on mute.

“Yes, go now, you’ve done more than enough. I can handle this, okay?” and I wink at him. So he grabs his bag and dashes off.

When I am left alone, I take my airpods out of the case, connects it to my phone and listen to my playlist while waiting for appointment time and the buyer.

I wait patiently, feeling positive about this day.

Just right on time, my nose easily picks up his scent. I didn’t hear the door open nor footsteps behind me probably because of the airpods. But the scent indicate someone is already here. My heart races so fast because his perfume is unique and I am very much familiar with it.

Suddenly the positive feeling I had about this, turns out to be a bad omen.

From behind, Dmitri approaches me, he removes the airpods I am wearing while I am frozen on my seat then he whispers to my ear that electrocutes me,

“Welcome, my business partner, it would be my pleasure, one of the greatest curator in France,” he even says his warm greetings.

He kisses me on my cheeks, and sits as if nothing, “So, shall we start talking about our terms?”

***

(Dmitri’s Thoughts)

I am watching Seid and Avery from the other room when I dial someone, “Hey, I need you to do something for me. Will you let a file disappear in front of our storage syste, for about half a day?”

The one I am talking to, assures he could make it happen, so I share him the file name and wire the payment to his bank account.

A few minutes later, I see Seid pick up a call, looks tensed and in panic, “Bingo! Nice job, Luke! Sorry Seid, but I need to talk to Avery alone. Your service is no longer needed,” my inner self celebrates.

Then he grabs his back and runs out of the room. I zoom in Avery’s face, she seems happy and excited. I look at her gorgeous eyes and focus on her lips, “God! How I miss those lips!” I cuss.

Then I see her wears her airpods and listens to music. She enjoys it and grooves to the music a little. So I go out of the room where I am in, ask the security team to remove the recording right away, and go straight to where my love is.

I slowly and gently open the door, and as I expected, she doesn’t hear a thing. I lean on the closed door and listen to her blissful humming.

I can even hear her heartily humming a song, “Cause I remember it, oh, all, too, well…”

Her voice isn’t the singing type of voice, but even if she’s tone deaf, I still want to hear her sing like this, “Wind in my hair, you were there, you remember it all.”

My smile widens as she continues to jive in whatever song she’s singing, “Down the stairs, you were there, you remember it all.”

Then suddenly she stops, and she begins to move. “Did she already notice I am here?” I ask myself.

So even before she can run away from me again. I lock the door, and holds the only keycard that could open this door, and then my heavy footsteps approach her from behind.

I can see her straightening her posture, so I put my face on her shoulder whispering something, kiss her on her cheeks, and then sit in front of her, “So, shall we start talking about our terms?”

***

Baffled by the situation, she remains frozen and glued to her seat. So I call her out, “Miss Anderson, do you need some hot water or tea to melt your frozen state?”

And with my ridiculous statement, our bickering begins.

“You? Again?” she finally recovers from her shock and then lashes out at me. “What the hell is wrong with you, huh? Why do you keep on following me?”

I laugh at her, and that even made her annoyed, “I am leaving now,” she announces.

“Sad to say, only this card cna open that door, so either we talk, or we kiss. Choose wisely!” I confidently utter.

She snickers at me, “Just when will you realize that it is over for us? I am marrying Jeff, and that’s why I am selling my apartment!”

I squeeze my hands that are locked together because of what I heard, then I respond to her, “Until you realize that it is I you love and not him!”

She scowls and gets even angrier, “You are just so full of yourself, aren’t you?”

“That’s because I am loaded,” I even joke around. “And you wouldn’t still be standing here, if you are no longer interested in me,” I say.

“Huh, the only reason why I am standing here is you keep on butchering my happy life, and you locked me in this room,” she counters.

“Indeed, just because I told you it was locked, you believed me without hesitation. You still don’t get it do you, that I still have that effect on you,” I continue teasing her.

“Yes, the effect to ruin my day,” she says. She’s about to walk out of the door, so I drop the bomb, “Once you go out of that room, the contract you first signed will be nullified,” I cross my arms.

She looks back at me and grins, “The better!”

“I expected you to say that, it seem Seid didn’t brief you of the non-cancellation, or it seems your ex didn’t thoroughly look at the documents,” I grin back at her.

“What are you talking about?” she asks impatiently.

Now, I finally got her attention, “Get back hear and let’s talk. I’ll show you that part of the contract.”

With her heavy steps, she walks back upset, and then takes out the copy of documents she has.

“Now, go to this section, 8.1.1 - Non-Voidable Contract, and let me know if you have some questions after reading it,” I suggest her while still wearing a wide smile on my lips.

I even warn her, “Well, as per the contract, it doesn’t limit to whom you are going to deal with, and the fact that he signed as my representative only means we are partners, after all. And should you terminate the contract, you’ll be paying three folds, are you sure you can do that?”

I watch her closely as she puts so much effort in reading the whole contract. Then I notice her biting her lips and furrowing her brows.

“Goodness, stop doing that Avery, you are so fucking hot. Stop doing it or I have no choice but to take you now!” I clasped the arm rests of the chair where I am sitting, and temporarily look away.

“Shit!” I hear her curse, “What the fuck is this? This is unfair! Three hundred percent of the purchase price? Is this how you do your business Dmitri?” she sulks.

“Yet, you temporarily signed it, why didn’t you read it? SO it is better to just renegotiate the terms rather than voiding the contract,” I counter.

“I need to speak with my legal adviser first,” she tells me, but even if I am not really in a hurry, I need to be firm.

“I am not a free man Miss Anderson, I don’t have the luxury to give you a long time,” I use my stern voice deliberately.

She looks at me with her sexy raging eyes. And because of this, I will give her some leniency, “Tomorrow. We need to finalize everything by tomorrow.”

“O-okay, fine!” she says feeling helpless. “Can I leave now?” she even adds.

My heart sunkens, but I can still wait until tomorrow. So I hand over the card to her, “Here, take this,” and as soon as she snatches it from my hand, she dashes off faster than The Flash.

***

(Avery’s Thoughts)

I open the hotel door after confirming it is Seid, “What the hell just happened?” he asks me worriedly. “I received your text messages and I rushed here. Is it true?” while still on the door.

“Come on in,” I invite him, and then prepares something to drink.

We sit and talk on the table. Seid and I exchange looks, and then he initiates while I pspace out, “So, is it true? It was Dmitri? That jerk!” Seid curses.

I gulp, and my mind is a bit confused.

Seid pats my back and comforts me, “Hey, we can still get out of this contract,” he says, “And I am sorry. It was my fault for not reviewing it thoroughly.”

I look at him and shakes my head, “It was mine, I was the one who signed desperately. When I thought the deal was good in terms of money, I didn’t consider anything else,” I cover my face with my palm.

“Hey, I’ll find a way,” Seid never stops comforting me.

“No, he made sure of that, you know how sly and smart he is,” I cry to him.

I have no choice but to convey, so I am going to meet him tomorrow, once and for all.