Chapter 3: Chapter 3

I drive to the Holiday inn Hotel, situated at the Toronto Downtown center. I give my keys to the man in a black suit for him to park my car and get to my room demoralized by this night I thought would be nice and full of love.

I enter my room and find Marco, my assistant, and confident sitting in front of my laptop, probably responding to my messages.

"Hey, so how was the projection?" He asks me while turning to look at me.

I sit on the bed and pass my hand through my face, wondering what I may tell him. I am so damned sad!

" Ohh! What happened?" He asks, insisting.

" I don't want to talk about business now Marco!" I say while looking at the floor trying to calm down.

" Okay then you need a friend," he says while removing his eyeglass.

He always does that when he needs to change from the professional assistant he is to my simple friend Marco. I turn and look at him with the worst face ever made. Even when I don't succeed in getting a contract, I don't get so sad as now.

" So what is wrong dude?" He asks me.

" I found her, but I think I lost her!" I says Melancholically.

" Whom are you talking about?" He asks

" I told you my story with the girl I loved in South Africa, do you remember? " I ask me.

" Yes!"

" Okay, then am talking about her."

" So you found her! And why did you say you lose her?" He asks.

I stand with anger and get my hand to my waist while explaining the situation to Marco.

" I told her I would find her after two years...yet it's been four years Marco and she can't forgive me for that."

" But you searched for her right!"

" Yes! Do you remember two years ago I went to South Africa and there I found her best friend Lily? She told me Leaticia had gone to continue her studies in Toronto and I couldn't go there anymore. I had to work for my father at that time. I wasn't able to travel as I wanted like now cause I was still working with my father before being the boss I am today." I say sitting down again.

" Why can't you tell her that?"

" She hates me!"

" Have you try?"

" Yes, but she had thrown this ring I gave her," I say removing the ring and showing it to Marco." In a sign of my promise made to her."

" If she was able to keep this ring for more than two years, then you have to continue fighting for her."

I knew that, and I also know Leaticia isn't easy as a girl. When we were in South Africa, for me to chat with her was all a problem. Always doubting and asking herself millions of questions, but I finally conquered her and here we are...without any parents to control us, free of what to do with our life but I feel like I lose her. Marco was right I have to fight for her, I promise her to become someone for her and me, she is part of my life project and I am not the type of person who abandons rapidly.

No time to cry or lament anymore I have to wake up and seduce her again no matter what.

" You are right! I have to fight for our happiness, for what we aimed to do together. I know she still loves me and this ring she kept for so long, is the proof she loves me and no one else."

" Right men!"

" Thank you! You are always there for me." I say while greeting him fraternally.

" You're welcome, dude. Goodnight, tomorrow is a big day." He says, yawning and getting out of my hotel room before getting to his.

I remove my black suit and arrange it in my wardrobe. Undress and get a shower.

Marco is right, tomorrow is a great day, the first round!

I finish my shower, check at my messages, and find some from my mother asking me where I am. I ignore that and go to bed.

The next day, I am already dressed professionally in a gray suit as usual and with eyeglasses.

Well comb hairs, good perfume odor, well iron and elegant suit, I feel charismatic! Like every day, I feel like to be the boss and yet I am. It has always been my dream, to be someone for whom people will work and feel respect everywhere I go and thanks to my hard work, today is no more a dream but a reality.

I get to the car and ride to the Back Alley film production where we have our meeting. Already there, I step with Marco from the car and we direct ourselves to the office of Mr. Kevin Blaise.

Marco goes to the secretary and asks to see Mr. Blaise. The secretary does not call him or go and tell him we are here, she smiles and asks us to enter because Mr. Blaise was already waiting for us. We enter and Mr. Kevin Blaise gets up and greets us before inviting us to sit down.

I unbutton my suit and sit.

" Well, I'm glad to see you here Mr. Smith."

" Yeah, Mr. Smith is there because he always dares to accomplish his engagements," Marco says.

" Is it a real pleasure to have one of the worldwide businessmen in industrialization and agriculture ever had here!" Mr. Kevin says.

" Thank you, but when is the meeting?" I ask.

" Just now, I think everyone is already at the meeting room."

" Okay so… of how much are we talking about here?" I ask.

" To be honest with you, we haven't yet estimated the price but very soon you will be aware Sir!" Mr. Blaise says.

I agree and he informs us to wait in his office for him to present us in the meeting room.

A few minutes have passed and I am still on my phone. Someone could think I am answering messages but no, I am looking at the Instagram of Leaticia. She has changed so much. I mean physically! She is more beautiful than before, she is more a woman than I could say. I was impressed seeing her in her beautiful gown yesterday, her brown skin color looked softer than ever and the only envy I had... Was to venture on it. Her black eyes were shiny and beautiful as ever, she is more shaped than before and invades in me excitement. I couldn't recognize her anymore if I didn't see her on stage thanking everyone for her movie.

Am here for her. When we were in South Africa, she talked to me about her writing talent, but I wasn't very interested in arts so I ignored it and at that time I couldn't support her, though financially or even emotionally because I didn't take it seriously. But now I know how she loves what she does and I want to support her since I couldn't before.

I switch my phone when Marco signals us to enter the meeting room. We get there and I enter when Mr. Blaise presents me to everyone as the new sponsor and investor of his project for the movie.

I could see Leaticia looking at me surprise and suspicious about my presence. I remove my eyeglass and range it in my pocket suit.

" His name is Derick Smith, he will be the potential sponsor for the Above All trip we agree to organize to thank all the fans for their support. He is a rich businessman working in the industrial domain in the USA and Agricultural domain in South Africa." Mr. Robert says " Do you have some questions, Elizabeth? Spencer? Taylor? Allan? Leaticia ?"

" Yes, I have a question!" Leaticia says while looking at me dangerously.

Fuck it! I love her eyes. It misses me. No!... Time to be serious.

" Mr. Smith? That is it?" She asks.

Oh, she wants to play. She wants us to act like strangers, well am playing, no worry.

" Yes, Madam Nomsi," I reply.

Nomsi! I loved calling her like that just to tease him. Or if needed to, I could call her my African Beauty or else my princess. But she rather loved I called her "princess"

" Why does an industrial and agricultural businessman want to invest in a cinematographic project? She asks.

" ( Smirk) madam Nomsi, I love encouraging talent and I think you have one. I saw the positive effect your book made on some teenagers since you published your book. They are now more interested in reading, which wasn't the case before. So I decided to do so, cause I want to encourage all of you to continue. There is not only business who interests me, Madam Nomsi." I say.

She looks at me rudely before arranging her documents in front of her after Mr. Blaise signals the end of the meeting. I ask Marco to wait for me in the car. The others go out but the famous Allan insists to stay with Lea but she tells him to go before she comes.

It is an opportunity for me to talk to her. I don't think I have to leave this matter. I just have to insist while playing at the game she started.

I get to the door and close it before she goes, she once more looks at me rudely.

" What are you doing?" She asks me harshly.

" I need...no! I want to talk to you." I say sure of me.

" And I have nothing to say to you, Mr. Smith." She says trying to go but I stop her.

I kiss her forcefully under her efforts to pull me out of her causing her papers to fall. She pushes me and slaps me hardly.

" DON'T YOU ever kiss me again Derick!"

Well, I received a slap but had the pleasure to hear her calling my surname once more.

She bends to pick her papers rapidly with anger.

" Come to the Holiday Inn Hotel at room 105!" I say.

She stands up and looks at me with rage and strangeness as if I said something stupid.

" You are crazy if you think I will come." She says.

" Then the next time I will kiss you, it will no longer be in a room but outside in front of everyone. What do you think?" I say.

" That you are an asshole!" She says while opening the door and getting out furious.

I know Leaticia, she will come. She is harsh but curious!!