Someone to Love

Thirteen

"Miss Hayden?" Roger the parking garage security guard for HI greeted me as I stopped for entrance.
"Hi, Roger."
"You're back!"
I smiled.
"Oh, no. My father just wanted to see me for something. I'm still in sabbatical."
"That's too bad, I kinda miss having a friendly face smile at me every time someone enters."
"I'll be back soon, don't worry. I just thought I needed time for myself. Roger, I think you should too."
"I have to work for my family, miss."
Roger's family is in the Philippines, and I've seen the photo before, he as four wonderful kids, a beautiful wife, and he is very motivated to work for them, he sees them as their motivation and that's why I like this guy. Unlike my father, who works hard for profit and fame.
"Roger, I'll be back but I really have to talk to AH first." I said
"On your way, Miss Hayden. And I have really missed you." He said
"Same here, Roger."
My parking space looked like it hasn't been parked on ever since I left, it's near AH1's spot and his Bentley is parked already.
Spencer, his chauffeur was looking at my car, well I suppose at me but then the tint is just too dark.
"Hey, Spence!" I said as I went out the car.
"Miss Hayden, good morning." He said
"Is he here already?" I asked
"Just dropped him a few minutes ago, how have you been, Miss Hayden?" He asked
"I've been very well, thank you very much. How about you?"
"I'm okay. I think he's expecting you."
"Yeah, I guess I'll see you soon."
The time is 8:12 in the morning and I really think my father would appreciate me arriving early, I mean, I don't really know what are we gonna talk about today and I'm sure as hell that it's not important, so might as well come early.
My HI ID is still with me and I hope that my code would still come through, but then I realized I was gonna use AH1's elevator, and I have the passkey.
Lily was there to welcome me, sort of. She stared at me as if I have gone lost or that she has seen a ghost.
"Miss Hayden! You're here early." She said
"Hi, Lily. I think my dad has me on his schedule today."
"It's 8:20."
"Yeah, he'd really like it if I come early, so that he can go back to work and I can go back to whatever I want to do."
She nodded.
"I'll see if he can see you now."
I dressed ever so elegantly-smart-casual today.
Well, I dressed expensively today. Like I'm an independent woman who doesn't need money from her father. I don't really know if he unfroze my accounts, I mean I think I may be able to buy Melia's apartment building for all I know.
Lily came back and I noticed that she was wearing nude Louboutin's.
"Nice shoes." I said
"Oh, thanks."
Credit cards work wonders.
I mean, I'm sure as hell that her monthly pay check can't afford Louboutin's, unless she's really a good saver.
"You can now enter, Ara." She said
"Thanks."
My father sat on his seat, drinking his either morning coffee or morning scotch.
I like to think that that my brother looked a lot like my father. But then if my brother heard me say that, he'd smack my head, call him an idiotic bastard but never tell him that he looks like his father. Well, looked.
I don't know how people imagine my father but this father doesn't have a dad-bod, in fact if it weren't for the fine lines on his face, he would be mistaken for a college student or something. Or just my older brother.
We Haydens' have a reputation for ageing ever so gracefully. My brother aged so gracefully that death came earlier than his wrinkles.
"Hello, father." I said
"Ara." He replied as I took my seat.
"You're not one to ask me how am I doing, so why don't we get to the point?"
"How are you doing?" He asked
I rolled my eyes, that's my father trying to do that Dad-thing.
"Never been better actually."
He nodded.
"How was Seoul?"
My father is really trying this dad thing.
"You know I love travelling, so it's just another destination for me to unwind and release myself."
"With your S&C board member of a boyfriend?"
"I don't see what's wrong with that. I mean, he's a great guy and I just recently found out that he came from S&C, I didn't go out with him because he is from that company."
"So, you expect me to believe that the guy you're seeing coincidentally came from our rival company?"
"Believe what you want to believe, you never did side with me anyway. Especially when Art died."
"He didn't just have a brain aneurysm. There had to be a cause-"
"He's a football player, the fucking captain, of course he hit his head before."
"We're not here to discuss Art are we? Because I know that whatever I say, you still choose to believe that I killed him. "
"No, we are not here to discuss about my son. But we are here to discuss something."
"Well, you called me here so what are we gonna talk about?"
"First, here." He handed me back my credit card wallet.
"What is this for?"
"It was wrong of me to take it."
I raised my eyebrow.
"You're giving it back?"
Okay, the wise thing to do is actually give it back. I mean, duh it's like being the better woman. But I think I'm gonna need it.
I simply opened my wallet and got the one with the highest limit and set my wallet back in the table.
"You can keep it. I'm just gonna take one." I said
"Why keep one when you can keep it all?" He said
"Because, for the past months, I felt free. Free enough to be independent and experience the world as it is-"
"And I haven't been able to show you that? Show you what the world is? Ara, I showed you the world."
"Literally. Fly anywhere, any time. Use the private jet. I thank you for that-"
"And I insist that you keep this whole card collection of yours. See the world-"
"Dad, I don't want to live lavish-"
"What, you're gonna live off with that boyfriend of yours' money? Just because he took you to Seoul-"
"I paid for myself in Seoul. He paid for nothing."
"Ara, please? Just take the cards, use them. Think of it as me paying back all the unfairness and trouble that I've cost you-"
Hmm, if he presented it that way it's quite considerable, I mean my room in Lucas' apartment does need some re-decoration.
And I need shoes. Seeing Lily in those So Kate pumps made me realize that I left my pair of those shoes at Southampton.
Wait.
"You need something." I said
"Pardon?"
"The last time you did this to me was when I caught you with some girl. You paid my silence off."
That's why the one card that I chose was so important to me, it was the black card.
He breathed.
I put the black card in my bag and looked at him.
"Are you cheating on Mother again? Not that I'd care, I mean Art is gone. Screw who you wanna screw, it's your public image anyway."
"I'm having a merger with Paxton Atlantic."
"And you want me to close it? I'm not an employee of Hayden Industries anymore. Wait, a merger? It's gonna be called what, Paxton-Hayden Industries? Fucking PHI?"
HI, [eych-ai] to PHI [fee]? That sounds stupid.
"No, it's more like I'm buying Paxton Atlantic."
I raised my eyebrow.
"And business is business but they're insisting on something, for this uh, partnership."
"What? They already are a few blocks away from us. I doubt they could even fit in a floor level."
"No, and my foot is already half way through the door with this."
Then his phone rang, and I assume it was Lily because he just said send him in.
"Send who in?" I said
The door opened and Dad stood up, so I did too and I faced the door.
A tall guy, blonde, prominent facial features, nice nose bridge, okay lips, walked in wearing a three-piece Italian suit, and of course, Louboutin's por homme.
"Good morning, Al." The guy said as he approached the table.
"William, good to see you." Dad said as he shook his hand.
"Pleasure is all mine."
"Uh, Will, this is my daughter, Ara. Ara, this is William Paxton."
"Hello, I'm Ara Hayden." I said, offering my hand.
"Will." He said, shaking it.
Dad gestured us to take a seat.
"As I was saying to Ara a while ago, Paxton and Hayden have been talking about a possible partnership and to strengthen that bond-"
"Actually, if I may interject, this partnership would only be possible if you're in it, Ara." William said
"Well, I don't know what is going on. I have been on sabbatical for quite some time I'm afraid I'm not on the loop anymore." I said
"Is it okay if I explain it, Al?" William said
"By all means."
I don't know who this guy is, if he is some kind of son of a company owner, then I guess he isn't from the same circle as I am. Maybe Paxton is a new company? But I'd know, it's just a few blocks away. Unless, they're into a different industry. Again, they are just a few blocks away from us. From what side?
To the west, all major companies. To the north and the south are the malls, and to the east are the small companies.
I've been to almost all buildings in the west side, and none of them are offering a floor or two or even a building for a company to use.
Which suggest that this comes from the east side, the small companies.
I looked at my father, and I looked at William Paxton, who seemed to be talking endlessly about whatever this meeting is about.
What does Hayden Industries lack? A publishing house? Do people still read actual books?
Logistics?
"This isn't just a partnership meeting." I said
"Excuse me?" William said
"Where is Paxton Atlantic located?"
"E-"
E. East.
"What does it do?"
"Ara, what are you-" Dad said
"Mainly logistics." William said
"And you're planning on partnering with them, why?"
"Ara, the compass thing is old and outdated. Paxton Atlantic is the fastest growing logistic company in the world, they can send any parcel to any part of the world."
"So, you're gonna invest in that?"
"I am. And you're partnering with them."
"Me? I'm not heading that logistics thing, if I may, I am not interested with-"
"I don't need you to be interested in logistics. I need you to marry him. For business purposes."
I looked at William.
"What?" I said
"It's kinda what I said a while ago, this partnership wouldn't be possible if you're not in it." William said
I am speechless.
Think.
Quick.
"Not that he's awful but I am not associated with the company anymore." I said
"You are, you're still using my name." Dad said
I shook my head.
Think quick, Ara.
"No, uh, I don't work for Hayden Industries anymore-"
"All the more that you can transact and-"
Think!
"I'm engaged." I said
"Excuse me?" Dad said
I nodded.
"Yeah, it happened in Seoul. Lucas proposed, I said yes. I really didn't expect the meeting to go like this, in fact I didn't even know that this meeting is about this. And I didn't even know that there was a thing like this happening here. I'm sorry but I have to decline, I'm already engaged." I said
That's too quick of a thinking.
"You're engaged? To S&C?"
"No, not to the company. To Lucas. So, I'm sorry if this deal again, isn't gonna go well because of me."
"Break it up." Dad said
"Al-" William started
"There isn't a ring." Dad said
"Korean's aren't big on rings." I said
"Break it up." Dad said
He looked at me, probably looking for any signs of lies.
"I don't believe you." Dad said
"Yes, it's true. In fact, we're so decided that we are going to get married in February. The 25th to be exact." I said
"Where?" Dad said
"We're looking in to Seoul or New York, it depends on his work load."
"Again, Ara, break it up."
"No, I'm going now. And this maybe the last time I ever step foot in this place."  I said, standing up.
"Nice meeting you, Mr. Paxton." I said, offering my hand.
And he shook it, as much as he's shocked by the happenings.
"Pleasure is all mine, Miss Hayden and congratulations." He said
"Thank you."
I gave my father one last glance and walked away.
Apparently, I engaged myself.
Apparently, I'm engaged.
"Miss Hayden-" Lily started
"It was nice seeing you again, Lily." I said and rode the elevator.
Spencer was not near the car when I arrived at the parking garage so I entered my car and drove away fast, but I stopped by Roger first.
"Miss Hayden, leaving already?" He said
"Yeah, I just paid my father a visit. Uh, I know you're being paid okay here but-" I glanced at the rear view mirror first to see if anyone is behind me, gladly none, and grabbed my purse and handed Roger an envelope.
"Here, you're a good friend and I really want to help you out-"
"Miss Hayden, I couldn't-"
"Please, I know you've been giving your money mostly to your family and this is enough to split even with your family and you. As a way of saying thank you." I said
"Miss Hayden-"
I placed it on his hands.
"I have to go, so live fully, Roger." I said
"Thank you Miss Hayden. Truly." He said
I smiled and then drove away from Hayden Industries.
Okay, going back to whatever happened a while ago.
I'm now engaged, one sidedly, to Lucas.
And we are going to get married on the 25th.
Fuck.
That's like a month away or so.
How am I gonna tell him about this?
Oy, I think I'm gonna have to live far away, change my name and maybe my father won't find me. I'll just have to dye my hair darker.
I think I'm gonna go stop at a Rolex store, I kinda have to tell him tonight because we're gonna have to get married next month and we both have to be prepared for it.
Oy, Ara what have you got yourself into?