Empty swimming pools ✓

22. Do me favour

Micah stutters, obviously put in an awkward position, and William just sighs. He knows why Nina doesn't want to go to Four Seasons, William himself isn't sure why he would go back there. He isn't staying there anymore, since he moved back to England with Nina, they were staying at Charlotte's house temporarily until they found their own forever home. Forever. Yes, William still needs to repeat that word just so he gets used to it.

"It's fine Micah, just stick with Nina's choice. She already messaged me about it."

He is tired, it is only one in the afternoon and he is tired. He takes a deep breath and they leave the pub, at this hour of the day plenty of people are rushing around, talking speedily on their phones, all dressed in similar suits. William is just in front of the building with two glass spinning doors, and floor to ceiling glass walls when his phone starts ringing. A smile shows up when he sees his friend's name on the screen.

"Liam. Finally, man, what took you so long?" hushed speaking is heard in the background as soon as he enters the lobby, but he is now used to it. Everyone is still talking about the new CEO, being only 27 but a millionaire, his previous career in Broadway theatre not in business, him being in every gossip magazine in the past few months. Him showing his tattooed skin under rolled up sleeves of his branded shirts. After he left Broadway he felt more rebellious, wanted to paint his skin with images of things that meant to him, and got quite addicted.

"Yeah, listen, I gotta go know, I'm in a meeting but please, please let's meet later today."

William tells his friend that just came from New York to visit his family and William desperately needs an escape from work and this new life that he really doesn't mind. He just really misses some simplicity that New York offered him, that's all, he's sure Liam can give him that. He enters a large meeting room on the top floor, puts the phone down and grabs a file from Micah. This is what he was meant to be doing, everything else was just an illusion.

*

"I adore these photographs Nina, you look stunning!" Charlotte says while flicking through the phone and sipping her rose wine. "No offence, big brother, you look... alright." Her grin is cheeky.

"You're hilarious." William snickers while still chewing on his medium rare steak; he is not annoyed with Charlotte's joking - constant bickering and jokes is rather normal for two siblings. It is the internet portals and magazines all over the country with pictures of William and Nina leaving a fancy restaurant in Paris last month.

Nina was wearing a stunning diamond ring, and the gossip about their engagement started spreading like wildfire. Son of Baron Hamilton-Smith, famous British mogul and one of the members of the extended royal family, Gabriel William Hamilton-Smith sparks rumours he's engaged to his girlfriend actress Nina Perry as she's spotted wearing a diamond ring on a romantic holiday in Paris. He is definitely in the spotlight after moving back to England and taking over Hamilton-Smith's business.

Soon after that, they confirmed it by giving an exclusive interview, which really wasn't William's thing, but he agreed to it eventually. It certainly made Nina happy.

"We were thinking of doing the exclusive with Hello! first but I just couldn't refuse the offer OK! magazine made." Nina beams from her seat next to William while Jack, Charlotte's husband, just gives him a sympathetic look from across the table.

"I understand now why you moved across the ocean, mate." William nods at this, he became quite fond of Jack and is really happy to see his little sister find somebody who treats her right and is a decent person to be around. "This family of yours is crazy." They all laugh after Charlotte playfully hits him, their waiter tops up their wine glasses in a luxurious atmosphere of prestigious Le Gavroche and William is content, finally everything seems to click.