Arranged

~2~

It had been days since my encounter with the man in the park, yet the conversation I had with him still haunted me, if only there was something I could have done for him.

"Liana can you give me a hand?" From the back of the store I heard my boss Dustin call me, sounds like we are getting new flowers that needed to be processed, I love making bouquets especially together with Dustin, together we can make the most beautiful things and I have learned a lot from him over the years. I take a quick look around the store to see if there are any customers and then walk to the back, I find Dustin between the new load of roses. "How beautiful they are again today and how nice they smell! Just in time for Valentine's Day!" I have to smile at his enthusiasm and look at all the newly arrived flowers at my leisure. "How lovely they smell, too, having just been delivered."

"Do you have a boyfriend this year Liana?" Dustin asks as we are making of the bouquets. "No, unfortunately there is no time for a relationship." "Still not?" "No if there was someone you would have been the first to hear about it, but besides my work I am away from home too often to have to go to the hospital with Jesse." "Is he still that bad?" "Unfortunately yes and the treatments are getting more and more expensive. I should almost have another job to be able to support my father a little bit with those costs." "I wish I could help you but I'm already paying you above average." Dustin doesn't know where to look for a moment and focuses back on his work. "It doesn't matter it will be fine!" I try to keep my spirits up.

When I get back to the office after my meeting there is a stack of papers on my desk, I asked one of my co-workers if they could find out through the company name of the flower store with whom I had contact a while ago, it took a while before I heard anything and so I am curious to know who she is and what she was doing in daily life, I rummage through the papers and soon find out that she is in a very unpleasant situation. This surprises me even more that she wanted to listen to my story.

When I have read through all the papers I put them in a drawer of my desk, I am determined to find her and I would like to help her, for me the cost of her brothers treatments is so affordable. My thoughts are interrupted when there is a knock on the door, I look at my watch, he is right on time. "Come in!" I say and slowly my office door opens and Lando walks in. "You wanted to see me?" "Yes come in, sit down." Lando takes a seat across from me and I let out another moment of silence.

"So if I understand correctly you want me to marry her? I don't even know her, are you sure she's not just after your money dad?" "Just trust me and I don't want to hear any whining or I'll stop paying for your races." With that said I am looked at angrily, Lando gets up without saying anything and walks out of the room. It's time for him to learn what being an adult is, he can't hang around forever in self-pity over his failed relationship with his ex.

Angry I walk towards my car, I don't understand how my father is forcing my to marry someone I don't know. I hope she is smart enough to say no but she probably won't if she knows who my father is, it will probably be the same as always, girls who only want to be with me for my money and to carry my last name. My whole mood for the day is ruined, I had agreed with Max to join a stream but I don't feel like it anymore.

I slam my car door hard, now I regret not choosing to drive with my regular driver, I could use someone to talk to, I hurry home and when I walk into the lobby of my apartment it is still as crowded as this morning. I quickly step into the elevator to my penthouse, when the doors open I hear my housekeeper rummaging in the kitchen. I get off the elevator and walk past her into the kitchen. "Mr. Norris?" "What Angela?" "I didn't mean to bother you but in cleaning up your bedroom I found another earring in the sheets, what do you want me to do with this?" I roll my eyes, that will probably have been from one of the ladies I've had on the floor this week. "Just throw it away, for what I care." I immediately hear the trash can open and close and I continue my way to my room.

I let Max know I won't be gaming with him tonight and he immediately asks why, I don't feel like telling him what's bothering me so I throw it on a meeting at my dad's work that I have to attend, his response to that is that I shouldn't be so concerned with my dad's business, but he forgets that a large portion of the money my dad owns sponsors my team so we don't have to be at the very back of the grid every year. It's winter break and my dad expects that if everything goes the way he wants it to I'll be married before the start of the new season because he thinks I should grow up. A fit of anger flows through my body, I pull out my sports clothes to go for a run. As soon as I walk past the kitchen again with my earphones on maximum setting so I don't have to hear Angela I see her in the corner of my eye signaling to me. I take out my earpiece and ask her what's up. "Should I make sure dinner is ready when you get back sir?" "Fine, I'll be back in an hour." I walk to the elevator and press the button the doors open immediately and I get in.