" Have you talked to Aiden about it?" Sasha tried to balance my one year old niece Sandra in her arms.
" No I didn't. He will probably try to offer his help and I want to do this completely on my own. " I brushed some highlighter above my cheek bones and frowned. Two years later and I still had a baby face and no amount of make up was going to change that apparently .
" But I think your business idea could work . You only need the capital to get it going. Maybe Aiden would like your idea and decide to invest in it. Once you start making profits and giving him good returns you won't really owe him anything." Sasha placed Sandra in her crib.
" Sasha, Aiden might invest in this project even if he's not sure it's a good idea just for my sake. If God forbid this business fails I don't want to drag him down with me. If this business idea really has potential then I might be able to find other investors beside Aiden." I straightened my blue suede jacket and gave Sandra a kiss on her tiny head as I left for work.
I knew it was stupid . In the initial stages of a business venture people often turn to friends and family to act as ' angel investors' as strangers rarely invest in new ventures because of the uncertainty associated with them. It's just that I wanted to prove to everyone and most of all to myself that I can make it on my own in the world. Ever since I have started dating Aiden I have constantly been labelled as the ' Cinderella' type . Girl with no fortune or any influential relations or any extra ordinary talent whatsoever to snag the most eligible bachelor in the country. I didn't want what other people said to get to me but sometimes it did. And I literally felt like I had no identity of my own besides being Aiden Victor's girlfriend .
After work me and my three ' business partners' sat in our ' office' . A tiny room which despite our efforts at renovation still looked a little shabby. They were all girls I knew from college. My two friends Stacy and Candice and the third girl was none other than the social butterfly I once upon a time couldn't stand talking to : Jessica.
" The ' Funding Angels ' would be airing live this Friday. We seriously need to finalize our presentation. Sarah you know it will be you who is going to do all the talking." Candace said as she quickly typed away on her computer. The Funding Angels was a show on which people with new business ventures would present their ideas to the judges which were some of the biggest venture capitalists in the country. It would be up to the judges to decide which venture would be chosen as the winner. The winner would then receive the funding from the judges he or she needed. We had been preparing for it since weeks seeing how desperately we needed funding.
" What if I start to stammer or I don't know forget what I am supposed to say ? I will be on live television and the whole country is going to watch." I rubbed at my temples and the area around my eyes which were sore from all the reading they had done in the past couple of days.
" You had no problem defending your boyfriend on live television when the scandal about his mom happened." Stacy gave the others a wink and they started snickering.
" But those were really desperate times ". I gave the girls a mock frown.
" Well these are also really desperate times and if we don't win this thing then you have got to talk to Aiden about the investment." Jessica had been harping on about getting financial assistance from Aiden. I felt annoyed at her but part of me knew she wasn't exactly wrong. I needed to put my feelings aside for the sake of this business. If only I wasn't head over heels in love I wouldn't have hesitated to ask Aiden for an investment.
It was a relief when I made it past the reporters and the photographers flashing their cameras non stop at the guests arriving here. It was the opening ceremony of the new cultural center Victor Enterprises had launched and the place was buzzing with celebrities and people from the media.
The building had a neoclassical architecture and the front entrance was a great portico lined with huge greek style pillars. I adjusted my bun one last time and tried to get the tendrils of my hair to frame my face properly before I stepped in. Luckily I didn't look too out of place in my white chiffon dress and black high heels though the latter made me a little wobbly.
It wasn't that hard to track him down . There in the center of the room surrounded by a crowd of guests stood Aiden in a black tuxedo . He had a smile on his face and they all raised their glasses in a toast . I turned away deciding to wait for the group of guests to disperse so I could have him alone . I went to the section I was most interested in which was the table laden with food. I was stuffing myself up with the fried prawns when someone had the audacity to kiss me on the cheek . I could have sworn the eyes in the entire room had turned to us. I turned around a fake expression of sternness on my face to look at the handsome man smirking at me.
" Not in public Aiden."
" Relax or you will sound like a prudish grandma."
" I am seriously going to box your ears off ."
" Now that is something you shouldn't do in public." He took my hand and led me away from the room and I could feel the eyes of everyone following us as we left. We went past the gallery of renaissance style oil paintings out into a beautiful garden smelling of magnolia and roses. A statue of a woman holding a bucket sprouted water in the stone fountain .
" Is it just me or have you gotten even more beautiful ?" Aiden looked me over appreciatively.
" Maybe it's just because it's the first time you have properly looked at me in days. " I gave a petulant pout.
" You know I have been so busy with the launching of the cultural center . Please don't be mad."
" Come here then." I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his . He wrapped his arm around me one hand fisting gently in my hair as he returned the kiss.
" How's your business going these days?" Aiden asked as we sat at the edge of the stone fountain. I was trying to rearrange my now disheveled hair and hoping my lips didn't look too swollen or dress too crumpled up . The statue of the lady seemed to sneer at my attempts .
" It's going well , we are just wanting to expand it more." I was careful with my words . I knew it was Aiden's way of trying to find out if I needed any help. I think he knew I wanted to do things on my own so he didn't press any further.
" The initial stages are the hardest but I know you are going to get through." Aiden tried in vain to tuck my hair in place .
" Leave it. Leave it . You have ruined my hairstyle past saving ." I playfully batted his hand away. I tried to avoid talking about anything related to work as we spent the time looking at the various paintings and sculptures put on display. My favourite section was the library and I made a mental note to pay another visit when it wasn't so crowded with people. It used to feel claustrophobic being surrounded by people all the time and being in the spotlight , but I had some how gotten used to it. It felt like a small price to pay for being with the charming man who I knew would do anything for me.
Today was the day . I took deep slow breaths trying to calm my nerves waiting for my cue . My girl gang or business partners stood around me , Candace quizzing me about my presentation .
" You plan to launch an online food delivery service but what makes your service unique? What is your competitive edge ?"
" The food is tailor made according to the needs of our customers. Restaurants have fixed menus with limited options for customers . We plan to change that by letting our clients customize their meals as well as the timings and location of they want the meals delivered to on the contract. "
" Candace I think that's enough . Give Sarah time to relax." I shot Stacy a grateful look.
A few minutes later with trembling legs I walked on to the stage. The lights were too bright and there were too many people seated in the audience for my comfort. But the real horror dawned on me when I saw the judges.
Out of the three judges two men and one woman the female was someone I had seen before. Two years ago when the dark secrets of the Victor family had been revealed I had watched her interview. She had bluntly said it would be in Victor Enterprises best interest for Aiden to resign amidst all the scandals associated with his family. Now she sat before me looking as haughty as ever in a hounds tooth patterned wool jacket.
One of the judges a pudgy man with square framed glasses started with the question I dreaded the most.
" I must confess I am surprised to see you here. Since you have Mr.Victor who I believe can help you even more with your business than we might be able to."
" Actually I want people to invest in my idea because they are sure it will work not because they know me personally. "
" Who's your target market Miss Summers ?" She asked.
" Our target market is the nine to five white collar working class who are short on time . Our service will provide them with the meals they need at an affordable price so they can take time out for other activities like spending time with their families."
When I was done I felt like I had run a hundred meter race. Even though my girlfriends told me I had done great I somehow had a bad feeling about this. I had once heard the judges were confused between the contestants and selected the winner on the basis of who needed funding more. Since they knew I was with Aiden what if they thought I didn't really need the prize money and chose someone else?
Turns out I was right. The winner was a young man of around my age who had developed some online application. I knew that now I had no other option but to ask for Aiden's help. We prepared to leave feeling dejected and not saying anything to each other so we could hide our disappointment.
Just then I heard someone call out my name . I turned and saw it was Ms. Portman.
" Can I talk to you Ms. Summers?"
We were seated at a nearby café mugs of steaming coffee in front of both of us .
" I am not going to take much of your time. I just wanted to say that I liked your idea and would very much like to fund it. Of course we will have to work on the details with the rest of your business partners . I was hoping we could have a proper meeting on Friday perhaps?"
I couldn't believe my ears . It felt too good to be true. " You really liked my business plan ?"
" I have been a single working mom for most of my life and I wish a service such as yours could have existed so I could worry less about what my children ate." She stirred some sugar into her cup. " You have to understand the sexism that exists here . The two other judges felt wary about your business since you are all girls . I think it's time to break that stereotype . " Then she smiled at me and I knew it was genuine as I smiled back.
I smoothed out my black silk dress covered in sequins and patches of gossamer here and there as I stood on the rooftop , the chilly autumn air ruffling my hair.
Aiden stepped out a few minutes later dressed in a charcoal grey suit that accented his blue eyes. " Sorry the meeting took longer than I thought. Wow you look gorgeous." He took both my hands in his as he kissed me tenderly on the lips.
" I needed to give you something." I pulled out a tiny black velvet covered box inside it was a vintage Cartier watch.
" It's amazing but it must have been so bloody expensive ." Aiden looked at it in awe.
" Our company finally made a profit so I wanted to get everyone a gift but this watch is something more than that. " I took a deep breath. " Maybe a ring would have been more appropriate but you always said you hated men wearing jewelry so I thought I should get you a watch instead. But you should wear it always like a wedding ring."
" Wait a second Sarah are you like proposing to me?" Aiden looked at me with wide eyes.
" You are not already married to someone right ?" I tried to joke my silly attempt at trying to ease the awkwardness I felt.
" No come to think of it I am not." Aiden was laughing now.
" Good then you are marrying me now ." I hastily tried to put the watch on him then paused. " Oh no I should have asked your consent . I am not forcing this on you am I?"
Aiden fastened the watch on his wrist. " As long as you promise to buy me nice presents I am all yours." I noticed that his eyes were slightly moist .
" Oh my God Aiden Victor you are not crying are you?" I peaked into his eyes as he tried to look away. Just then the fireworks started lighting up the sky in shades of red, gold and silver.
" Did you arrange this?" Aiden seemed both delighted and impressed.
" Yeah I did it for you. " I blushed a bit.
Aiden wrapped his arms around my waist.
" Sarah Summers I promise to love you and protect you no matter what ."
" And I will protect you." Now I was tearing up too.
" But you have got to let me buy you an engagement ring and we should have a proper engagement ceremony as well or everyone will think I am either a miser or I am broke. "
" Got it mister." I leaned against his chest as we stood beneath the starry sky flashing with bright colours from the fireworks. In that moment I couldn't wish for anything more except for things to stay like this forever.
So this book is finally done please give me your feedback about the ending. Thank you so much for reading !!!