Love of Possession

(one)

"I apologize for our son's delay. He's been so busy with work lately that he can't even take an hour off for break." Mr's Hayes says while smiling at my parents and me, to which I returns the smile. I pick up my glass from the table and bring the brim of it up to my lips to drink the water inside the glass while gulping down the liquid, trying to relieve the nervous that I feel in the pit of my stomach.

"It's alright. We know how hard it is for such a young man to run in the business world. Our Lilian here never wants to learn anything about her dad's business." My mum says while putting her hand on mine and I just smile like I always do. Mr's Hayes, who has a bob cut of blonde hair, eyebrows perfectly shaped that suits her small face and her blue eyes, shakes her head at my mum before putting the glass that she picks up down on the table. "It's normal, she's still young. Moreover, a woman can decides what she choose to be." Mr's Hayes says and smiles at me. "I know you're working for a publishing company as an editor. You're smart. My son can never do that."

If I can decide what I want to be or who I choose to be, I wouldn't be sitting here with them, having lunch on one of 5th Avenue five stars hotel waiting for him while him being tardy on us and on his family. Maybe he's trying to stall the time so that he can avoid being here as much as I want to. Because We all know that today lunch means more than just a normal meetup business lunch. Our parents have been planning so long for us to get to know each other and getting marry together.

Aiden Hayes. I have seen him and hears about him everywhere. On the news, on the paper, on the cover of magazines and on the television. Men were dying to be like him, and women were dying to be with him. He is known for his looks, style, money, personality, brands ambassador and most of all, his most successful business that is running around the world. If you are lucky enough, you'd bumped into him at any one of the clubs that he owns and that answers why there is always such a long line queuing outside his club—mostly women.

My parents have known his folks for years, and they get along with each other just well. It all begins when my dad and his dad were course-mate during university days and that's how they become close friends and even business partners. My dad runs a business, and so does his dad. Dad has been running this business that he owns for years, and he says that it's time for him to retire and let the young people to take over his place. He had been hoping that I will take over his place someday, the moment I graduated from university, but I think I let him down when I decides what I want to do in the first place and he never doubts me.

He gives me his full support on everything that I choose, and now they have decide over something that Aiden Hayes and I should get marry so that his business wouldn't be in stranger hands. And the only man he trusts in this world is Aiden.

They told me that all this planning has to do with my father's business which I understand and have no choice but to accept. Julia has been asking me how can I just accepts when it means sacrificing my future. But maybe sacrificing for the person you love is the answers to that. it was suddenly when the people who was in the restaurant stops their chattering and then the whispers around come out from them, a man wearing in his best suit are walking in, towards our lunch table was no other than Aiden Hayes himself. That's the power he holds. He can make the whole room go shush for him and I wonder if he knows that. The power he has and people are staring at him.

Mr's Hayes spots his son walking in and waves her arm at him. "Son, over here." She says cheerfully and he walks towards us. Once he reaches the table, he glares at me before turning over at my parents with a smiles on his face. He pushes his hand out forward to shake hands with my parents. "Nice to meet you. Mr and Mr's Reid. My apologies for being late. Something come up at the office." My dad smiles at him and shakes his hand so does my mum.

When he come to sit at the empty seat which is in front of me, I turn to look at him and he has this cool demeanour look on his face not giving me a glance. He seems like he hates me already. His mum introduce me to him once he seats down on the chair. "Honey, this is Lilian over here." His mum says, and he looks at me with eyebrows furrows before replying to his mum with a simple hmm.

While our folks are talking and catching up with each other, Aiden has his eyes glues on his device screen and barely looks up from them.

"So about the wedding, we have decide on the date. It's on the 20th of June, and we wonder if you have any problem with it?" Mr's Hayes asks my parents, and I look at Aiden, who's in front of me, unbothered by his mum's words and statement.

"That would be great, isn't it, John?" My mum ask my dad, and he nods his head in return.

Once our food has arrives, we begin to eat, and I glance at my watch, trying to keep up with the time so that I won't be late to go back to the office. "So, Aiden, how's work recently?" My dad asks, suddenly breaking the silence on the table, and he looks up at my dad. "Everything has been fine, Mr Reid. Apart from planning on collaborating with Peterson Cooperation,  everything has been working great." He says but this time his eyebrows weren't in a furrow like just how when he looks at me.

"Peterson Cooperation is a great company to work with not to mention they are holding the cards of King in our world." My dad says to him before turning to Aiden's dad. "You must be grateful to have a son like Aiden here, Chad. Lilian here just minding her own business. She never has an interest in anything I has been doing." Dad continues while chuckling, and I quickly finish my food in a hurry. I wipe the corner of my mouth using the napkin provided and quietly call out to my mum, who is happily chatting with Aiden's mum.

"Mum, I have to get back to the office. Lunchtime is almost over." I say, pointing at my watch, hoping she let me go. "But I thought your dad help you to ask for a longer lunchtime; he says that Harry was okay with it." She says much more of a statement than it is a question. "I know, but I can't use the benefits of dad's friend and stay out for a longer lunch just cause dad knows Harry. I can't do that." I tell her truthfully and my mum knows that it's hard for me to change my mind once I make up my mind about something.

She lets out a sigh and nods her head. "How are you going back?"

"I'm going to catch the cab," I say while picking up my stuff and putting it inside my bag.

"It's okay, Sweetheart. Aiden here will drive you back to the office." Mr's Hayes says and turns to look at his son. "Son, why don't you drive Lilian back to the office?" She ask him, and he nod his head while putting the food in his mouth. He places down his fork before standing up, which I follows. "Please excuse us. Nice to meet you, Mr and Mr's Reid," He says before turning around to walk away, and I say goodbye to them before following behind him.

While we are walking to his car, the women that are walking on the street are looking at him and eyeing him up and down with light in their eyes until they sees me trailing behind him. Some roll their eyes at me, and some squint their eyes. We stops walking when we reach a black Mercedes. He's quick to walk to his side and I open the car door before stepping inside. He starts the car engine and pull away from the parking lot.

I turn to look at him, and his face maintained a non-emotional facial expression. Hands gripping on the steering wheels, eyes on the road in front of us. When the silence and tension makes the 10 minutes drive as if 20 minutes, it's better to get off a few blocks away than in front of my office. "My office is right at the corner. You can drop me at that bus stop, and I'll walk from there." I say to him, and I don't expect any reply from him.

He didn't drop me at the bus stop when he keeps driving forward as i'm getting ready to leave his car. When he keeps driving, passing through the traffic lights I decides to break the silence between us. "You can say no to this marriage. You don't have to marry me, especially to someone you don't even know and not to mention we just met." Once I finish my sentence, I let out a breathe that I don't realise i'm holding.

Once we reach my office, he stop at the side of the road, and I unbuckle my seat belt. "Thanks for the ride." My hand were on the car handle, ready to open the door and step out of his vehicle until he stops me. "I won't be breaking off the marriage with you. You're not just someone."