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❝𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚡❞
【＊＊＊】
"Ah, Gerard. I see you decided to be only 17 minutes late today.. Baby steps."
Mila made sure everything about her came off as patronising towards the older man. Not even bothering to look up from the newspaper in her hands to greet him when he came to sit opposite her at the small table outside the café.
Gerard was in his late 60s. Though, he attempted to maintain that sharp, businessman look. His wealth was nestled into every aspect of his appearance, as well as his standards - he'd been the one to recommend the meeting place - 'Oasis Bay Coffee Bar' was quite possibly the most upscale café Southern California had to offer. Even Gerard's shoelaces looked overpriced in their intricately particular design.
Gerard O'Sullivan was a man with money, and he wanted people to fucking know it.
Once he got himself accustomed to the small metal chair he clearly felt uncomfortable in, seeing as it was used by people other than himself, Mila continued to keep reading the paper.
She didn't do it just to appear arrogant; she knew how men like him worked, how they functioned, how they had gotten used to the world's eyes always being on them and they had found a sense of comfortability and confidence in the warmth of the spotlight that shone on them.
So, if the spotlight shifted, or was shadowed over by a person unwilling to give that full and undying attention, they grew cold and felt out of place. And when they felt out of place, like they didn't own the room and everyone within in, the edginess started to scamper up their skin, leaving a tingled trail that cast an unfocused lens onto their, even more distorted, perception of what was going on around them.
And, when a man was on edge and unfocused, he tended to slip up when it came to bartering his gain out of a business deal.
After an exasperated sigh, upon realising she would not grant him the respect of looking at him as they conversed, Gerard was the one to cut the rigid tension, which she thrived in so much, with his prominent Polish accent splitting open the discussion of trade, "So, Camila,..you're interested in joining the gemstone and jewellery business, yes?"
"Not me. But, the man I work for. He heard about you're need for a business partner with strong connections among the upper-class in The Americas and he's willing to offer such." She took a sip of her coffee, brows raising above the shield of her sunglasses as she flicked her eyes up to Gerard with a suggesting look.
