Second Chances

1 - Meet Meela

He stared at the alluring night sky while lighting his cigarette. He took a deep puff and sighed as he exhaled the smoked out of his lungs. He peered behind him, there was a naked woman wrapped in his sheets on his bed.

Was is Donna or Denise? He couldn't remember. He met her at a bar. It was a quick conversation. All it took was two shots of vodka and she was back at his place, ready to satisfy his every whim.

Life was simple like that. Women came in and out of his life, never staying and he preferred it that way. He wasn't fooling anyone, he always made it clear, it was just sex with them and nothing else. One night stands and they leave in the morning. It's been that way for years. No matter how beautiful or wild any woman was, it didn't matter to him. She just wasn't the one. No one was. Except, well her.

He sighed, blowing more smoke into the cool air. His mind begun filling itself with images of her. It was just a random day.

4 years ago,
February 2016

Nathan Matthews was at Chilly's waiting to meet a friend of his. A long time friend with whole he needed to discuss business with. He wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings. All he heard was the sound of heels and a soft bell from an anklet, and he knew a girl was sitting behind him. He paid no attention of course, it was just a girl.

'I can't believe she's making you wait for a month. I would never put up with that.'

'You only had sex with one girl you're whole life.'

'Burn! Haha.'

He frowned as he heard it. The voices, they were coming from a familiar show.

What show was it? It wouldn't register to his mind immediately.

'Ted, the only reason to wait a month for sex is if the girl is 17 years old, 11 months old.'

It was followed by a girl laughing and his heart warmed. He felt his heart beating a little faster and he was suddenly feeling flustered.

This random girl, was binge watching How I Met your Mother. There was something about this faceless girl behind him, he didn't know what it was but he had to see who she was. But before he turned, his friend was already there.

'Nate! How've you been?' His friend took his hand out and he shook it. Whoever she was, it had to wait. He had to discuss something very important with his friend.

'Heard you're company is running out of money,' he cuts to the chase, wasting no time as he sipped a glass of gin.

'Looks like everyone found out,' Henry muttered, his red face hinting embarrassment. He knew Henry since they were kids. Henry owned a few hotels from which one was severely suffering. It gave his zero profits because of the pandemic. He was looking for a way out and luckily for him, Nathan was there.

Nathan had a quirky mind. He always had the freshest ideas. He owned chains of hotels, buildings, lands. He bought them from bankrupt owners who always looked for an easy way out, often selling their assets for the right price; cheap enough for him to buy. Nathan knew how to turn those poor running businesses into his cash cows, which was why he was here today. He built his empire slowly, but he made it there.

He wanted to get Henry's business. Not to run the hotel, but for its land. Henry's W8 Hotel was a fine building, but it had more use for its land than for accommodation. Nathan wanted to demolish the hotel and turn it into a parking space. The hotel was surrounded by a few large corporations. A huge car space would catch a lot of eyes and get money coming in without him spending any energy.