Need You

Chapter 15

Two weeks after I had started working as the financial controller at Ethel's Diner and everything was going well.
Ethel and I were going to a meeting with the investors and I was glad to show them the progress the restaurant was making.

It was held in a small conference room at a complex. When we got there, there were two men in suits seated at the table. Ethel introduced them as James and Jerry.

Another man entered and quickly took a seat. "I need to be somewhere soon so let's hurry up with this." He said.

"Derrick isn't here yet." Said James.

The man who was in a hurry, looked at his watch and sighed.

"Sorry, I'm late." Walking past me and taking a seat next to the man in a hurry was Derrick, my best friend. I was surprised to know that he was an investor.

His expression was so serious. I had never seen him like that.

"Alright, let's begin." James said. "Ethel."

"Good day, gentlemen." She began. "This is Harry, the financial controller of Ethel's Diner and -"

"Can you skip the introduction and just get to it, Ethel?" The man in a hurry said rudely. "How well is the restaurant's finances doing?"

"Okay. Harry."

I opened the laptop and showed them the spreadsheet document. "Alright so as you all can see, the plan to purchase more of what customers usually order and spend less on what they don't is working. We're making more profits and barely any losses. If things continue this way-"

"Then we're all good here." The man in a hurry rudely interrupted me too. "Okay gentlemen and Ethel, I guess we're done here." He stood. "I'll see you at the next meeting."

He walked out of the room and after simple commendations from James, the meeting was over.

As we walked out of the building, I said to Derrick, "I didn't know you were one of the investors."

"I'm not. I'm representing the company which is. I'll talk to you later." He said and hurried off.

"That's my best friend, Derrick." I said happily to Ethel.

"Oh? Well that's the new investor I talked about. He wasn't making things easy at first but I'm glad he's on board now."

We continued when we got into her red sedan. "I think your contract might be renewed and revised after this month." Ethel said.

I smiled. "I hope things keep going they way they are."

"How was the meeting today?"

"It was good."

"Are you sure? Despite Steve's rude interruptions?"

I nodded. I presumed that was how he was.

"It's a good thing you think it was good. Once your contract is renewed, you'll be at a lot of those meetings."

"I just hope things keep going the way they are."

Heading to the restaurant, Ethel told me that she would be away for the weekend and would return on Monday.

She left later that evening, leaving the house in my care. I had moved into the other bedroom. The day she said she had to come home to finish something, it was to prepare the room for me.

I spent most of the weekend in Nikki and Amanda's apartment. Staying in the house alone was very boring. Honestly, over the weekend, the only time I had stayed in the house is when I had gone there to sleep, and that would immediately be over once a certain nightmare repeated itself.