close to my dialling heart

14🌹the first kiss of many sins

🎶it's you. It's always you. If I'm ever gonna fall in love, I know it's gon' be you🎶
~Ali Gatie~

XAVIER 🥀

"Yes?" I answered the call as I exited the room, my strides carrying me towards the bar adjacent to the living room. I poured myself a glass of wine from the bottle on the counter.

"Good evening, Mr. Meadows," the voice on the other end said, its formality rolling my eyes.

"Good evening," I replied, taking a sip of the wine.

"Is there a problem?" I asked, knowing it had to be something important to warrant a late-night call.

"It's about JS Motors," the voice said, immediately grabbing my attention.

"What about it?" I asked, my tone sharpening.

"Power Shares is planning to buy it for $570 million dollars."

"What the fuck is Power Shares?" I snapped, trying to sound calmer than I felt.

"Well, sir, Power Shares is an organization that acquires large shares in prominent companies... and now they're planning to buy out JS Motors entirely." I felt a surge of irritation, as this deal was supposed to be a private arrangement between me and the chairman of JS Motors, not some public auction.

I placed my glass on the counter, rubbing my eyes with my thumb and middle finger. The stress was piling up - dealing with the mafia, managing my contacts, and now this unexpected twist. I cut the call without waiting for further discussion and immediately dialed Mr. Torres' line, the chairman of JS Motors. He didn't answer on the first ring, and I didn't bother trying again, knowing he was likely stalling.

Finishing the last of my wine, I headed towards my bedroom, only to be interrupted by the chairman's call on my cell phone as I reached the door.

I answered the call with a swift tap on the screen. "Mr. Torres." I turned back towards the bar, my patience already wearing thin.

"Mr. Meadows, good evening," he said, exchanging formalities despite knowing the purpose of my call.

"Cut the pleasantries, Mr. Torres. What happened to our deal?" I poured myself another glass of wine, my tone firm but controlled.

The chairman sighed audibly. "Mr. Meadows, they offered a larger amount of money... and you're a businessman, you know how it's done."

"You want me to increase the offer, don't you?" I took a deep breath, my irritation growing. "I'll make it six hundred and fifty million dollars... or seven hundred million dollars." I paused, expecting a response.

The chairman hesitated, mumbling incoherently before regaining his composure. "I... uh..."

"Is that a deal?" I pressed, my tone firm.

"Let's have a meeting tomorrow, as early as seven, Mr. Chairman," I said, taking control of the situation. It was his company, but I made the rules.

The chairman knew better than to delay me. "Yes, Mr. Meadows."

"Good." I ended the call without another word.

I returned to the bedroom, finding Dove in the same position I had left her in. I couldn't quite tell if she was still pretending to be asleep or had actually drifted off this time. I placed my cell phone on the footboard and headed to the bathroom.

-♡-

DOVE 🕊

My attempt to feign sleep to avoid the kiss had unexpectedly led to actual slumber. I woke up to the gentle morning sunbeams streaming through the large windows, casting a serene ambiance. The storm had passed, leaving behind only subtle evidence of its presence - beads of water glistening on the tree leaves. The ocean had returned to its calm state, its tranquility a sight to behold. Xavier was nowhere to be seen, but the bed told a story. The wrinkles on his side of the bed suggested we had shared it, though I had no recollection of moving from my side to his.