English Version: Dandelions in the Wind

6

"Can someone else do it?" Charlotte stood up from her seat. "You're on holiday. I don't think you need to work right now." She closed the open laptop, organized the scattered papers beside the cell phone, and adjusted a luxurious crystal horse figurine displayed on the mahogany desk.

The study room was spacious, with large bookcases, Persian carpets, and various antique collections such as a gramophone, lamps, and French furniture prominently displayed. It only lacked a fireplace to resemble a typical European study room.

Marcus sighed deeply. "I know. Some suppliers pulled out due to the avian flu scare. Now, several restaurants need to change their menus. If I don't go there to oversee things, I might lose more suppliers."

"You're not running a hospital, Marcus. No one will die if you change the menu. Besides, we have plans today. We're going to give gifts to the kids, remember?" Charlotte's voice conveyed disappointment as she poured hot green tea from an oriental porcelain teapot into a small cup.

Marcus sat down on a small ottoman chair near the window. "I have to do this, Charlotte. If I don't, I'll lose a lot of clients. The investors won't be happy, you know that."

"Fine, you have to go. I understand," Charlotte replied softly. She was sitting cross-legged on a white French chair that reflected the design of King Louis XIV's era. She carefully sipped the hot tea and placed it on the saucer she held. She then approached the small table to pour more tea.

"I asked Dionne to accompany you. She said yes. She'll join you at the charity event."

Charlotte paused to pour the tea, carefully setting down the teapot. "Oh? She's not coming with you?"

"No, of course not! I practically begged her to come here. If I took her with me, it would just be wasting her time."

Charlotte turned to face Marcus. "How long will she be staying?"

"Uhm, two weeks. That's the longest I could ask of her."

"Why did you ask her? I mean, why do you want your girlfriend to stay longer?"

Marcus scratched his head while Charlotte crossed her arms. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"She's not my girlfriend. We're not in a relationship."

Charlotte frowned. "What? I thought-"

Marcus stood up, walked over to a small table with a bottle of whiskey, and poured himself a drink. "Mom assumed she's my girlfriend. I didn't correct her immediately so she would stop pressuring me to find a girlfriend or a wife. I invited Dionne as my date."

Charlotte held her forehead. "I'm getting a migraine, Marcus. This idea is absurd."

Marcus laughed. "Absurd, but it works. See? Mom has stopped asking about my personal life."

"Fine! It's clever," Charlotte conceded with a shrug.

"Told you," Marcus replied, still laughing.

"What exactly is your relationship with Dionne?"

"Casual," he answered briefly.

"Friends with benefits having a casual fling? Is that it?"

Marcus took a sip of whiskey. "Yeah, something like that."

"And why bring her here, introducing her to your family as a girlfriend, making us think you're in a serious relationship? I just don't get it. Why go through all this trouble with a girl you're not seriously involved with?"

"Because she's special."

Charlotte's frown deepened.

Marcus put down his whiskey and approached his sister gently. "Dionne hates commitments; she's not into traditional relationships. She's not really into romance. If I brought her here, I thought she'd get to know me better. I'm here if she ever wants to try being in a serious commitment. We can try."