Million Dollar Man [H.S. AU]

Chapter Thirteen

"You look sharp." Gloria comments as I walk down the stairs of my apartment.

Tonight's the night that I get a do over with Andy, and I've been anticipating this moment since I went out to dinner with her last time.

Unlike the first meeting I had with Andy, I have no idea what to expect from tonight.

Because she thinks she's the one calling the shots in this potential partnership, I have no way of knowing how to prepare for this evening, however that's not dampening my attitude in the evening.

I'm feeling confident.

"Is Antonio here yet?" I ask her, ignoring her compliment as I walk past her, snapping on my Rolex.

I stop in front of a mirror hanging on my wall in the foyer, taking one last look of myself before I leave for the evening.

I decided on a Gucci suit that I've only worn twice and as I stare at my reflection, I don't know why I haven't worn it more.

Gloria follows behind me, staring at me through the mirror as she stands in the entryway of the room.

"He should be here any minute. Don't be nervous about tonight, you'll be fine." She assures me.

I turn around to face her.

Why would she even think that I was nervous?

I've held plenty of business meetings before and dinner last night with Andy turned out to be a success, so why would I be nervous.

I shake my head as I fix the cuff of my suit jacket.

"I am not nervous." I argue.

She laughs, shrugging.

"Whatever you say, Mr. styles. But if you're not nervous, stop tugging on your clothes so much. It makes you look like a finicky child." She scolds, earning a glare for me before she casually walks away from me.

I don't look like a fussy kid and I most certainly am not coming off as anxious.

Im as calm as I've ever been.

I ignore Gloria knowing that her constant bitching and her attempts of reprimanding me are just a side effect of her being the only house keeper that can deal with me on an every day basis.

I heave a sigh of frustration as I turn away from the mirror and walk to the elevator that takes me straight to my garage.

Antonio is waiting for me there, the back door to my Range Rover open for me.

I slip into my vehicle with out saying a word, and we're driving through the city before I know it.

The scenery around me looks the same as it always does, everyday people living their everyday lives.

I wonder how a place that I once felt was so electric and full of life, is now an average place with nothing exceptional to it at all.

I assume it's because that's how things are: it's not at all as it seems.

I quickly become bored by my soundings, and I find myself scanning through my emails and text messages before we pull up to my favorite restaurant several minutes later.

The restaurant I've chosen is a five star restaurant that is one of the nicest places to eat in the city.

It's more upscale than Andy's choice but it's also more exclusive which is one of the biggest reasons I love it so much.

Antonio parks in front of the restaurant and quickly comes around to my door to open it up for me.

Andy and I decided to meet here at eight, and although I still have ten minutes before she's supposed to be here, I decide that there's no reason for me to wait around outside for her.

Last week was all about saving my image, but tonight is about winning Andy over for my company's sake.

I couldn't care less who sees us out together, I just want to be able to convince her of the merger.

I make my way over to entrance of the restaurant, ignoring the crowds of people waiting outside as I walk through the front doors.

Once I'm inside, I'm greeted by a man wearing a suit waiting at the mater d's stand.

He gives me a warm smile.

"Welcome Mister Styles, will it just be you dining with us tonight?" He asks as he gives me a friendly smile.

One of the biggest differences between my choice of dinner versus Andy's choice is that I don't have to make a reservation.

The employees here simply know me and my status in the world of success and would gladly make accommodations to suit me.

"No Miss Andy Fraiser will be joining me momentarily. We will be discussing business so please give us a table where we can speak privately." I gently command.

If I'm going to be out in public while working on a business deal, then I would rather minimize the amount of outside distractions as much as possible.

"Of course, Mister Styles. Please follow me this way." He replies, grabbing a menu before walking towards the main part of the restaurant.

I follow him through the busiest space until we reach a smaller room that only has four tables. He leads me to the table in the middle of empty space.

"Will this be fine? I'll close the doors and make sure that no one else is seated in here." The mater d asks me politely.

I look around at the area before I nod.

"Yes this will work." I say as he pulls out a chair at the middle table.

"I'll seat Miss Fraiser as soon as she arrives. Enjoy, Mister Styles." He replies before he leaves me alone in the quiet room.

I take a deep breath as I relax into my seat.

It doesn't feel right that I was getting ready to discuss my concerns for our partnership after fucking it up the first time.

After meeting Andy weeks ago, I thought that was the end.

After I drunkenly yelled at her at the award ceremony, I thought that was the end.

Not once did I think that I would get another chance to pitch my idea for the merger, especially not with Andy.

I guess life is full of surprises.

Seconds turn into minutes, and I anxiously wait for Andy to arrive.

A wave a relief washes over me when the mater d walks into the room, a young tall blond girl behind him.

I give Andy a curt nod and she returns it with a faux smile as her chair is pulled out in front of her.

"Enjoy, miss Fraiser." He says to her as she takes her seat.

"Thank you, Michael." She replies, her fake smirk turning into a genuine smile.

The maitre d mutters a 'you're welcome' as he walks out of the room and shuts the door behind him, leaving us alone.

I stare at Andy as she opens up her menu, wondering why she insist on trying to be best friends with any person who's only nice to her because that's their job.

She soon looks up at me, a look of innocence painted on her face as she shrugs.

"What? It doesn't hurt to be nice to people." She defends, as she returns her gaze to the menu in her hands.

"It doesn't help anything." I argue still staring at her.

She laughs quietly.

"It's funny you of all people are saying considering I'm the one giving you a second chance after you've been a dick to me, twice might I add." She shoots back, her tone even.

I bite my tongue to prevent me from saying something stupid since she probably won't give me a third chance of trying to talk to her about my plans for the future of our companies.