Flashback to the Future

III. Jealousy

Selena

Jacobs, I know just how exactly to play with them. Zachary won't just give in although I'm pretty sure I was close to convincing him last week but he said he had to consult Zeus.

A ghost from the past haunted me when Zachary insisted on having another meeting and that it should include Zeus. I didn't think of him as someone who takes major participation in their business. It has always been their father, Mr. Zathyr Jacobs that I hear or Zachary.

I took a deep breath as I looked at myself in my office's powder room. I wore a black deep V-neck bandage dress that hugged my body perfectly. It falls just right above my knees and to lengthen the look of my legs I partnered it with a four inch jet black Manolos. I swayed my head a little to make sure my side swept bangs along with my long wavy hair fall perfectly in to place. I kind of assumed that I will be doing a lot of head swaying for disagreement.

Look, Selena. You are in no obligation to win this. You are already a winner in getting Adventura to start with. This, should you get it, is just a bonus. I reminded my self but then I also remembered, I, in no way should show that at some point in my life had been defeated by a certain Zeus Jacobs.

What has gotten into my head? I started to shiver. Pictures of memories from that night is beginning to plague me. Relax, Selena. Don't show anyone, especially Zeus that you had once a weak bone. Show him that what happened last time does not at all matter to you. I applied my red matte lipstick and pursed my lips at my reflection. Just think of it like a debate you go to in college.

I felt people turned their heads on my direction as I entered the restaurant where Zachary told me to meet them. Damn good! Just like how I wanted it to be. Authority in power and beauty that's how I should play it today.

Zachary stood up as soon as I entered the room. He placed his hand at the small of my back as he escorted me to my seat.

"Thank you, Mr. Jacobs." I said.

"Call me Zach." He said.

"Yeah, I keep on forgetting, Zach." I said laughing softly. He kept on insisting that I call him Zack when we had a talk last week but I always forget. He laughed along with me never leaving my eyes. Our soft laughter and giggling were stopped when the door of the function room opened. Its him. Its Zeus.

I stood up to acknowledge his arrival. Stretching my hand to him as soon as he got near the table. He still has that - his signature grin. He looked better than before. I must say coat and tie suits him better than his jerseys.

"Hi Zeus, Mr. Jacobs. Its been quite long." I started.

"Yes, indeed. Its been quite long." He said as he took my hand and sniffed on it. I felt electrified as I wasn't expecting anything more than a handshake. "Hhmm, somethings just never change don't they?" He said as he warmly squeezed my hand and sniffed on it again. "Your scent, I mean." His eyes look into mine for I don't know how long. Something's in there. Was it a threat? I don't know how long I have left my hand being squeezed by his but I am so thankful that Zach was there to stop whatever it is that was about to happen.

"Let's order, shall we?" Asked Zach. I nodded to agree. I was prepared for this day or so I thought I was. If Zach wasn't there I would have been melting by now. I felt Zeus' gaze never leaving me. I would peek at him from time to time and I won't deny the discomfort he's giving me whenever he'd lick his lower lip.

Our orders came and we started eating. My conversation with Zach won't just die down. This guy has his way into having a good conversation. We have not even discussed business yet and Zeus, he has not spoken a word yet.

"Was that you?" Zach asked me in amusement.

"Yeah, I didn't know that social experiment would go that far and would earn me big bucks as early as college." I said enthusiastically.

"Do you remember that, Zeus?" Zach looked at Zeus' direction to have him join the conversation.

"Yeah, I remember clearly." He said dryly.

"Imagine that. It was a no namer cheap dragee that eventually became a household name and their sales shoot up in a matter of weeks." Zach said animatedly.

"I know. We kind of played with some social experiment. So first, we intended to create a rumor that the dragees were addicting and it gives you a kind of high after taking a pack and from there the interest of the people shoot up so as the demand." I exclaimed as I remembered how successful we were in that experiment and what excited me more was the dragees company calling us to make them a TV ad.

"Pretty smart. Well its no surprise." Zach said as he moved his seat closer to me. "I knew you'd make it this big even back in college. Too bad, we only get to be in one class." I didn't know what he meant by that but it sure made me turn red. Zach has his own charming ways, I could tell.

"Oh, Zach, you are such a charmer." Oops, I didn't intent that one to escape out of my mouth. "Well, why don't we start settling things? I'm pretty confident that business conversations are better than the class we shared back then." I giggled.

"Oh that. What do you know? I almost forgot that I was here for business... oh, and that Zeus is just actually across the table." Zach said as he motioned towards my direction. We both giggled but had to stop when Zeus dropped the weight his glass on the table.

"Its about time you realized that. Let's get to business shall we?" Zeus said, his eyes not leaving mine.