CALLA

8: The Offer

It was 6 AM in the morning when my cell phone rang. I ignored it. When it rang the second time, I blindly searched for it on the night stand.

"This better be an emergency" I said irritably into the phone.

"Is this how you normally answer the phone?"

"Before 8 AM, yes"

"Aren't you supposed to be up for school?"

"Last time I check, I only have one mother. And she doesn't give a damn if I'm up for school or not"

When the person on the phone chuckled, I peeked at the screen to see that it was indeed 6 AM.

"I need my sleep. If you want to talk, meet me at Lily on 4th and Main at noon"

"Don't you have school?"

"No" I answered before shutting off my phone.

Setting it back on the night stand, I buried my face into my pillow and went back to bed.

At noon, I went to Lily where the Owner came out greet me. It must have looked weird for some people to see the Owner of the famous restaurant bowing respectfully to a young teenager. No one really knows or expects that the restaurant had been one of the investments made by the so call teenager 2 years ago. Today, the restaurant is one of three restaurants in the world with 5 Michelin stars. The current chef is Reika Erina - the youngest chef in world that holds the Michelin status. But the person I initially reached out to was not the chef - but her father, AKA the Owner. 

In the past, I love to dine at their restaurant called "Yukino". While the restaurants itself was small and old, the food was delicious. Unfortunately, the restaurants closed down due bad location, lack of marketing, and too many competitions. The man and his daughter simply could not afford to keep their restaurant open. I had reached out to the man who lost the restaurant he worked hard for all his life. In return for my investment, I asked that there will be a private room made only for me. My only thought when I invested in the restaurant was that I will always have good food available whenever I wanted. So what if I'm vain. I am a person who enjoys the finer things in life - food included.

"Calla-sama" Hideo, the Owner, always have a warm smile as he greets me in his native tongue. "Your guest has arrive"

I returned the smile and followed him down the private corridor that had several private dining rooms. The last wooden door had my name "Calla" engraved beautifully across it. It had been funny in the beginning when I saw it. Both Reika and her father took my word literally. They seriously had marked one room just for me – no one else could ever use it. When Hideo opened the door, I saw Alexander Locke in a semi-formal tie-less suit. He stood up from his seat as soon as he saw me.

"Sit, you don't have to be so formal with me" I told him before I turned to Hideo and spoke in Japanese. "Thank you Hideo-san, could you ask Rei-chan to make her week specials?"

"Of course" He smiled as he pulled my seat out and prepared the napkin over my knees. "Would you like water or tea today, Calla-sama?"

"Tea please"

"Yes" He smile more before turning to Alexander Locke and spoke in English. "Mr. Locke, would you like more wine?"

"No, I'm good thank you"

Hideo bowed before he took his leave.

"Before we start" I looked at him and went straight to the point. "I assumed you already send in your resignation letter to Lind Corp."

Alexander Locke looked at me - studying me.

"It would be troublesome if my grandpa thinks I'm poaching in his territory"

"So you are James Lind granddaughter"

He was still surprised to hear the young girl call the James Lind "grandpa". He suspects not many other have the same privilege.

"Guilty" I smirked. "Isn't that's why you called? Considering my name is more credible than my age"

"I must be crazy..." He was trying to see what I'm plotting. "I shouldn't have called"

I understood that it's difficult to trust a stranger – moreover, a teenager who offers him what appears to be a deal too good to be true. My past investment had been similar. I could only hope it'll get easier as I get older.

"You called me so it's too late for regrets" I reached back into my Chanel tote bag and pulled out a black file. "Read it carefully before you make your decision"

I watched as he took the file and read it. After a few minutes, he frowned. Yeah, the contract in his hand was written by the finest lawyers out there. I wasn't a saint by any means. I don't invest without making sure that it's profitable for me.

"I'm not signing this" 

He closed the file and pushed it back to me. His eyes are glaring furiously.

"I'm an investor Mr. Locke. 30 million dollars isn't a small number and it's coming out of my pocket. It only normal, as the investor, to be the first to reap any benefits made through this project"

"And what benefits will I have" He shot back. "This is a slave contract"

"Don't be so dramatic, it's not like you're going to live in the dog house" I teased.

"What you're offering is worse than_"

"How so?" I cut him off. "What I'm offering you is an opportunity for you to make a name for yourself. Yes, you will start off with nothing and in the first 2 years, you will make as much money as the paper boy. But once you fulfill the interest on my end, the money you will make will equal that of any CEO."

"You speak as if this project will succeed" He was agitated. "If the project fails, the contract binds me to you for additional 4 years"

"So you don't even believe in your own project" I sighed and shook my head at him.

I reached in my tote again and pulled out a grey file.

"Sell me your project for 2 million. Sign over your rights and be done with it"

He was stunned. I wanted to laugh because the man look like a fish at the moment.

"You..." He was confused. "Why do you insist on this...?"

He had tried so hard to get someone at Lind to look at his proposal, but no one even spared a glance at it or bothered to listen to him reviewing it. And yet before him, a young girl is confident that the project will built - with or without him.

"You're from New Haven, right?" I did my research like any good investor. "The Galleria, you had wanted to use this project to revive the City isn't it? The key concept to the shopping mall is to eventually turned the area into a shopping district and transform the City of New Haven - is that not your goal"

He was again surprised that the girl before him knew his concept and goal so clearly.

"You have put a lot effort and thought into this. I had thought you would be confident that it would succeed, was I wrong?"

He didn't answer me. Instead, he just looks at me with conflicted eyes.

"I want to have the original creator to foresee this project" I continued with a shrug. "But it doesn't really matter if you end up being a part of it or not - either way, I'll make it successful"

From my memory The Galleria had been a highly successful project. But knowing the true creator of the project, I wanted to see how it was meant to be. As important as it was for me to gain profit for this investment, I had been more interested in the architect.

"Take your time to think clearly what you want Mr. Locke" I pushed both file back in front of him. "When you decide, you know my number. Just don't call me at 6 AM in the morning"

Just like that, the man laughed. I cracked a smile seeing the usually uptight man laugh so openly.