Young Adult

Chapter twenty four - The business trip part two

"Addison!" They called out to me as I joined the table, "hi" I smiled as I sat down.

"Wow you got even more beautiful!" Drew said shamelessly, "haha, thank you, it's great seeing you all again." I replied, only a couple months apart from these people  and I forgot how dry these types of conversations about money are.

"So what happened to you? No ones heard from you since graduation." I paused briefly before answering, if I tell them the truth it's a weakness not for me but for Mr Reed and his stock, a mentally sick wife could damage his reputation.

"I just wanted to travel for a bit instead, I went to a college in England, got a job at a graphic design company and recently transferred back to the states." I could notice some of the glares I was getting.

"What does a graphic designer make? Under 100k? And you gave up Yale for that?" I glanced over to Tiffany, she constantly bullied Lily at school and had the biggest inferiority complex towards me.

"I don't really have to think of money," I slyly chuckled, "in fact I married quite well." I smiled as I brushed my hair out of my face, using my left hand so that my 20 karat Harry Winston ring was on full show. I'm so glad that Ezra asked my mom for help with picking out the ring and not me.

Tiffany didn't bother me again after that, I looked around at everyone dining and asked Courtney a question "where's Charlotte? Did she not want to come?"

"We haven't heard about her either after the graduation party, we all thought that you would know." Courtney replied.

That night. I'm certain Charlotte made out with James to tell me not to talk about her secret, like she was trying to use something to embarrass me with if I ever went to the police.

If I got into a car accident and lost all of my memories, wouldn't that be good for her? She didn't have to disappear aswell ... I want to know what happened after that night, but my heart has a queasy feeling thinking about it.

"Did your whole family uproot after summer Addy? Lily didn't come back to school either." Another missing piece in the puzzle, "she wanted to finish school in Switzerland and our parents couldn't stop her from going." I lied.

I looked down at my watch, it was almost nine by now and I learnt all that I needed to know from this gathering, plus the boys were starting to get rowdy.

"So Addison, do we know your husband, what does he do?" Tiffany slurred, starting to get a bit tipsy. "He's a CEO of a successful startup company, men that earn an empire than inherit one are way better. They know how to stay out of trouble and stay driven ... no offensive to Jared though, I know that you're engaged to him now." I cunningly gushed.

Tiffany smiled back in the most sarcastic way possible, "he must be very ugly though, all the good looking young CEO's that I know aren't married to a Robinson." I beamed back the same smile she handed me "I wouldn't have married someone if they were in your circle Tiffany."

Before we could start fighting, a waitress walked over to our room, escorting in a man.
I turned around to face him and smiled ecstatically. I motioned Ezra to come over to where I was sitting.

"This is my husband Ezra Reed, you may know him as the CEO of King designs - he's very humble and doesn't have a big media presence, that's probably why you don't know him Tiffany." I smiled at her, probably one of my favourite moments of tonight, seeing her jaw practically drop to the floor.

"You're Addison's husband then?" A slightly intoxicated Drew stood up and looking like he was about to square up my husband. Facepalming, I tried to get him to still back down.

Drew didn't listen to me and keep trying to intimidate Ezra "you know I always thought that Addy had a thing for me, our families are very close and we often see each other at family gatherings still." I looked at him, not knowing what to say to this fool.

Ezra started to grin, knowing that Drew was lying as he accompanied me to every family gathering I went to as old me. "Sure you did, now I need to take my wife home." He held out his hand for me to hold.

I said my goodbyes and left with Ezra, as soon as we had gotten onto the streets I screamed ecstatically. "Oh my god, that's was the best moment of my life, you should've seen Tiffany's face the whole night, and all the others girls shut straight up. I'm so glad I married you."
I squealed, not noticing that we were still holding hands and Ezra had put our hands into his coat pocket.

"I'm glad that our marriage means so much to you." I rolled my eyes at his words, "I obviously didn't marry you to get back at those girls, I didn't even know who they were, it's just a great perk!" I exclaimed.

"Is private school really that much of a battle?" He asked, I nodded, "school for heirs is just a place to form connections and be a representative for your father's business, luckily I'm still on top. That's where you want to be." He nodded taking it in.

"To think teenagers had to worry about that kind of stuff at school. All I thought about was drawing." I smiled at him, "actually there's something I haven't told you about yet."

We stopped walking back for a second and we detached our hands, "the reason why we met in the first place is because I read an article about you six years ago and how that you were going to become a leader in the industry in the next ten years. So I jokingly wrote down that in the future that I wanted to work at your company. And I guess that old me found that and decided to become your employee, it wasn't planned to marry you though!" I reassured him.

He smiled at me "even if it was your plan to 'seduce me' I wouldn't have minded, you have a great mind in business and art. I couldn't have picked a better wife even if I could choose." I huffed, "you have a way with words, I don't believe that I was your first serious relationship."

He patted my head before wrapping his arm around my shoulders so that we were walking close together. I began to blush heavily as we walked back to the Cromwells.

I stopped him as we were outside the apartment complex, "I need to tell you one more thing before we go in." He took his arm off me and looked at my vermillion face.

I sighed and looked directly into his eyes, "actually when we first met I found you rather scary, you never talked to me and were always at work. But as we got closer I found it really easy to be in your presence and I liked spending time with you. And when you got mad at me, no ones words have resonated with me like that before, and I realised that I only want you to say move things about me." I mumbled as confidently as I could.

He looked at me confused "what are you trying to say?" All of the blood into my body rushed to my face at that point, I clenched my fists, closed my eyes and went onto my tip-toes so that our lips pecked. "I'm saying that I like you ... I guess."

Ezra stood there in shock, I was fully ready to be rejected right here and then, but he wrapped both of his arms around me and pulled me in closer to him. Before I could register what was happening our lips met ... I could feel his affection seeping into me and I closed my eyes aswell.

We broke apart after a while and stood there looking at each other bashfully.