Olivia
We just arrived at the building. Blake’s building. The Morgan Enterprise.
My nervousness had increased little by little the closer we reached the building. I would definitely see Blake later but maybe a lesser chance I would talk to him. I hope lots of people would approach him and made him busy for the rest of the night until I go home.
Javier helped me out of the Acura after he gave his car key to the valet service. He gave me his elbow in a gentlemanly way and I wrapped my hand around it. We entered the building together and headed to the function hall.
“The party is celebrated as the tenth anniversary of his company so he invited some of his business partners, including me,” Javier informed. Wow, it’d been ten years already?
As we entered the hall, I looked around where I saw lots of businessmen and women. I felt out of the place. Good thing I wore the dress perfectly matched the occasion or else I would be embarrassed for the entire night.
I saw Javier grabbed two champagnes from the walking waiter and he handed one glass to me. “Are you okay to drink?”
“Yes.” I grabbed the glass from him and drank it nervously.
“Don’t be nervous, Olivia. You have me with you and if you want to go home, just let me know.” Javier was really nice. He always thought of me. I knew he wanted to escape from this place as well but he was also thinking about me.
“It’s okay, I’m fine,” I said and we headed to our table. We reached it where I saw my name was perfectly written on the card on top of the napkin. “Did you reserve for me as well?”
“Yes. Since I was told I could bring one person with me as my date so I informed them that I will bring you and put your name on it,” he explained while pulling the chair for me. I smiled and had a seat. Javier sat next to mine.
We were at the same table as his colleagues. A young male model who worked at the same agency as Javier but he worked as a full-time model. He was the same age as me and his name was Mike. Some people came to greet him. Javier was well known by them as he was constantly approached by the other guests, including women. They clearly saw me sitting next to him but they tried to ignore me. Like they couldn’t accept their eye-candy man brought a date. Whatever.
I drank my champagne to erase my nervousness away until I could feel the so familiar stare on me. I gulped nervously. I felt my breathing just stopped for two seconds. My body became rigid. I couldn’t hear anything. All my senses were focused on the person responsible. Although he hadn’t called me, I could tell where he came from.
I looked to my right side and saw Blake was looking at me with John standing next to him. He was wearing a dark suit with the same color vest and white shirts underneath completed with a black necktie. He looked handsome and intimidating at the same time. Clearly, not because I was here but the person I was with.
My attention on him broke when I saw another familiar figure next to him.
The ponytail girl but this time her hair was cascading down until her waist. She suddenly went to him and touched his elbow in a friendly manner. Too friendly manner. Blake broke the eye contact and pulled his hand away harshly from the girl. Do they know each other?
The girl, what was her name again? Carol, I suppose. Carol tried to reach out his hand again yet Blake glared at her. His signature glare to stay away and to not touch him casually. Carol looked away but she looked like she was sulking.
“Olivia?” Javier called as I soon turned around to him. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. I just saw my uncle there.” I pointed my thumb to where Blake stood as Javier followed. He sighed lazily when he saw them.
“She’s here. No wonder.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“Her father is your uncle’s business partner,” he said and pointed out behind me again. I looked around and saw an older man beside her. He was shaking hands with Blake, exchanging conversation, and sometimes the father would look at Carol and smiling. I could tell he loved his daughter yet the way he gave his attention was put in the wrong way.
“I pity her.”
“Me as well. She could be a good woman if her father gave the attention in the right way, just like how your uncle gave his attention to you before.” I turned around to him again. “If you have the chance, I will let him talk to you, for old time’s sake,” he added and Javier held my hand. Bringing it close to his lips and kissed it. Looking straight into my eyes, he said, “family is important, Olivia. Although he’s just your step-uncle, I want your relationship with him became harmonized again. Just how when you’re still living with him.”
I really wanted to cry. I hadn’t told him the truth. Javier didn’t know anything about me and Blake. I desperately wanted to tell him. He was already being kind to me, too kind. I wanted to tell him that our relationship changed because I had fallen with that man yet he threw me away, and now he wanted me back.
I wanted to forget all that. I wanted to focus on my future, with Javier as my future. I had decided to move on and I trusted Javier. I couldn’t break it, not with him. And maybe talking to Blake once again could make me moving forward, I would do it. “I could as long as he isn’t bothered by his guests,” I said.
“You could.” He raised his eyes and I followed it behind me where I had Blake standing behind me. Literally, behind the chair. I was nowhere ready to talk to him now. And why the hell he’s here?
“Evening, Olivia, Javier.”
“Um, hi,” I greeted back nervously.
“Good evening, Mr. Morgan. Thank you for the invitation,” Javier said and that was it. None of us were talking. None of us made the move to open another conversation.
The situation between us became awkward. I couldn’t exactly suddenly ask him to meet up after the party. Although I knew Blake wanted to. I didn’t know what to say.
“Can we talk right after my speech?” Blake suddenly asked. I felt like that was the cue of me and I nodded my head. Without thinking. He smiled lightly and that was when I could feel it again.
The heartbeat which I thought had disappeared since the day I stepped out from the hotel two years ago.
“Mr. Morgan?” John appeared behind him. “It’s time to start the party,” he informed and he looked at me, slightly giving me a nod.
“Okay. I’ll come for you later, Olivia,” he said and walked away passing John. He looked at me and smiled until he followed his Boss. I knew what his smile meant. Thank you for giving him a chance. I guessed that’s what I got.
“It’s not that hard, isn’t it?” Javier asked as I turned back to him.
“Did you ask him to do that?” I asked and he drank his champagne, acting like he did nothing by avoiding my eyes. I smiled and held his hand. “Thank you.” I kissed his cheek and he looked at me. Appeared surprised by my sudden action but his lips form a smile.
“I want nothing but for you to be happy, Olivia.”
“Thank you.”
And the party started.
***
Javier
The party started with the host giving a welcoming speech.
When Olivia asked me if I was involved with Mr. Morgan suddenly turned up behind her, it was part of my doing. I called him yesterday and asked him to talk with Olivia. Although I just started dating her, I could tell something was going on between them. Olivia thought she could fool me, but she was so easy to read. I told him family meant everything to her and I didn’t want to ruin that. He used to take care of Olivia before her father came and that’s how their relationship changed in the worst way.
I wanted them to reconcile and Mr. Morgan agreed to talk to her. Maybe I was too meddling with their business but I wanted to help. All for Olivia.
I heard Mr. Morgan’s name was called and he walked up the stage with the guests clapping their hands. He stood in the middle of the stage with the mic in his right hand.
“First of all, thank you for coming tonight. To join me in celebrating the tenth anniversary of Morgan Enterprise. To those who don’t know about the history of this company is because I’ve always wanted a company of my own. I was never good at working under someone and it’s been my dream for opening my own business. My father had his own and he was kind enough to let me do whatever I want as long I could take responsibility for what I did. He’s…a good man and he’s currently sitting on the VIP table with my mother.” He pointed to where his parents were and they were sitting next to the stage.
“They never forced me to follow my father’s footsteps. They allowed their children to follow their dream, just like how they allowed my sister to follow hers. Unfortunately, she couldn’t attend tonight. But since I liked doing business, possibly because of the involvement of my father as well, I started my own. It’s not an easy journey but it’s worth it in the end. I could feed myself, have my own house, almost all of it.”
I agreed. It was never an easy journey to reach our dream. I was the same as well. When he helped me three years ago, I was so thankful to him. I thought I could never escape, yet he was there, reaching out his hand and pulled me out of the hellhole.
“I’ve met different people in my career. Even John, my current secretary that I’m so proud of although sometimes he has the nerves for ticking me off.” The guests laughed at him. I saw how they exchanged conversations before. They looked like friends rather than a boss and an employee. Even John came to Olivia’s birthday party before. “And Javier Ronan as well over there. He’s the perfect brand ambassador for my company,” he added and the guests clapped again. I nodded my head in respect. I never thought he would add me to his speech. “I could have anything I wanted, except one,” he paused where at that time, I saw a hint of sadness from him.
“Whenever reporters came to me, their last question would remain the same. They would always ask me if I’m currently dating someone. My answer always remained the same; no. But my heart belongs to one person only and she’s currently sitting here.” As soon as he said that, the guests – particularly women started to gasp and looked around. Probably looking who the lucky woman was. Or maybe the unlucky woman was.
He got the nerve for saying that out loud here. He just sent a hidden message to all the women here who wanted him as their husband. Just fucking give up.
But I was also curious about who the woman was. For three years I had known him, I never saw him with any woman. Was he hiding her? Probably so. Or maybe he had a one-sided love? That was freaking unbelievable.
“I’m not going to say who she is, but she’s partly responsible for me to have this company. And she’s also realized that I’m referring her.” He smiled and for a second, he was looking here-at my table. I looked around and saw a woman on the table but she had a husband sitting next to her. But his eyes were not directed at her, yet towards more to my direction. Was someone behind me?
As I wanted to turn around to cure my curiosity, I saw Olivia tensing a bit and she drank her champagne. My mind immediately struck on something. Thinking if Mr. Morgan…liked my girlfriend?
No way, that would be impossible. And ridiculous. Olivia was his niece but there was no blood connection between them. She told me before that they had a bad relationship after she went with her father. Could it be?
“That is all from me. Please, enjoy the rest of the night,” he ended the speech as they clapped their hands. He walked down the stage and my attention was back on the woman I loved sitting next to me.
Was Mr. Morgan in love with Olivia? Was that why their relationship changed?
Was Olivia running away from him?
Or…
Was she in love with him?