Third person’s point of view.
*THE ALFONSO ESTATE – 07:30pm**
Rob stopped right in front of the big gates for a security check. He waited patiently until the security man reached his window, he winded down the window, and stuck his head out slightly.
“Hello, Alex, good evening” Rob greeted the security man, who’s now known as Alex.
“Good evening, Rob” Alex replied, he looked towards the back seat and saw Ferguson who was focused typing away on his phone. “Good evening, Mr. Alfonso”
Ferguson simply acknowledged him with a nod without raising his head, and Alex said something into his walkie-talkie, and quickly stepped away as the gates opened.
“Welcome, and have a nice evening” he wished Ferguson, before Rob drove into the compound.
Rob drove for a few minutes, then stopped right outside the main door and quickly alighted to get the door (the car’s door) for his boss.
Ferguson alighted too, he straightened and dusted his tuxedo, as though there were dust on it.
“Don’t fall asleep, I’ll be back shortly” he said.
“Huh? Why?”
“I have a feeling this dinner is going to end too soon” he said, fixed his necktie once more and approached the main door.
•••••
The closer Ferguson got to the main door, the louder and clearer he could hear his parents’ and some unfamiliar voices talking, and laughing happily, though the voices were unfamiliar, but he already has a hint whom they belonged to -he did a mental eye roll at how obviously fake they sound.
“They’d surely do anything and everything for their businesses’ expansion” he growled under his breath.
He stopped outside the door, shut his eyes and reached for the doorbell, he was having a short internal battle about whether he should proceed with this dinner, or just turn around and go back home.
But he took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell anyway.
“Oh, that must be my son” he heard his mother’s excited gasp from inside.
He sighed and braced himself for what’s coming next. The door suddenly flung open, and he was pulled into a bone crushing hug before he could get ready for the attack.
“Thank goodness, Gus, you’re finally here” Mrs. Alfonso sighed in relief, as though a heavy load was just lifted off her shoulders.
He groaned lowly as he felt his neck hurting, his mother is way shorter than him and hence he was made to crouch slightly to reach her level.
“M-mom…” he coughed. “… I… I can’t breathe” he managed to squeeze out.
She quickly let go of him, as though she had just remembered something, then grabbed his right ear and pulled as hard as she could.
“Do you know how long you’ve kept every one waiting?” she whispered in a scolding tone, and not without giving him an offended glare.
He checked his wristwatch with a frown, then shook his head in disagreement.
“I don’t think I’m late, I’m right on time mom” he showed her his watch.
“Really?” she pulled harder on his ear, with a serious expression -or what she thought was a serious expression.
He stared at her face for a while, and couldn’t help but chuckle at her failed strict expression, then put his hands together in a pleading manner and pouted his lips to make him as pitiful as can be.
“I’m sorry, Mom” he quickly raised his right hand and stuck out two fingers. “I promise I’ll be right on time next time”
She let go of his ear, and scoffed in dissatisfaction.
“Let’s just go in”
“Yes, ma’am”
“And make sure you talk more with Claudia, she’s the main reason you’re here for this dinner”
Ferguson’s eyebrows furrowed at her words, he tilted his head and tried to peek inside, but he couldn’t see anything from there.
“I didn’t come because of her, mom, I came to see you and…”
“Have you forgotten what I said to you on the phone?” she narrowed her eyes.
He furrowed even more.
“Don’t make us decide for you, you’re going in there, and you’re going to behave yourself. Did I make myself clear?”
He sighed and nodded.
“One more thing, whatever your father does or says, don’t talk back at your father!” she left no room for arguments.
Ferguson simply nodded again, he’d do anything and everything to make his mother happy, and if sitting through the dinner obediently was going to make her happy, then he’d sacrifice some minutes of his happiness.
“Let’s go inside” his mother said with a bright smile.
His eyes almost pop out at his mother’s ability to switch moods.
•••••
“Here comes the man of the show” George (Mr. Simon) announced immediately Ferguson came into sight, even though he knows every other person could see him (Ferguson) as well.
SNR Alfonso simply took a quick glance at Ferguson’s way, then reached for his phone and pretended to be busy with something -Ferguson didn’t seem to care too.
He (Ferguson) took long strides towards George and shook hands with him, while forcing a smile on his face (which came out like a grimace) to appear polite.
“Good evening, Mr. Simon” he greeted.
“Good evening, son” George replied.
Ferguson faced Samantha (Mrs. Simon), he gave her a brief hug with a short kiss on her right cheek.
“Good evening, Mrs. Simon”
“You can call me aunt, Gus” Ferguson winced at Samantha addressing him by his nickname, buy said nothing about it. “Mrs Simon sounds too formal”
Everyone took it as a joke, and laughed over it, except Ferguson. He walked towards a sofa next to Rita’s, but his mother rushed to him and pulled him up before he could sit down.
“What?” he asked, sounding confused.
His mother nodded towards the opposite direction. He followed her eyes and saw Claudia, who sat on the only love seat in the living room, with a small smile and an anxious expression, yet eager to meet him.
He quickly shook his head in disagreement and looked away.
“I’m not sitting there, mom” he grumbled lowly, his mother heard him.
“You’re sitting there, or your father and I will make the decision for you!” she gritted out in a whisper.
“Do I even have a choice?”
“No, you’re sitting there and that’s final”
Ferguson clenched his jaw, and ground his teeth against each other and threw a glare towards Claudia’s way, which she returned with a warm smile.
“Fine” then he grumpily approached her.
Mrs. Alfonso nodded in satisfaction before, going back to her seat.
“It’s been a few decades since I last saw you, Ferguson” George said, his eyes studying Ferguson carefully, and he nodded in approval. “You’ve grown into a strong, handsome young man”
“Yes” Samantha agreed with her husband. “I wouldn’t have recognized him on the streets if I hadn’t seen him here today”
She looked towards her daughter (Claudia), and caught her gawking at Ferguson. Claudia soon noticed her mother’s eyes on her and quickly looked away with a blush.
“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Simon” Ferguson thanked them.
There were a brief and awkward silence fell on them immediately he said that, but SNR Alfonso quickly broke it with a cough, and chuckled as though to lighten up the atmosphere.
“I know it’s been long since we all had dinner together” he dropped his phone on the side table, and gave Ferguson a pointed look. “But we’re all family, and we don’t address each other like business partners” he gritted out.
Ferguson’s eyebrows raised as he took a brief look around, he wondered since when the Simon became one with the Alfonso.
“Family? Aren’t we here for a business dinner?”
There was another awkward silence, but SNR Alfonso also chuckled again, and luring George to join in the laugh this time.
“We’re here today as family, to talk about your engagement with Claudia”
“You mean…” with one look from his mother, his words were left stuck in his throat.
He tensed when Claudia suddenly linked their arms, he made to pull his arm away, but his mother’s eyes were still on him, so he decided to let it slide.
“Wow, Claudia and Gus just look perfect together, don’t they?” Mrs. Alfonso asked, facing Samantha, for a response.
“Yes, yes” Samantha agreed. “They’ll make cute kids together”
Kids? You aren’t even sure if I’m marrying her and you’re already dreaming about kids? -he thought.