RIGHT 2

Many dawns of hope, many dusks of despair flew. Erasmus yearned to hold his beloved in his arms. He recalled the last words of Celestine, and true to them, the time neither weakened his determination nor his devotion. He knew his forbearance would one day ripen the sweetest fruit; the suffering and sorrow would be answered in the form of exuberant blessing.

Whilst Erasmus was waiting, Celestine was healing, slowly but certainly. Each second felt like an eternity without her dearest Erasmus, yet she knew she needed to be entirely renewed before she could return. A broken soul would never be able to love another until it loves itself first, and Erasmus deserves to be loved from the depths of her heart, and it would be possible if she would first recover herself. The tears of parting away would be equivalent to the tears of euphoria after meeting each other again.

Love is a strange kind of poison; the more you drink, the livelier you are. Only rare, fortunate souls happen to find true love, so they treasure it like gold.

True.

My heart tugged.

This memorandum was so genuine and honest, ’only rare fortunate souls happen to find true love,′ and I was one of those blessed souls when I found Aiden, and until I lost him.

It’s been three days since I touched the land of England, it’s been three days of being immersed in his thoughts, it’s been three days of suffering, it’s been three days of desperation, it’s been three days since the nightmares didn’t cease to haunt me, however, it’s also been three days of a strange kind of tranquility, knowing that ahead many probabilities are waiting for me, it’s been three since my life took a new turn, it’s been three days of miracle, realizing upon I was finally in England. It’s been three days of elation, watching my father’s dream take flight.

Aiden had called me a myriad of times when I first arrived here, but soon the calls started to recede. The last call was yesterday morning, and since then, neither a message nor a call has been heard from him.

Maybe he was giving up.

And this truth hurts.

I had not wanted him to give up on me; it was so wrong to wish this. However, my heart couldn’t be deterred from hoping for such a heinous desire.

Knock.

knock.

I trembled out of my wandering thought at the sound of the wooden door being thumped, and the book from my hand fell on the floor of the luxurious hotel in which we were honored to dwell until the internship’s first month.

This hotel is the property of Roosevelt Ambiance, and it’s one of the most expensive hotels here in England. This was the first time I had the opportunity of indulging myself in an elegant lifestyle; it felt strange, a good strange.

I retained the book from the ground, closed the one I had been reading for the past hour, and rose from the soft bed. The room was nothing less than a princess’s room, with valuable commodities placed in the manner of the Victorian age. The soft, white, transparent curtains were adorned around the bed, and the carpet was spread around the entire floor of the room. Every kind of basic furnishing was done, keeping it authentic. I strode to the door and tugged the lock to open it. As the heavy barrier opened, I grinned.

An exhilarated Elliot greeted me, but soon, his smile withered, and a frown took over his countenance in a matter of mere seconds.

“Emerald, why are you still not ready?” He quickly glanced at his watch. “The meeting will start in twenty minutes.”

I panicked.

My eyes fell over his formal and sharp clothing, a dark-colored three-piece suit, making him seem civil and a man of business. I looked down at my plain t-shirt and shorts, which certainly gave the impression of being homeless.

I sighed.

I had been so immersed in a fictitious world that I happened to lose count of time. The very evening, our first meeting with Mr. Eric Roosevelt was being held, and I couldn’t afford to be tardy, as the saying goes, ′First impressions are the last impressions.′

" I totally lost track,” timidly, I mumbled. “You go there, and I will be present shortly.”

" Are you sure? I can wait for you,” he proposed, gently pushing a strand of his hair back that had fallen in front of his eyes. I noticed that his hair has grown and suits his soft facial features.

" No, I don’t want you to get late because of me. I will be there, right away.”

He nodded his head and quickly smiled before retiring, “Okay, I will see you there.”

After fastening the door, in an instant, I reached for my formal attire from the chair that was placed earlier. It consisted of a black pencil skirt and a white shirt. My knees trembled as I started to dress, and my hand caught the chair as tumultuous pain sprouted in my head, the darkness engulfed me, and perspiration covered my forehead.

I blinked.

The clouds of darkness deliberately subsided, yet the pain lingered. Kneading my forehead with one hand, I started to dress up again.

This meeting was of utmost significance; I can’t miss it.

After adorning my outfit, from the drawer I took some medicine to cure my headache. For the last two days, there was a constant headache and fever; I was avoiding it, but day by day, it was worsening. Maybe I should pay a visit to the doctor. Swallowing the tablet, I quickly put a little makeup on and, in a matter of minutes, I was looking presentable for the meeting.

The elegant passageway of the hotel was bathed in the hues of ancient culture, a story told in fierce golden and white inscription on the wall. The statutes were kept on both sides of the trail, and the dim light glowing from above the towering ceiling was spreading warmth. The structure was modern with a sprinkle of ancient origin.

I wandered through the massive hallway in search of a conference room where the meeting was going to be held, and was successful when the signboard hung on the door caught my attention. Yes, this hotel has a conference room. Deliberately, I stepped inside the room and saw Elliot, who was immersed in a deep conversation with Julian, an intern too. I headed in their direction and took a seat next to him.

“It’s about time to grace us with your presence, Miss. Gracia.” Elliot quipped, turning to me as he saw me.

“Pleasure is all mine,” I beamed.

My pulse quickened.

The air was heavy with zeal and anticipation; numerous eyes were wandering to the entrance, from where, at any moment, the head of Roosevelt Ambiance, Mr. Eric Roosevelt, would walk through. My heart was missing a beat time and again due to the exhilaration. It was unbelievable! I was in London, sitting in one of Roosevelt’s hotels, and was going to commence my internship. My headache had subsided, but still, there was an ailing occurrence again and again.

A sudden silence fell over the room.

The chattering and quipping ceased, everyone’s shoulders stiffened, and spines straightened, and eyes welded on the entrance. Firstly, two men, dressed in dark black attire and black glasses covering their eyes, entered and assessed the room. Their physique was muscular and countenance void, not giving any speck of emotion. They were bodyguards.

Once they did their inspection, one of the men went outward and entered with a man who looked all businesslike, the three-piece suit, tie, and loads of manners and confidence. He appeared in his late fifties, but his fine features didn’t do justice to his age.

Mr. Roosevelt comes ahead with a bright smile. His gaze wandered around the room as he said, “I hope you all are excited to work with Roosevelt Ambiance. New York University has never failed to provide us with potential candidates for the business, so I have my utmost belief in you all that you will give your best and bring success to the company.”

He paused.

His wandering eyes fell on me, and there was a flash of amazement in his orbs, which succumbed quickly. He cleared his throat before starting again, while my gaze, perplexed, remained fixed on him.” I hope this new project will be fruitful. I wish you the best of luck.”

His character was precise as my father had depicted, wise and a man of few words, and elation constantly flicked on his countenance. It was concluded then and there that working with this corporation was going to bring challenges and curiosity, for which I was more than ready.

“He seems a good man,” Elliot commented, and I nodded in agreement.

“Miss Maria will attend to you all from here. I hope you enjoy your weekend. And from Monday, with the new day, we will start our project,” he smiled and retreated from the room.

I breathe.

A middle-aged lady appeared in the center, her silk hair was elegantly tied in a bun, and the dress was well-fitted, finely accentuating her body. Her face was clear and glowing under the light. She appeared in her early thirties.

" Hello, I am Maria, Mr. Roosevelt’s secretary. You can reach me in case of any difficulties in your project. Here are the papers that need to be studied before you come on Monday.”

She obtained the files from the desk and allocated them to everyone present in the room, and there was a shrill murmur of inquisitiveness and enthusiasm that drifted into the room. With comprehensive information and brief instructions, as well as discussion, we were able to leave the room after an hour.

Slowly, the room started to empty. Elliot and I rose from our seats and headed to the door, but our step halted when Maria’s intense voice glided into our ears.

“Miss Gracia, Mr. Roosevelt wants to meet you,” I glanced toward Elliot, who appeared as perplexed as I.

Why would he want to meet me?

Conceivably, to find the answer, I have to visit him.

I nodded.

“He is waiting for you in his cabin,” she professed and retreated to the desk.

" I will meet you in the evening,” I said to Elliot, and with a quick nod, he retired to his room while I went to Mr. Roosevelt for the meeting.

Countless thoughts invaded my head recklessly, reinforcing the headache, which was intensified by the waning effect of the medicine.

The elevator ride was conducted with grave thinking, and I reached the front of the very elegant-looking cabin on the top floor of the hotel. My hand reached for the wooden door.

Knock.

Knock.

“Come in,” a thick voice came from behind the wooden door. I pushed the door and entered the remarkably decorated office. The structure was modern yet ancient; similarly, as the entire hotel was built onto, it was certainly a private office, being in the secluded region of the motel. Mr. Roosevelt was reclining on the chair; his posture so stiff that it could be mistaken for a portrait.

My palms started to sweat, as apprehensiveness overtook me.

I stepped forward, my feet stumbled, and I collided with a large glass flower pot kept at the side of the table for decorating purposes, and it fell. My wide gaze watched the pot shattering into countless diminutive pieces on the ground while I stood there in shock. Mr. Roosevelt was too startled by the sudden arising of disaster that he suddenly rose from his chair. Mainly, a single thought flashed in my head.

My job is in danger.

He looked at me, and I feigned a bright smile while from inside I wanted to die, then and there, I quickly blurted, “I am so sorry, Mr. Roosevelt, I didn’t mean to do it, I am a very responsible person, and this is just an accident, and I will clean it, just please don’t fire me.”

I hoped my rant would be satisfactory to make him understand that it was honestly an accident. I stooped to collect the pieces from the ground, but Mr. Roosevelt’s voice halted me before I could obtain a single piece.

“Stop, it’s okay. I will get it done by someone else.”

“Are you sure?” I asked hesitantly and slowly rose and straightened my skirt for any wrinkles, and looked at him.

His disposition was clouded with amusement.

“Yes, I am sure. Miss Gracia, this was one of the most hilarious encounters I ever had with someone.” He laughed, his bright laughter resounding in the entire room. Redness covered my cheek, and I shyly peeked at him.

Thank God! He didn’t fire me for breaking his costly pot.

" I am sorry I didn’t mean to–” my apology was interrupted.

" Don’t worry about it, have a seat,” he said.

We took our seats, and I nervously glanced at him and fidgeted with the end of my skirt. He grabbed a file from the table and looked through it, and then at me.

“I saw your reports, and I must say, I am impressed.” he clasped his hands together and settled his chin on them.

“Thank you,” I beamed. There was nothing more satisfying than being praised by Mr. Roosevelt.

“You would be wondering why I have called you, huh?” His dark eyes bored into mine.

I nodded.

After the embarrassing accident, I was still a little nervous and unsettled to have a conversation with him, so I decided to use gestures.

“Well, we are working on a new project, and I want you to oversee this project, and of course, Maria will be there to help you. She will be guiding you with the necessary instructions.” As he proclaimed, my eyes widened in shock. Did I hear him correctly?

“H-Have I heard it right?” I asked, hesitantly. The smile on his face deepened.

" I am sure, Miss Gracia, you have heard it right.”

Bliss surged from the core of my heart; I couldn’t imagine that he would have this much belief in me to bestow the significant responsibility.

“Are you serious?” I asked.

He nodded.

“Thank you, I can’t believe this, thank you so much for this opportunity.” He stretched his hand and offered me a file, which I took with my subtly shaky hand.

There was a pause; my gaze explored the file’s outer cover with utmost respect and interest. I never thought I would see this day. Unexpectedly, Roosevelt’s Ambiance was a ray of light in my gloomy life.

He stared at me like he wanted to know something, and the intensity of his gaze shuddered me.

“Life is about responsibilities.” He paused.” And with responsibility comes the power of making...”

“Decisions.” I continued his wise words.

He smiled.

" Yes, the power of making decisions. In business, you have to make decisions time and again. Decisions are an important part, but what is more important is that you make the correct one. There will be times when you feel conflicted after taking a certain decision, but if there is a sense of satisfaction deep down after taking it, then you will know that what you did was the correct judgment. Some decisions will make you happy, and some will not. I expect you to make the right decision when it’s time to take one.”

There was a strange kind of softness on his countenance; his wise words seemed more than business-related; it was more than that, like he knew something more profound and stringent. However, his words would always remain in my heart. These words will help me in every different stage of life, whenever I feel lost.

" I will keep this in mind.”

For a moment, his vision drilled into me, as if he could read my soul. He was a man who knew how to treasure when he saw a gem. He beamed, the corner of his eyes wrinkled in three lines, and his gaze glinted with happiness.

"So, Miss Garcia, welcome to Roosevelt Ambiance."

_______________________________________________________________

Vote, comment & Share!