I sat in one of the private rooms of a top restaurant in the city, in a chair across from Ethan Sterling. The proximity between is wasn't something I was used to so I got a bit tensed.
He hadn't told me why he had wanted to see me and I couldn't help but wonder what it was. The time he gave us to move out of his property remained three days. What could he want now?
As always, the man looked sharp in a gray business suit and his hair combed back. His hand that rested on the table sported a very expensive black crystal cut wrist watch. I suddenly became curious to know how much it cost.
"What would you like to eat, Miss Sanders?" He asked me, handing the menu over to me. I hadn't had the opportunity to eat much at home before mom had showed up and ruined my appetite so I skimmed through the menu. At last, I just ordered warm chicken soup.
Mr Sterling didn't bother about my choice of food and went on to order his own meal which consisted of steak drizzled in gravy.
As we had our meals in absolute silence, i couldn't help but wonder why in the world he had wanted to meet so suddenly. I fought back the urge to sneeze and I remembered that my hair was slightly wet from being in the rain.
A waiter came and cleared up the table while another poured wine into our glasses. Over the wine, Ethan Sterling spoke.
"How was your visit to your parent's place? I hope it was pleasant."
I choked out the wine I had gulped in and coughed unceremoniously.
"How do you know about that?" I rasped.
"Your assistant told me. I had called to ask if you were in the school. I think she said Helen was her name."
Oh Ellen, that little snitch. Why did she have to tell him that particular detail? I needed to have a word with her after this.
"It went rather well, thanks for asking." I lied through my teeth, plastering a polite smile on my face.
He raised a brow in surprise and for the briefest moment, disappointment too.
"Oh, so your parents agreed to help you find a new venue for your school then?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose in disbelief. Did Ellen also tell him that? Gosh, there was no keeping secrets in this world, now was there?
"Well, no." I said finally. There was no use lying about that.
"I hope you remember the demolition is in three days time?" He asked me.
I looked down, avoiding his eyes. What was with all these questions? My mood instantly soured but I resolved to be calm. A temper flare in front of this man would do no good to my current situation. Rather, it would just aggravate it.
"Yes, I know sir. And I am trying my best to find another place before the time elapsed. But you must understand that it is quite difficult."
He nodded. "What if it doesn't have to be difficult?" He asked out of the blue. Dazed by the question I just stared at him blankly. How was I supposed to reply to the question?
"What do you mean?"
"A young and hardworking teacher as yourself shouldn't be burdened with the task of securing a venue for your school." He told me.
"Well, as a co-administrator, it is part of my duties to ensure the continuity of the school as well as provide a conducive environment for the students to learn." I said to him, matter of factly.
His facial expression showed that he agreed with my words.
"I mean, what if I take away your difficulties in finding a new place?"
I tried to understand where he was going with this conversation. He was the one who put me in this fix in the first place just because of the incident that night at the bar. And now he was asking if he could help me get out of it?
"And how do you intend to do that?" I asked cautiously.
He swirled the wine in his glass slowly before replying my question.
"I never really saw much potential for the Evers' property as a luxury hotel."
My brow raised in question. "Then why did you buy it? To spite me?"
His eyes flitted up to mine in amusement. "Do you think I am jobless? You must know I have better use for my time."
I shivered internally as I shook my head. "I just thought that you did it because I had angered you that night at the bar."
He scoffed at my reply. "I had scores to settle with the Evers family. That's all." He shrugged.
I gulped. When men in power had scores to settle, I knew they never played fair. My father did it, my mother did also. They would bend the law to their favor. This man before me was no different.
"What I'm trying to say is that, I can save you the stress of looking for a new school by handing over the old one to you. As yours. In your name."
I dropped the glass of wine I had wanted to pick back on the table. Did I hear him right? Was it the wine? Was I drunk? But I barely even sipped the dark red liquid in the cup.
He wanted to give me the school, in my name? If I was the owner of the school, it would be absolutely wonderful. We could go about and do whatever we wanted without the fear of having the property seized from us. Our funds would go to other important things like teaching resources and renovations and extra curricular activities.
Then I became apprehensive. This couldn't be all. Nothing in this world went for nothing. There was always a catch.
"But you have your terms and conditions."I said.
His lips curled into a devilish smile." You catch on quick. I like smart women. "
His smile and compliment didn't make me feel better about myself. It just made me more scared and guarded. What did he want in return? What would he ask of me?
"What do you want?" I asked him. There was no need to beat around the bush in situations like these.
For the first time since we started drinking, he pit aside his glass and looked me dead in the eyes.
"It's simple, Miss Sanders. Marry me."