Roasting the beans was the easiest, keeping the green beans in an open pan and stirring it ever so oftenly.As he saw the beans turn into a light brown color, he knew that they were ready.He let them cool as he prepared to grind them. Making his own coffee has been his morning ritual that has always stayed with him through the last dark two years. It was so soothing and as he brewed it, he inhaled the delicious aroma gratefully.Although he was deeply pleased, his ice expression betrayed no emotions.
As the bitter flavor of coffee hit him hard, he felt his senses awaken instantly. He sat in the kitchen luxuriating in the sunlight that penetrated through the large arched windows. He had been living in this house for the last six months but due to his busy schedule he rarely wandered in the kitchen unless perhaps to, to what, he thought and remained blank. As he enjoyed the coffee taking a huge bite of the creamy donut, he took in the chic rustic touches that run through the inviting kitchen trimmed with wooden floor and matching walnut brown cabinetry. He applaud his manager Gianni for her good taste, not that he knew anything about houses beyond the aesthetic.
He was famished and the donut and coffee were the only nourishing foodstuff in the entire kitchen.He had no groceries and he had no need for it as he couldn't cook to save his life. He didn't even know where the pantry was located in the house as he survived through precooked microwaved food. However the said provisions had been finished in the last two days that he had taken time off to rest after the interviews. He knew that although they hadn't finished filming the music video, the crew also needed time for a breather after the repetitive ten days of shooting and even Gianni, a workaholic agreed.
He considered to request Rhea to bring him a five guys later on her way.As if on cue, his smart phone on the kitchen counter began to ring.He swiped the green button and a chirp voice blurted out a loud gud morning. As always, she began to inform him of his schedule, assuring him that today he only had one meeting with the Ray Electronics. However, she wasn't sure how long the meeting was going to last.
Grey was irked that he had to met this Ray- whatever manager to seal this deal. He had never done this in his career, usually it was Gianni and some lawyers that did this. But he knew as Gianni had emphasized, they - he needed this partnership just as the Ray Electronics did or even more.
Later when Rhea arrived with the food, he ravished it quickly,smearing his black sweater with ketchup which he had to change because Rhea had pointed it out. They were to meet his manager and the lawyer at a private dining room at the Higthler Hotel at exactly eleven o'clock.
He and Rhea were the first to arrive, and the hotel server led them into the reserved private dining room. The room screamed extravagant from the sparking mable floor, the huge long aok table in the middle to the enormous silver chandelier.
Grey shifted in the premium plush black velvet cushioned chairs. Gazing at his watch, he noted that it was almost half eleven. He cold expression betrayed into frustration, tapping his long fingers on his lap and Gianni could sense his impatience.
Gianni had arrived ten minutes later and she had contacted the Ray Electronics' manager soon after. She had been told that he was finishing a meeting and he was going to join them very soon. The third call however in which she had sweared, the secretary had seemed hesitant to tell her. She ordered the server to pour what would be her third glass of wine and turned to state her detest at thier current situation,
'Sorry kiddo. Jesus, and to think that we rejected that Cello partnership for this potential stood up. Fuck.' she gulped the rest of the red wine. Grey furrowed his thin eye brows in concern, heeding that she seemed to be in distress. Usually, Gianni was the collected one in every apprehensive circumstances.She had looked under the weather with an imperceptible frown that Grey knew so well when she had entered but she had tried to cover it up as soon as she had seen Grey in the private dining room with a beaming smile . When she was about to pour herself another round ,Grey stopped her. He took the wine glass and sat it up side down on the wide round oak table.
'Are you okay. You aren't yourself, is something bothering you. Is it Laura?' he shifted the chair so that he was closer to her even though she was sitted beside him. Gianni was like his older sister, it had been like that since she became his manager five years ago. She was the only person that had been with him when things had been dark and the one that had pushed him to continuously perform better. The relationship was beyond work such that Gianni problems had also became his own in some way.
Gianni sighed loudly, resting her hand on her cheek, she divulged what has been eating her,
'it-it's Frank, the crazy bastard is trying to take my baby away from me.He has dozens in the wild and l only have he-her'
Grey pale blue eyes winding, took her well manicured hands in his own, his face softening,
'Look at me, he can't do that. You won custody okay. He has nothing on you.'
'ohh Grey, but he has , remember that time when she contaminated the virus on Haley sleepover.'
Grey remembered that it had been in March, and Laura had since recovered from the chicken pox.
Gianni was almost teary but she contained herself,
'but he can't hold that on you, children play and something like that is prone to happen.'
'The crazy bastard has been on me for long, damn it. He found a -'
The squealing of the heavy wooden door of the hotel room interrupted Gianni and they turned thier head to the source,ceasing thier deep conversation. Rhea and Jack who also had been in an engaging conversation on the other end of the huge round table, halted midway.
Two male figures appeared on the doorway, a tuby man in a pinstripe suit with disheveled black hair carrying a leather suitcase and seemingly hurrying to catch his strides with the man in front of him.The other man, his t - shirt straining against his braod shoulders and hands in the pockets of his black joggers sauntered in feline grace.As his emerald orbs met Grey blues ones from the distance , Grey's jaw twitched in irritation.
As they neared, all the people in the room except Grey stood up to shake hands with them and Gianni, no longer her vulnerable self, plastered a perfect grin on her face. Grey thought that she could have been a great actress.
'My apologies for the inconvenience, my manager who was supposed to be here is stuck in a meeting. I'm Qatar Rayton and this is my lawyer, James Ward'
'Ohh Mr Rayton, I'm Gianni, Grey' s manager, we are really looking forward to be working with you'
Grey watched as Qatar's face broke into a pleased smile to Gianni words and he exploded in infuriation,
' Gianni, we need to speak. 'he stood up, walking to the door way. Gianni, puzzled followed him out of the hotel room, struggling to catch up with him in her d' orsay heels. He was about to get into the elevator of the tenth floor,when Gianni grasped his arm and whispered,
' Grey, what is it'
'Damn, I just can't Gianni. Fuck .'
'The guy, Qatar Rayton ? He is the fucking ceo of Ray Electronics and the deal is Hella good,Jesus they are offering millions, Grey.'
'He was Ross friend and a bad one at that. We have bad blood Gianni, l don't even know why he wants to be involved with me and - '
He was cut off as Gianni took her phone and called his driver,
'Grey,look, l don't know the history between you two but l won't allow you to spoil this for yourself. You are not even gonna speak to him or see him after this hummh? So go home and rest, tomorrow we are finishing that music video. I will handle everything right?'
Grey only shrugged his shoulders at his manager stubbornness and walked into the elevator.
Inside the black SUV, Grey lit a cigarette and inhaled the nicotine smoke slowly into his lungs. As he exhaled , he felt some of his anger disappearing. He was so angry that he couldn't piece it together that Ray Electronics had something to do with Qatar Rayton. He had never gotten along with Qatar, in fact, as he remembered, Qatar had strongly disliked him from the start.He had also been vocal about it with Ross, Grey's dead fiance and Qatar best friend. He had no idea why, maybe the guy was queerphobic
As he gazed out, barely noticing the tall buildings, he wondered the sick game that Qatar was planning. He wanted badly to scream at the driver and tell him to drive back to the hotel but he couldn't. He knew how Gianni had worked hard for this, for many partnerships in fact and they had rejected all of them except this one because according to Gianni this deal was a bomb.