Chapter 362
"Yo, Mr. Cena, right?"
She shot me this kinda flirty look. And man, I could see that bright red kiss mark peeking out from her slightly open collar.
Yeah, I left that mark.
I was all kinds of flustered. 'What’s this chick up to?' I thought.
"Right!" I muttered, not really feeling it.
Katherine grinned, "Good. But I won't chill until I see the company open. I'll wait till the opening day to report back to Mr. Walton, so he can stop stressing."
Linda squinted, "Greenvale City branch is cool with just John and me. If both VPs from HQ show up, the staff will think we're sinking. Your presence will just freak everyone out."
Katherine's smile dropped, "Fine, I won't spill who I am. Worst case, I'll play Mr. Cena's secretary. Who's gonna say anything then?"
"You sure about that?"
"Totally!"
Seeing them about to throw down, I jumped in, "Ladies, we're all here for the company. Let's chill and talk this out!"
"Shut up!" they snapped in unison. "This has nothing to do with you!"
I sighed, "Alright, you two hash it out. I got stuff to do, so I'm out."
It was getting late, and I had a date with Abigail. I bolted.
"Stop!" they yelled together.
I turned back, exasperated, "Ms. Foster, Ms. Wilson, I really gotta go. It's crucial for the company."
Katherine stepped up, "Then take me with you!"
"Me too!" Linda chimed in, even pointing at her belly.
'Damn, blackmail much?' I thought.
I took a deep breath, "Look, it's really not a place for you two. It's not that I don't want to take you."
"What kind of place?"
"Some shady joint?"
They both frowned, looking ready to pounce.
I raised my hands, "It's not what you think!"
Katherine stared me down, "Alright, go ahead then."
Linda added, "Report back ASAP."
I got the hint, nodded, and bailed.
Driving to the intersection, I spotted a girl standing there.
She was dressed to the nines.
It was like a scene from a painting, a beauty stepping out of it.
I honked and rolled down the window, "Over here!"
Abigail looked down and smiled.
I jumped out and opened the passenger door, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"
She blushed and shook her head, "No, I just got here."
"You look stunning today."
"Thank you. You look very handsome yourself."
For some reason, I felt a bit jittery.
She seemed nervous too, sitting all prim and proper, hands on her skirt, avoiding eye contact.
From my angle, I could see her pink, tender face, and her ears were totally red.
"Is this your first date?"
"Yeah!"
She replied, voice trembling, "First time."
"You're so beautiful, lots of guys must be into you." I said, curious.
"My family's strict, they wouldn't dare!"
"Strict family, huh? But really, they wouldn't dare."
"Are your parents super strict? How'd you manage to come out tonight?"
"My mom knows, my dad doesn't."
Her honesty was refreshing.
I pushed away any inappropriate thoughts. I could mess around with anyone but Abigail.
We rolled up to a fancy villa, flashed the invite, and headed up to the third floor.
Just then, Quinlan came rushing out, looking pretty sharp today.
He spotted Abigail next to me and got all excited, but he had to play it cool. He threw an arm around my shoulder, "John, you finally made it."
"I'm not late, right?"
"Nah, perfect timing!"
He glanced at Abigail, "Abigail, what are you doing here?"
I acted all confused, "Wait, you two know each other?"
Abigail quickly explained, "We know each other, but not well!"
Quinlan looked bummed out.
I chuckled, "Small world, huh? Since everyone knows each other, even better. I just met Mr. Harrison a few days ago."
Abigail stepped closer, her hand almost brushing mine. Quinlan looked a bit taken aback but forced a smile, "Come on in, it's Richard Wilson's birthday."
Abigail linked her arm with mine, making me stiffen. I turned to her, and she blushed, "I read in an international etiquette book that this is how it's done."
'So it's etiquette,' I thought.
But Quinlan didn't look too happy.
Inside, it was way different than I expected. No loud music or dancing. Everyone was in suits, looking all classy, and the women were dressed to the nines, super elegant.
'Is this how the big shots in Greenvale City roll?' I wondered.
As we walked in, all eyes were on us, especially the women.
I even saw a few people looking shocked.
Was it because of Abigail?
"Come on, let's grab a drink."
Quinlan handed me a glass of champagne and another to Abigail.
Luckily, he wasn't too pushy. I'd set up a chance for them to be alone later. Whether he nailed it or not was on him.
"Thanks."
Abigail took the champagne, but it was clear she wasn't into Quinlan.
But Quinlan didn't get the hint; his eyes were practically glowing.
I coughed, and Quinlan snapped out of it, smiling sheepishly, "Come on, John, let me introduce you to the main folks here today."
He led me to a young guy in his twenties, "Richard, meet John, my buddy from Sevan City."
"Richard Wilson. Pleased to meet you." Richard extended his hand, his eyes widening as he noticed Abigail. "Ms. Kingsley, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?"
He even used honorifics.
I was secretly impressed. 'Is Abigail that big of a deal?' I thought.
Abigail nodded, "Happy birthday."
"Thanks, Ms. Kingsley. It's an honor to have you here."
He bowed slightly, and his look towards me changed. Before, it was kinda dismissive, but now it had a hint of respect.
"John, you're Quinlan's friend, so you're my friend too. Let's toast!"
After drinking, we added each other on Facebook. Later, I found out his family was in real estate, with assets over 80 billion dollars.
Now that's some serious connections.
I met over a dozen people, all with family assets of at least 10 billion dollars.
Any one of them could rival The Allen Family of Sevan City.
'This circle is insane,' I thought.
Compared to them, I felt a bit small, but they were rich because of their families, and I made my own fortune. I knew I'd be richer someday.
That gave me a boost of confidence.
With Abigail by my side, I mingled easily. With Quinlan, we even became the center of attention, almost stealing the spotlight from the host.
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