**Arlo**
“Good morning, Mr. Bonde,” my secretary greeted me cheerfully.
“Good morning, too, Mia,” I replied.
“Sir, Mr. Tony just called to cancel his appointment with you because he has an important engagement,” said my secretary, Mia.
“What the heck! Okay, Mia, just bring me coffee in my office,” I said as I headed straight into my office.
As I entered, the first thing I noticed was a battalion of papers piled on my desk. I cursed under my breath at the sight and let out a deep sigh. I immediately sat in my swivel chair. I needed to come up with a solution quickly. While thinking, I massaged my temples.
Moments later, there was a knock on the office door. I was sure it was my secretary.
“Come in,” I said.
“Sir, here’s your coffee.”
“Thank you, Mia,” I said, and she smiled at me before leaving the office.
Several hours passed without me noticing that it was already 2:30 in the afternoon. I had even forgotten to have lunch. I had told my secretary earlier not to let anyone into my office and to leave me alone.
I stood up to leave the office as I was starting to feel hungry. Just as I was about to take a step, I saw the door open. I frowned at what I saw.
“Dude,” Charles said immediately.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him.
Charles entered my office without hesitation. I offered him a seat and asked him what he wanted to drink.
“What would you like to drink?” I asked him.
“What else but your imported wine? By the way, I thought we had something important to discuss since you called me this morning?” Charles asked seriously.
“You know my grandpa. He wants me to marry his friend’s granddaughter,” I said.
“So, what’s your plan? Why not just follow your grandpa’s wishes? Who knows, you might like the woman he’s pairing you with,” Charles suggested, grabbing the glass of wine from my hand.
“I can’t. I’ll find a way. Marriage is not a joke, Charles. I’m not ready for it, especially if I don’t know the woman,” I said.
“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get to know her. By the way, do you know her name?” Charles asked. I shook my head.
“I’m not interested in her. What’s important is that within two weeks, I introduce someone to my parents. I need to find a woman I can trust,” I said, leaning back in my swivel chair.
“How about Eleanor? Isn’t she willing to do anything for you? Maybe you should talk to her,” Charles suggested.
“Oh, God! Eleanor, that girl? Are you joking, Charles? Let me remind you, she’s one of those women who, if you don’t give her what she wants, will treat you like an old toy to be thrown away. I can’t stand her,” I quickly replied.
“Okay, fine, but remember, dude, you’ve only got two weeks. You know your grandpa,” Charles reminded me.
“Yeah, but there’s a solution to everything,” I replied.
“I have to go now. See you around. By the way, Mia told me you haven’t had lunch yet. Don’t think too much. Don’t worry, we’ll help you with your problem,” Charles said before leaving.
Two days had passed since the conversation with my parents about introducing someone to Grandpa within two weeks. I got so busy with work that I forgot to find a woman. The next day, I had a business trip to Paris, France. Since Mr. Dayton tasted Bonde’s wine here in the United States of America, he wanted to introduce me to professional businessmen in France. Because this promised significant earnings for me, I didn’t decline.
This is my dream—to expand the reach of Mega Winery Bonde’s Company globally. While driving, I didn’t realize I had ended up here in Huntsville. When I parked, I found myself in front of Emerald Shores Hotel.
“What am I doing here?” I asked myself.
