Chapter 18 CHAPTER 18
Michael’s POV
I didn’t know why I was so worried about her. Evelyn. She was like that family member that pestered you when present but then you missed them when they're gone. I looked back and saw the car reversing and leaving the building. For the same reason I didn’t understand, I raised my hand and waved her off.
Rosaleen stood beside me. “She’ll be alright,” she said, her voice devoid of sympathy. “Perharps it’s early signs of a baby.”
I smiled. “Don’t tell my father that. Don’t tempt him please."
He approached our table minutes later, a bounce to his step. The crowd had been largely accepting of his bid to run for Mayor and his evening was quite made.
“Where is Evelyn Moon?’ he asked, looking at Rosaleen. I wasn't sure if he recognised her or not.
“She had to leave,” I said, and then gestured to Rosaleen. “Remember Rosa?”
His eyes lit up. “I knew she looked quite familiar. The daughter of -” He stopped suddenly, realizing that talking about her father would open up some wounds.
Rosa rose to her feet, smiling and stretched her hand. “Let me be the first to congratulate you, Mr Mayor.”
He took her hands and shook it. “Thank you for your faith in me. You’ve grown to be so beautiful,” he said, smiling. “When you suddenly left, Michael was heart broken."
I scoffed. “Don’t listen to him. I only missed our hangouts.”
“Are you back in New York permanently now?” he asked, taking his seat while the waiter served his drinks.
“Not quite,” she responded. “Just here and there for now. I’m currently working with Michael temporarily on a new product launch."
“A temporary role? Why?" he asked, carving his steak.
“She was the media person in charge of our most recent product launch, father,” I said, beaming. “Rosaleen is quite a creative genius.”
He looked up from his plate. “She was? She did that?”
Rosaleen was smiling from ear to ear. “It was nothing, sir. Just a little touch from what I have learnt all these years. I think with the right people in place, Greywood had the potential to perform even beyond where it is presently.”
I knew my father had fallen in love with her immediately. He loved smart women. Women who could talk about business on the table. When she excused herself to use the restroom, he spoke without looking up from his plate.
“She would have made a better wife for you, Michael.” He muched his food slowly. “I still don’t understand why you had to make your marriage a charity case.”
But Rosaleen was not the one. I would have cancelled the fake marriage I had with Evelyn if she had been the one.
“She is an amazing woman,’ I responded. “But she has a life outside New York.”
“Yet she was willing to leave it behind and help you with the company, Michael.” He looked at me this time. “I don't need to be a magician to see that she has a soft spot for you.”
“I wished you could also see that Evelyn is also not terribly bad. Business may not be her stronghold, but she is homely and -” I struggled for the word. “A fast learner.”
Putting in good words for her was such a difficult task.
When Rosaleen returned, the conversation continued to revolve around her. He asked her questions from her time away, how she was finding New york, things she liked about the company and if she could consider a permanent role.
“if you keep impressing me,” he added. “I’ll have you on the company's board soon. Will that tempt you enough to consider staying permanently? That slot should belong to Michael’s wife, but I don’t think she is ready to fill that position yet.”
“You flatter me so much, Alpha Raymond," she said. “But it’s all up to Michel if I stay or not. I respect his marriage but I’m of the opinion that he deserves a better person as his wife.”
My fork dropped on the plate and I went red hot with anger. Rosaleen was pushing too far. “You can always stay at the company if you want, Rosa. But my position remains the same. And you will stop addressing my wife in such a manner."
She touched my arm gently. “I’m so sorry. I didn't mean it that way. It was wrong of me to say that.”
Dinner proceeded silently for a while. Then talks of the election continued. Rosaleen remained largely silent and I began to feel awful for shutting her up. I didn’t really care for Evelyn as much as I cared for her, but I had a public image to maintain.
When I saw her off to her car, I slipped in an apology. She smiled. “Is that Alpha Michael’s way of saying he's sorry?"
I pocketted my hands. “Are you going to take it or not?”
She shrugged and hugged me. “accepted. Thank you for the wonderful dinner."
Father asked me to accompany him on his ride home and I dismissed the driver. As I settled inside the car beside him, I knew exactly why he wanted me there.
“i always imagined you would end up with someone with brains, Michael. Maybe not a beauty queen, but someone with a good family and a good head on her neck.”
I laughed. He wasn’t wrong. “What do you want, father? Are you so disappointed in me?’
“Rosa looks like a good wife for you,” he continued. “She is beautiful and has a working brain. Her family is worth nothing but she is someone you can introduce in a room.”
“Evelyn is still coming up-’
“i want to help to make your decision easier. A silent competition between both of them. If Evelyn outperforms Rosaleen, then i’ll accept her fully.” He looked at me, his eyes saying he was not joking. “And if Rosaleen performs better than Evelyn, she becomes your wife.”