Chapter 3 MARRY ME

Jefferson's POV:

"I just don't understand why this is a heavy requirement.. I mean, I graduated with a first class in Business Administration and I've been studying the family business since I was 14. I know everything there is to know about the company and how to run it.. So why, after gaining all these things, would I then be hindered by a flimsy reason as being single?"

"There's a simple answer to your question, Jefferson.. It is your father's decision.."

"Why would he even make that decision? It makes no sense!"

Seated in the old study of the Danvers Mansion, I was dressed in a three piece suit and Uncle Ben, to whom I was speaking, was in his white robe, which he always wore in the mornings. Though this was the "old study", it had much more sophistication than many modern libraries around the world. Yeah, that was how rich we were. It was morning and I had to be in the office at this time, because I had a new Personal Assistant to brief, but I needed to do all I could to press Uncle Ben.

I was, as I always did, trying to convince him to waive the requirement of marriage and go right to handing me the company. The Danvers family had a rule which stated that, for one to be the CEO of the empire, one had to be married. I'd never understood it, but it was a requirement that simply had to be fulfilled.

Uncle Ben was my late father's uncle, and the family custodian. His signature was the final day on everything, and although he basically controlled the $60bn fortune, as there was no official heir as yet, he lived a simple life and had never made a move to assume power. He'd earned everybody's respect.

I was persistent, because I knew that my luck with women had been very poor; I'd only dated twice in all my 29 years, and even then, I had been played because the two women had only wanted me for my money and they'd been cheating behind my back. So I was skeptical about getting into another relationship, talk more marriage, but the way it looked, I would have no choice because if I over hesitated, Joachim - that reckless organism who had never even studied or been interested in business all his life - could randomly bring home a woman, one day, and I'd lose the chance to lead the company. I couldn't afford that.

"You do know that, by making this requirement a hurdle for me, you're basically handing the company reins to Joachim, right?" I asked him.

"Jefferson.. Nobody's handing anything to Joachim, the requirement is up in the air like a briefcase. Whoever gets married first, to show responsibility and accountability, would snatch the briefcase.. It's equal opportunity for both of you."

"Uncle Ben you know, more than anybody, that it's not equal. I mean, Joachim is a natural with women.. I'm not. I've had two relationships that crashed, not because I treated the women wrongly, but because I'm simply not lucky with women."

"That, Jefferson, is not true," Uncle Ben replied, "it's not about being natural or unnatural.. I met those women, one on one, and I could tell that they cared for you, but we both know why you lost them. Your ego is bigger than your entire body, Jefferson, you don't have the capacity to apologize, admit wrong or let things go. You put on an air of machismo and bravado everytime, when you don't need to, and this repels women more than anything because they need their men to be humble enough to know when to say things like 'I'm sorry'. You wouldn't be having this problem of needing a wife, now, but here we are. All because of you.."

"B-but does that explain why they cheated on me?" I asked, grasping at straws, now.

"Yes, it does, Jefferson," Uncle Ben replied, "When you don't make your woman feel how she wants to feel, the guy out there who makes her feel that way would be able to have his way with her, literally.. You need to mellow and admit it, Jeff. You weren't cheated on.. You were replaced by your betters."

That last line hit me like a boulder. Replaced by my betters.

Uncle Ben was right, I was probably the most egoistic man in the whole of Detroit, but I had always excused it as the attributes of a leader, and it had always worked well for my conscience, even when everyone was telling me otherwise. But listening to Uncle Ben, now, I was beginning to doubt it.

0

"So, Jefferson," he said after letting me chew on his words for a bit, "Do yourself a favor.. If you want the company so badly, find a woman, fast as you can, and get married to her. Let's hope you can keep her this time."

Humbled, I walked out of the study. I walked past the dining table where my breakfast had already been served, but I was late.. I couldn't afford to eat it. So I walked right on, knowing in the back of my head that one of the maids, the one who was lucky to find my plates first, would enjoy a five course meal courtesy of me, and headed straight for my car, a Shelby GT 500 which was built for speed.

As I drove to work, thousands of thoughts ran through my head but the most prevalent one was how I would find a woman and get married to her before Joachim would beat me to it. Navigating into the garage at the Danvers Tech building, I cursed the requirement once again before focusing on the day's tasks, number one of which was welcoming and briefing my new Personal Assistant.

However, to my greatest surprise, although I had come 30 minutes late, this Assistant was nowhere to be found.

"What do you mean she's not here, yet?" I asked my secretary incredulously. I was standing in the hallway that led to my office, which was filled with staff who were supposed to be in their offices but had come out to 'welcome the boss', in the hope that their eye service would be rewarded with fat bonuses at the end of the year. A bunch of hypocritical fellows.

"I-I mean she's not here, yet, sir. I have no idea why, but she's not. She replied to the mail yesterday morning, and promised to be here one hour ago. I'm surprised that she's nowhere in sight, at this time."

The last PA was fired for insolence, and it was looking as though I may have to fire this one for it as well, despite never having seen her. Why was my luck with women so bad?

"Call off the app.." I was about to complete the statement with the word "appointment" when a unique, feminine voice echoed down the hall, and everyone - me included - turned.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" The woman said, before unashamedly shoving her way through the crowd of staff and coming towards my secretary. I stood, silent, watching her. Though her clothes looked like they'd been selected in a hurry; a black blazer with a yellow skirt and blue pair of shoes, not to mention the red handbag; she was very pretty and she seemed interesting: I liked interesting people.

"Hi.. I'm Juanita, the lady who was supposed to resume work as the CEO's Personal Assistant. I'm so sorry I'm late, but it was unavoidable," she explained with confidence, oblivious of my presence. Perhaps she didn't expect the CEO to be standing and chatting with the secretary during what was usually working hours.

"Well, hello, miss Juanita, I am afraid to inform you that the appointment has been.." the secretary was about to carry out my order and cancel the appointment. Although it was the professional thing to do, I had other plans.

"No," I said firmly to her while raising a hand in her direction, "the appointment stands." Then I turned to the rainbow dressed woman. "You are Juanita Reyes?"

"Yes, yes I am," she replied, slightly breathless. She'd most likely been running.

"Good. Come with me. You're hired."

As she followed me into my office, she chattered away like a child who'd just returned from a long awaited trip to Disneyland:

"Oh my God, thank you so much, sir, I promise I'm not a habitual latecomer; I'm a hard worker but there were circumstances beyond my control. This was just a one-off which will never repeat.."

She was talking a lot but I wasn't interested in her words. My interest was in the fact that I needed a woman, and there was one before me right now who seemed in need of my help - financial help - and who would, therefore, be easier to convince to help me on my mission. So, as soon as we entered my office, I did something which was purely instinctive:

"You have the job, quite alright. But I want something more from you, Juanita.."

"W-what is it, sir?" She asked with a look of uncertainty on her face.

"Marry me," came my reply. I watched on as her expression changed from surprise to the upper echelons of shock, and her lips prepared an instinctive reply:

"Excuse me?"