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Monday, October 20, 2017, 7:21pm
Sabaku Group Main Branch Building
...
Amia's eyes scanned over her speech for what was probably the thousandth time that day. It was now time to give her joint speech with Ira and she was beyond nervous. How did her father do this every day? He made it look so easy when he was up on stage. That feeling of effortlessness was unlikely to befall her since her insides felt as though they were eating each other.
She gulped as she watched the minutes slide by like sand in an hourglass. Her hands began to sweat profusely. She had run over her lines again and again but she was still afraid that she might mess up on stage with all of those eyes watching her. What if she tripped over her words or worse-tripped while walking onto the stage? She absently tightened her grip on the water bottle in her hand; the plastic crinkled loudly under her fingers.
"Come in." Ira said as someone knocked on the door of their waiting room.
"Hello." A small feminine voice said. "I was sent by George to see if you needed anything."
Amia looked up from her paper to see a petite brunette from before standing awkwardly in the doorway with a clipboard. Now that she could get a better look at her, the term woman was not an adequate descriptor. 'Girl' would be a much more accurate turn of phrase. She couldn't be more than a year or two older than Aviva. Amia watched as the girl shifted her weight awkwardly from one foot to the other as if she wanted nothing more than to bolt from the room. The girl refused to look in her direction and was only able to take fleeting glances at Ira. She was undeniably uncomfortable and it showed. Ira looked back at Amia and she shook her head.
"I believe we are fine, thank you." Ira said and the girl bowed deeply before scurrying from the room.
"Do you remember what you are going to say?" Ira asked once the door was shut.
Amia nodded her head. She knew her lines backward and forwards.
"What about your answers to follow-up questions?"
Again she nodded. Ira and Kent had made sure to grill her in every conceivable way that others might question her tonight.
"Do you remember the most important thing?"
Amia felt her heart race as she tried to rack her brain for what she might have forgotten. Her statements were to be nonbinding and concise. No promises to anyone, ever. Make eye contact. Don't smile so much-
"To breathe." Ira said with a smirk as he poked the middle of her forehead.
Amia blushed as she rubbed the spot but still took a deep breath. Satisfied with her now taking steady breaths, Ira crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
"Do not over think this Amia." He said. "Everyone out there is already primed to like whatever it is that you and I will say. Just do it as we practiced and you will be fine."
Amia felt the nervous twists of her stomach lessen slightly at his reassurance.
"You guys are on!" Kent said as he poked his head into the room. The man held his thumbs up in what he thought was a reassuring gesture.
Her stomach did a death-defying backflip and the uncomfortable twisting returned with a vengeance.
….
If she thought the battle had been won once her speech was over, she was sorely mistaken.
"You and Ira made serval good points in your opening address. In fact, I would like to talk with both of you since I believe you would align well-"
"Ms. Hato."
"I'm interested in investing in some of your branches products. Here's my card."
"Mr. Uri!"
"Why has Arlo kept such a gem locked away for so long? Shame on him!"
"Ms. Hato."
Amia smiled and nodded as she and Ira made their rounds through the crowd after the speech. After they had dismounted from the stage and joined the masses they had been swamped with business proposals, empty flattery, and probing personal inquiries. It all blended together into one cacophonous noise that made the front of her head pound. It was all she could to give her practiced answers and look as though she wasn't overwhelmed by the attention. Amia nervously took a sip from her flute of champagne. The bubbly liquid tasted sour on her tongue. She wasn't a fan of champagne but it was the strongest thing she could get ahold of. She glanced over at Ira captivating a group of businessmen and couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy. He was such a natural at this.
"What do you think of that prediction?" An eager man with an obnoxiously bushy mustache asked.
Shaking her envy away, she turned her attention back to the circle of people talking to her. She nodded where appropriate and resisted the urge to look at her watch. All of them couldn't wait to get their grubby hands on a piece of Hato Enterprise and saw her fresh face as their way in. Ezra must have been a rather tough negotiator during these things causing them to assume that she would be easier to deal with. She might have a gentler touch than her cousin but she could smell a rotten deal from a mile away. No matter how much money they promised to throw her way, she wouldn't touch any of it with a ten-foot pole.
"Excuse me for a moment but I must cut in." A deep velvety voice said from behind her.
That voice sent a shiver running down her spine. George. She might be uncomfortable with the businessmen and women vying for her attention, but she would rather be here than alone with George. At least with these people, she knew just what to say. With George, her tongue always got tied and she became hyper-aware of her surroundings.
"Oh! Mr. Sabaku of course!"
"Yes, please, we were just leaving!"
George's intimidating presence was enough to send them all scattering, tripping over themselves as they tried to out handshake each other. With a slight frown at their antics, Amia raised her champagne flute to her lips to find it empty. Next to her, George chuckled, took her depleted glass, and handed her a new one. She blushed as their fingertips brushed against each other.
"Thank you." She said softly and George nodded.
The two stood awkwardly next to each other, mentally grabbing at straws to find a topic to discuss. Amia looked down at her shoes and tried to will herself to not gulp down her entire glass of champagne. It would certainly give her an excuse to go get more but she thought better of it. George shoved his free hand in his pocket and cleared his throat.
"Your speech with Ira was good." He said and Amia gave him a small smile.
"It was nothing! I... I'm glad you liked it."
"It was much better than Kory's." George said with a frown. "We should never let him get on stage for these things."
Amia's smile widened at George's attempt at humor. Kanukro was the worst candidate to put on stage to represent the Sabaku group but he was the best option they had since their sister Josephine was out of town. George could have gotten on stage to deliver the speech himself but he was notorious for being a more behind-the-scenes player.
"He wasn't so bad." She said trying to excuse the verbal tangent Kory had gone down. George frowned.
"He was terrible."
Amia shook her head and smiled. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone moving oddly through the crowd, swaying from side to side. George noticed it as well, his brows knitted together with frustration as he observed how people jumped out of the drunk person's path. Without a word, he left Amia's side and went to handle the situation. Amia looked to her left and right, noticing the people eyeing her sudden availability and gulped. She was a goner without Ira or George by her side. Without a second of hesitation, she followed the way George had gone into the crowd.
Amia was surprised by how quickly he was able to weave through the masses of people but just kept her eyes focused on his crop of red hair. Ahead of him, the brunette girl from before began ascending the stairs with a green bottle in one hand and the other clutching the banister. It didn't take long for George to catch up with her. He grabbed her wrist and practically dragged her the rest of the way up the stairs. Amia felt her heart pound in her chest as she watched them disappear down the hall and into an empty conference room. Should she follow them? Wasn't spying on others unbecoming of a Hato?
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"Ms. Hato-" she heard someone call behind her and shivered.
Just the thought of yet another person trying to engage her in pointless conversation made her cringe. Pretending to have not heard their call, she climbed the staircase and disappeared down the path that George had gone. The hallway was deserted but the sound of muffled voices and rustling led her to the room they had taken up residence in. The door was ajar, giving her a good view of George snatching the green bottle out of her hand and placing it on the conference room table. The girl huffed and tried to reach for it unsuccessfully.
"Stop." George said sternly.
"Y-y-you can't tell me 'hic' what to do!" The girl slurred.
"Why are you drinking Michelle?" George asked and the girl named Michelle crossed her arms over her chest.
"I know 'hic' you haven't nooooticed but, I'm not 'hic' a little girl anymore." She retorted. "I can drink if I want to!"
"You may have turned twenty-one but you are behaving like a two year old in need of a nap. I am very disappointed in your behavior this evening."
"If you didn't treat me like a child maybe I wouldn't act like one!"
Michelle's hands flew over her mouth as words she clearly didn't intend to say flew out. George's fists clenched at his sides, and he stepped closer to the brunette. Amia noticed how tense his broad shoulders were as he towered over the girl. The Hato couldn't see his face but she wouldn't want to be on the end of whatever malice was in his eyes at the moment.
"George, I'm sorry! I-I-"
"Your performance has been slipping all month. Your thoughts are no longer on your duties and I am unable to rely on you for the simplest of tasks. If this continues you will not have to worry about my perceived treatment." George said blankly. "Stay in here until the event is over. Kory will likely come to collect you at that time."
Michelle lowered her head and nodded as George turned on his heel to leave. Amia slipped further down the dark hallway to avoid being caught eavesdropping by George. The angry aura that rolled off of him was not something she wanted to experience right now. The redhead yanked open the conference room door and marched out. Amia placed a hand over her erratically beating heart and held her breath. George paused outside of the door but did not turn his head in her direction. With bated breath, she waited until he finally went in the opposite direction and back down to the jovial congregation below. Amia wasn't sure what to make of the situation between her future husband and this strange girl in his life. They certainly weren't lovers if George's detached words were anything to go by. The girl's reaction to George's behavior gave her pause though.
She sounded so hurt and while Amia knew that she shouldn't, she couldn't help but feel sympathy towards her. On the other side of the wall, she heard faint sniffles that reminded her so much of Aviva. The thought of her sister crying alone somewhere made her heartache. Did this girl have someone who cared about her feelings too? How would they feel knowing that she was all alone crying? Amia bit her lip. She knew that she couldn't just leave the girl like this. She tentatively pushed open the door and the girl looked up expectantly, her dark eyes full of unshed tears. When she saw Amia, she tensed and roughly rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand. She looked so small. So much younger than she tried to project herself to be. Seeing her like this made a lump rise in her throat but her resolve only strengthened.
"Ms. Hato!" She stammered as she dried her face. "A-are you lost?"
"No." Amia replied softly as she walked further into the conference room. She noticed the green champagne bottle still residing on the edge of the conference room table.
"W-w-why are y-you-"
"I heard you crying." Amia said simply with a shrug of her shoulders and unwrapped the gold foil of the champagne bottle.
"I... I'm not." Michelle said earnestly. "I'm heading back down now!"
Amia sighed and looked at the champagne bottle forlornly before glancing at Michelle. The girl was shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot and refused yet again to make eye contact with her.
"That's a shame. I'll have to drink alone."
The girl watched her anxiously as she took one of the glasses meant for water and filled it up with light, bubbly liquid. She didn't make any more moves to leave though so Amia took that as a good sign. She poured another glass for herself before sitting in one of the leather conference chairs. As she took a long sip from her glass Michelle continued to look at her as though she wasn't sure if she was a threat or not. The apprehensive look on her face was so similar to Aviva's that it made Amia smile. Michelle didn't take too kindly to that and crossed her arms over her chest indignantly which only made Amia's smile grow wider.
"Did you 'hic' come here to laugh at me?" Michelle grumbled and Amia shook her head.
"No." Amia replied softly "You just remind me of my little sister is all. "
"Oh." She mumbled as she took a seat next to Amia. The brunette eyed the glass of champagne in front of her but didn't dare to touch it.
"What's your name?" Amia asked, even though she already knew. Michelle stood up with a blush on her cheeks as she bowed.
"I-I-I've been so rude!" She stammered. "My name is Michelle."
"Michelle...thats a nice name." Amia mused absently as she took another sip of champagne.
Michelle's blush deepened and she turned away from Amia to finally drink from her untouched glass. She chugged down the champagne until it was empty and Amia refilled it again. The brunette looked at her skeptically but sat back down in her chair and nursed her drink at a much slower pace. Amia didn't mind that they were sitting silently in a dark conference room; it was much better than rubbing elbows with the people downstairs.
"You're so pretty." Michelle said gloomily and this time it was Amia's turn to blush. "I didn't think you would be this pretty."
"Um thank you?" Amia replied, unsure whether to take the statement as a compliment or an insult. Michelle slumped over and laid her head down on the table.
"I have been watching you all night and it's not fair." She mumbled. "You're so pretty George can't take his eyes off of you. Even when he's talking to other people he's looking at you."
Amia lowered her eyes to the table guiltily. She had no idea George had been watching her in that way. He was probably looking for her right now as well since he had left her so suddenly. Michelle sniffled next to her, drawing Amia's attention back to her.
"How long have you worked for Sabaku Group?" Amia asked in an attempt to steer the conversation into more neutral territory.
"I've been a part of Sabaku practically most of my life." She mumbled moodily. "My parents used to be prominent shareholders and when they died the Sabaku family took care of me. I'm supposed to be assisting George for a year to pick up where they left off but I can't do anything right anymore."
Amia scooted closer and patted Michelle's back as the girl's shoulders began to shake.
"Don't cry!" Amia said. "George was just frustrated when he said those things earlier!"
Michelle's head popped up instantly, brown eyes wide with shock and mouth agape. Amia blushed as she realized she had just admitted to eavesdropping in on their private conversation from earlier.
"Oh my god you heard us!" Michelle groaned and covered her eyes with her hands.
"Not really." Amia lied, but it sounded unconvincing to her own ears. "Please don't cry."
The brunette only sighed and took a big gulp of the champagne in front of her, emptying the glass for the second time.
"Everyone used to say that I was so mature for my age but now I just can't get my emotions under control anymore. Every time I'm around him I can't think of anything else or do anything else. I forget everything I'm supposed to be doing. I'm just an incompetent burden to him."
Amia felt her stomach clench as she listened intently to Michelle's drunken admission. Without a doubt, she was in love with George although it appeared to be a more one-sided affair. Michelle's eyes drooped as she laid her head back on the table. It wouldn't be too long before sleep finally took over.
"When I saw the drafts for the contract I kept hoping that there would be something wrong with you. That George wouldn't like you. I hoped that you would be mean or bossy or stupid but you're not. You're so 'hic' pretty...I wish you were ugly..."
….
"I'm a terrible person." Amia drunkenly muttered to herself as she slowly descended the stairs.
As Amia watched Michelle sleep peacefully, she was increasingly consumed with guilt and anxiety. She was here to fulfill her role in her family by tying herself to George. It is what her family wants. This was her duty. This was supposed to be the right thing to do but why did it feel so wrong? She reached for the bottle of champagne in hopes that she too might be able to fall asleep and forget about the tangled web she was weaving at the behest of her father and for the sake of her sister.
By the time she had finished off the bottle of champagne on her own Kory had, in fact, come to collect an unconscious Michelle as George had promised. She made the man swear not to tell George that she had been in the conference room but it was unlikely that he would keep this to himself. It didn't matter too much in the grand scheme of things.
At the last step, she almost fell but was able to steady herself by clutching the banister. It wouldn't do to have everyone see her fall on her face. She smoothed down the front of her black dress, took a deep breath, and hoped she didn't look as drunk as she felt. She took a few shaky steps forward, holding her head high but still avoiding eye contact with almost everyone. She felt someone brush against her shoulder and she jumped back in surprise. The motion proved too much for her to handle in heels and she felt herself falling backward. Fortunately, the person who had bumped into her grabbed her elbow and kept her steady. Amia looked up sheepishly at the person who caught her and blushed deeply when she saw George's green eyes staring back at her.
"Thank you." Amia mumbled as she tried to remove herself from his embrace but he held her tight.
"I have been looking for you." He said simply.
Amia blushed and bit her lower lip. Of course he had been looking for her. Unfortunately, she didn't want to see him right now. She didn't want to see anyone.
"I... I'm sorry to inconvenience you George." She said as apologetically as she could. "However I think I will be leaving for the night. I'm... a little tired."
George didn't seem suspicious of her recusal but didn't let her go either. Instead, his hand moved from her elbow to the small of her back. Amia tensed. The only person who touched her there was Sylas. Sylas. The thought of him made heat instantly rush through her body. All around her she began to hear the not-so-secret whispers of the guests near them. The name on everyone's lips was not that of the youngest Uri. The color drained from her face as she glanced up at George who had completely misinterpreted her body's reaction to his touch. There was an awkward blush on his cheeks and his bright eyes had darkened.
"I will bring you to your hotel." He mumbled under his breath and Amia was so embarrassed that all she could do was follow his lead.
She kept her eyes lowered as the crowd parted for them, giving wide breadth for everyone to witness their departure. Women gave her scathing side eyes while their husbands grumbled out on a missed opportunity for their own families. Without realizing it, George had declared to everyone that she was his with but a simple gesture. She was his but the thought made her wish for the floor to swallow her whole. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed an almost imperceptible shift in the crowd that made her look up fully.
Ira stared at her, his dark eyes piercing straight through her and narrowing at George's hand on her waist. His expression was so similar to Sylas' that she wanted nothing more than to break away from George and hide her face. She wanted to declare that everyone was wrong. That it wasn't what they thought but the words caught in her throat because that would be a lie. It was exactly what they thought. George Sabaku, the most eligible bachelor in around, had chosen to take an interest in Amia Hato, the heir apparent for one of the most powerful families. With that kind of combination, it was much too easy to draw a clear line of intent between them.
When they finally emerged from the building, Amia sucked in a deep breath and willed her skin to cease burning. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind from the noxious mix of emotions that she was feeling. Guilt for being unable to return George's budding feelings for her. Sadness for Michelle's unrequited affection for George. Confliction for the hurt she was clearly causing others in her family's name and the nagging sense of longing that had not left her heart since the night of the gala. George's personal driver pulled up right next to them and Amia allowed him to help her into the car. She could do this. She had to do this.
The city whizzed past them but all Amia could focus on was his hand on her knee. This was nothing like anything she had experienced with Sylas. George's hand wasn't warm like his. His fingers didn't trace lazy circles the way he did. His touch didn't send the same spark through her body like him. The Hato tried to shake her head free of these comparisons. It wasn't right or fair to George. Amia opened her eyes, removed his hand from her knee, and held his hand instead. George Sabaku was to be her future, not Sylas Uri.
They reached the hotel with minimal hindrance since it was so late at night. Even though she had claimed she was well enough to make it up to her room alone, George insisted that he take her the entire way. They stood in the elevator awkwardly, neither of them sure what to do in such an enclosed space. Why was she on edge? With time she would become more relaxed right? Amia's heart jumped when the elevator dinged and the metal doors slowly slid open. Each step to her room was more difficult than the last, and all the alcohol she had previously drunk was not helping matters. Her head was swimming and if she didn't lay down soon, it would only get worse.
"This is your room correct?" George said, pensively looking at the three silver numbers before them. Amia blushed and nodded her head slowly.
"Yes." She said softly. "Thank you for escorting me. I will-"
"You are leaving tomorrow." George interrupted.
"Y-yes."
George frowned slightly as though trying to find the right words to say. His hand moved from her waist to the door behind her head.
Family above all else...
The warmth of his breath caressed her face as he leaned closer to her. Her own breathing became much more shallow with him in such close proximity. At this distance, could he hear her treacherous heartbeat?
Duty to the cause...
"I know that New York City is your home but..." He said gently, his other hand tracing her bottom lip with his thumb. "I hope you grow to consider Dallas a home as well."
Amia closed her eyes, unable to return his intense gaze. His nose brushed against hers as he closed the remaining distance between them.
Honor what is right...
Where was the spark? That night she and Sylas had kissed on the bridge it felt as though her entire body had been electrified. Every kiss after that made her fingertips tingle and her body reacted to him in ways that she had never previously thought possible. With George, there was nothing. Sylas must have broken her. There had to be something wrong with her. Her lips moved in conjunction with his, vainly hoping to create some sort of attraction and return the interest George was trying to convey.
Why?
Why couldn't she do it? Sylas' smirking face popped into her mind's eye, and she wanted nothing more than to smack that smug expression off his face. To demand that he reverse whatever spell he had put her under. To kiss his lips and feel his hands instead...
"Amia!" A familiar voice called casually from down the hall. "I'm glad that I ran into you before you went to bed!"
Her eyes fluttered open in surprise as George reluctantly stepped back from her, a faint blush on his cheeks. Seeing him like that only made her guilty heart twist more. Ira walked calmly up to them with Kent in tow, entirely unbothered by the scene he had just walked in on. His smile was tight and his dark eyes scanned over the two of them without any indication of his true feelings. Kent, on the other hand, was about to explode with laughter.
"K-Kent. Ira..."
"We have a few things to go over tonight before we leave in the morning. If you would excuse us."
George awkwardly cleared his throat but nodded his head at Ira's intrusion. With a mumbled goodbye, he was gone. Ira's dark eyes watched him go with that same emotionless glint. When the elevator doors closed behind him, Kent exploded into laughter but the two ravens did not share his humorous spirit. Ira held out his hand to Amia and tilted his head slightly toward his own room.
"We have much to discuss."