Make Me Yours

“What’s this? Is there something up with the Belmont acquisition?”

“Yes, Charles. I assumed Yun would have briefed you.”

“There was no time,” Yun responded. “He just got in when I called.”

“Oh, that’s alright.” Xen took his time then, explaining to Charles what the latest development was.

“Wow,” Charles said as he finished. Then, looking at Yun, he asked. “So, tell me if I’m wrong. This lady, Miss Martins; she’s hot, isn’t she?”

Xen groaned, rolling his eyes. “Of all the things I said, that was what you picked out? I didn’t even mention what she looked like.”

“Deliberately, and that was how I figured out you’ve got the hots for her. It appears that I was right.”

It was his turn to play and as Yun handed over the cue, he was trying to stifle a chuckle.

“Yeah, go ahead. Laugh at my expense. I’m happy to be your source of amusement, any time.” Because he heard the mock pain in his own voice, he couldn’t blame his friends when they started laughing at him.

In fact, he found himself joining in. A while later, after they were done with pool – Yun winning by four points – they all found their way to the bar. It was evenings like this that Xen lived for, when he could just be some casual guy in a bar with friends. No one paying him extra attention or being overly polite because they knew who he was. Absolute zero need to keep up appearances and if the ladies were staring, it was only because he was just too handsome to be resisted.

He laughed at his own joke.

“So, what are you going to do, man?”

He knew Charles was asking about the Belmont property and just like that, they were back to discussing it. He shrugged his shoulder.

“First off, we have to check to see if we have other options that could be as good as Belmont. If not, then I am afraid I might have to be the bad guy and render thousands of people homeless.”

“Or… you could pay them enough money to find a place to live in. Something to get them started.”

“I’m not doing that, I don’t run a charity cause.”

“Yeah right. Say that to people who don’t know where all those millions in your account go to. I’m your lawyer, remember. You have no secrets from me.”

“Only because you are also my friend. I should write another success book: ‘How to become a successful CEO, volume three’. Case study: never make your best friend your attorney. That dude knows too much.”

Yun smiled and winked at him. “The fact that I know too much is the reason why I should be your attorney. That way, I know how best to defend you. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I really feel that you could decide to perhaps build a new space for them if you do not want to pay them off. If Miss Martins and Miss Belmont know that there is a place these people could be moving into, then perhaps they would be willing to handover the property for its original price. All of that money we were hoping to buy their hearts with could be put into buying them homes.”

Xen was immediately thrown into deep thoughts. Why had he not thought of this option? It would be so much easier to do this, rather than the back and forth tussle that was sure to follow in the next few weeks.

“You know what? That is a great idea. Probably the best you’ve ever had,” he teased. His smile widened when Yun threw him a sneer.

“It could work. That’s what I’m saying. However, a lot is going to go into making it work. So much time, energy and resources. I would put it into consideration; it could be our fall back plan, just in case we can’t come up with anything else.

“Well, it sounds just about good to me. As long as you aren’t ruling it off.”

“Definitely not. Thanks, mate.”

“Anytime.”

They went back to drinking then, and the rest of the night played out quite pleasantly. As Xen returned to his hotel room that night alone, he was aware that that was only because no lady had been able to beat the standard Miss Martins had unknowingly set.

None of them.

If he was going to be spending a long time in Colorado, he had to do something about this attraction, and he had to do it, quickly.