Rejected

"The next day, why couldn't he wait until next week?" Russ began complaining as we headed back to my building down the overly crowded street. "You, again?" He barked out as I held out my hand to the girl I ran into yesterday. She must be going back to the soup kitchen, I held up my hand as we continued to walk down the sidewalk.

"Mr. Hyland," Adrianna began as she got up from her chair and rushed to my side. "Your party called to let you know they are running a little behind and will be an hour late."

"Ugh, that's fine." I looked at my gold watch as I started down the hallway to the elevators.

"Sir, if there's anything you need, anything at all let me know." She rubbed her hand down her chest opening her pink blouse more showcasing her breasts. I ignored her and made my way into my office as Russ sat opposite me.

"She wants you." Russ laughed as he crossed his left leg over his other.

"What? Who?" I asked opening the newspaper on my desk.

"Your whatever you want to call her secretary, desk girl, receptionist, check-in girl, I don't know. All I know is, she is hot and she wants to fuck you." He bit into the bagel the cook brought in before we arrived.

"No, thank you," I folded the paper and got up to open the door heading down the hallway.

"Hyland," Ricci began as he walked into my meeting room with the same goons as yesterday.

"Ricci, please have a seat," I stood up motioning to the chair across the table.

"So, yesterday I made the statement that I know you are trying to move into my territory." He leaned his chair back as one of the brutish men handed him his briefcase. "And, I want one of your businesses in exchange, if you decline I have one more proposal to put on the table." He started rummaging around the manilla folders before sliding one across the table.

I opened the folder and was surprised to see a few pictures of a beautiful woman with long chestnut hair and big round dark brown eyes. Her cheeks were pink and her full lips were plumped red, she had an elongated nose that shadowed her beauty mark above her lip. On the other side looked like information about her, 5'3, Annabella Martin, loves dogs, favorite color: is pink. "What is this?" I asked laying down the folder and resting my hand on my chin.

"That is my daughter, Annabella Martin, much like you I had to put her and her mother in hiding for a while, but I couldn't bring myself to live without them." He leaned back up crossing his legs. 

"What does your daughter have to do with me?" I asked leaning back in my chair and intertwining my hands.

"Just what I said it's a proposal." He smiled snapping his fingers as the bald brutish man sat a small red box in front of him. "I want you to marry her, seal our family together forever, a bond. So my territory will be yours, you don't have to move in and when I'm gone, you can take over, I have no son."  He opened up the red box and took out a princess-cut diamond ring, as he put it on the tip of his index finger.

"What?!" Russ exclaimed before he cleared his throat and straightened his stature with his hands in front.

"You want me to marry your daughter?" I inquired looking at Russ before turning my head back to Ricci.

"Yes, is that not what I said." He giggled putting the ring back inside the box. "I want to bring our two families together, or I want one of your companies. You move in on my territory I give you an ultimatum."

"And if I take none of your proposals?" I asked side eyeing Russ. The blonde brute began to pull out his gun as he stepped forward. 

Ricci stood up as he pushed the guy back sending him out of the room, "Sono desolato," He put his hand over his chest. "If you don't take my offers, your father knew what would happen, I'm sure I don't have to tell you. I will take care of this baboon, to disrespect you like that. Think about my offer, huh? Get in touch but don't take too long." He quickly nodded his head as he snapped his fingers walking out of the door.

"Shit, Hack," Russ said as he picked up the manilla folders on the table opening up the first one. "I mean, she doesn't look so bad." He chuckled as we made our way out of the building and back down the crowded street. I suddenly I hit something or someone, I looked down to see the same girl I kept bumping into. "Are you following us? Who do you work for? Huh? Too many times this isn't..." 

I raised my hand and extended it to help her up. "Russ has a flair for the dramatic," I stated watching my cousin pick up the money bag she dropped as he placed it in my hands behind my back. "You should be more careful with this." I handed it back to her before continuing on, I heard her say something after I had already turned the corner and the street was so loud and noisy I couldn't make it out.

"I'm going to get information on that girl." Russ held the phone up to his ear as I smiled making my way to the black SUV. "I put DeMarco on trail duty, we'll know who she is by tonight.

I nodded my head as I looked out the window and contemplated the conversation between Ricci and me this morning. "Hand me those folders again, Russ." I skimmed through the first folder it was my second most profitable business, I handed the folder back to Russ and opened the one containing his daughter.