Chapter 2 : Promises

Mia’s POV

Another notification letter, this one from the university. I already mentioned that I was not going to continue my post-grade, so why do they even bother? I can’t afford it for now. I need to focus on my work and my family.

I throw the notification letter and clock out, ready to get back home. Whatever happens, mom’s meals will save the day. And after the mess I made today with the visitor from Mayor Pippins, I really need comfort food. Maybe tomorrow I won’t have a job anymore, so I pick up the newspaper on my way out, decided to search for anything that is around for me to apply for.

I swipe a tear away from my eyes; I can’t believe I might have screwed up the best job I have had in my entire life, and all of this because of my big mouth and my temperament.

But I take a deep breath and straighten myself, I can’t let this pull me down. I am going to make it, for me and my family. This, I promise myself.

-

Ethan's POV

I had a dreaded call with my board of directors tonight. My head was pounding and hopping on a call with three snooty old white people trying to tell me how I could spend my money was not my idea of a good time.

I had just made it back to my hotel suite after a long day of schmoozing with Mayor Pippins. He was nice enough, but I could see in his eyes that he was eager to make a deal with me. His desperation was a little unsettling.

I called the hotel lobby and asked the concierge to send some aspirin to my room. She politely obliged, and we hung up. I tried my best not to focus on my pounding head as I sat down at the dining table of my suite and opened my laptop. I clicked open a few tabs and waited to join the video conference.

“Mr. Black.” Margaret Sanders said with a surprised expression. “Happy you could join us.”

“Happy to be here, Margaret.” I ignored her obvious rudeness.

Margaret was the pushy one on the board. She was always trying to manipulate the rest of us to get her way. I would have fired her by now, but she’s too smart to let go. Too smart to be my enemy.

“Welcome Mr. Black.” Joe Harrison said.

“Thank you.” I nodded politely.

I could never quite tell what Joe was thinking. He was a man of few words, and to be honest, I preferred it that way.

“Evening, Mr. Black.” Leonard Foreman greeted. I gave him a courteous nod, and he nodded back. If I was honest, Leonard scared me the most. He was a no nonsense kind of man and I knew better than to waste his money or his time.

“Shall we begin?” Margaret asked.

“Yes, please.” I already started counting the seconds until this meeting was over.

“So, how was your first day in Greenbrooke?” Margaret asked.

“Fine.” I answered. “The Mayor, Tom Pippins, showed me around a bit. He took me to a few buildings that could potentially be transitioned into storefronts.”

“Excellent.” Margaret cheered. “Can you see potential in any of them?”

“Possibly.” I answered. “There’s a library in the center of town that could be exactly what we’re looking for.”

“A library?” Leonard cut in. “That hardly seems like a decent prospect.”

“No, it’s actually quite large.” I assured him. “The mayor was talking to me about turning it into a shopping outlet.”

“I like the sound of that.” Margaret beamed. “Why don’t you get more information about this library and we’ll follow up with you in a few days.”

“Great.” I was not the happiest about sharing to them, but I only needed their ok one time, then it was all on me.

We all said our formal goodbyes before I ended the call. I closed my laptop and let out an audible sigh. It was a long day, and it felt like my time here in Greenbrooke was shaping up to be a longer trip than I anticipated.

I had often been questioned by other investors why my board of directors were all people in their fifties and sixties. But to be honest, as much as the three of them got on my last nerve, I knew they always had my back. They were tough, but that only made them fierce seekers of excellence.

A knock at my door brought me out of my stress bubble. I heard a polite voice announce themselves as room service and I quickly answered the door. A clean shaven young man smiled as he handed me a bottle of aspirin. I gave him a ten dollar bill and he thanked me.

As soon as the door was closed, I cracked open the bottle and popped two pills in my mouth. I was too tired to bother with dinner but I did take a bag of potato chips with me to bed.

The next morning a phone call from my little sister, Lily, awakened me. I quickly answered it to make sure she was okay.

“Hey rich boy.” She teased.

“Hey crazy girl.” I said, still groggy. “Are you alright?”

“As fine as I can be.” She commented sarcastically.

“I meant how are you feeling?” I sat up in bed.

“I’m fighting a cold, but other than that, I’m okay.” Lily gave me as an answer.

I could hear a slight worry in her voice and I knew she was trying to be brave. Lily was diagnosed with Leukemia four years ago. She was only sixteen at the time and it hit our family pretty hard. We were all each other had, and I often worried about my parents if anything were to happen to her. Shortly after Lily’s sixteenth birthday, her health took a turn for the worse and doctors told us that soon there wouldn’t be much they could do.

“Did you go to the hospital?” I asked, trying not to sound worried.

“Yeah.” She said with a sigh. “Mom and dad were freaking out, but I’m sure it’s fine.”

“Alright, well make sure you’re wearing your mask.” I almost ordered.

“I know.” Lily said. “You shouldn’t worry about me so much.”

“I’m your big brother.” I scoffed. “It’s my job to worry about you.”

“Your time would be much better spent getting a life.”

“Ouch.” I started laughing. “You’re so mean to me.”

“It’s the truth.” Lily laughed too, it made me so happy to hear her laugh. “When’s the last time you went on a date?”

“I couldn’t tell you.” I admitted. “I’ve had way too much to do to even think about my love life.”

Lily had been begging me to find someone special for as long as I could remember. But after her cancer diagnosis, I buried myself in my college studies, and after that I buried myself in my work. I was determined to make enough money to pay for the best medical care out there.

Work sort of became my coping mechanism. I didn’t even know how to talk to women. My last girlfriend broke up with me because she said my lack of emotion frightened her.

But it wasn’t that I lacked emotion, I just didn’t know how to put my all into something that I just didn’t care about. I couldn’t care about it. All I could do was worry about my sister. And after all these years, that’s all I’ve done.

“Well, you’d better find someone soon.” Lily urged. “It would be nice to see my only brother happy before I die.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that.” I fought the pit that was forming in the bottom of my stomach.

“Oh, get over it.” Lily said, lightly. “We both know my clock is ticking. I want you to promise me you’ll find a nice girl or boy to settle down with before I’m gone.”

“Lily.” I sighed, not wanting to engage in her morbid exchange.

“Promise me.” Lily insisted, this time with more emotion. “I’m serious.”

“Fine.” I said, shaking my head.

“Say it.” Lily pushed, of course she would. “Say the words.”

“I promise.” I said through grit teeth.

“Good.” I felt it in her voice, she was satisfied. “I gotta go. Mom wants to have brunch on the patio.”

“Alright.” I said, smiling at her simple life. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Lily started moving already as she was giving me her last order. “Don’t forget about your promise.”

“Never.” I promised before hanging up.

I sat in the bed for another ten minutes, thinking about our conversation. I hated how much she had me wrapped around her little finger. But what was I supposed to do? Her dying wish was to see me happy. I owed it to her to make it come true.

I wondered how I could make good on my promise without actually having to waste any precious time dating. The reality was I didn’t have time to date. Lily wouldn’t understand that. She was just a teen. I needed someone who could pretend with me.

I was supposed to fly home in a couple weeks and I knew it would be the perfect time to show Lily that I was taking our pact seriously. But who could I find that’d be willing to do something so crazy? Whoever I asked would most likely require a lot of money to go through with something like this. I’d have to make it worth their while.

I considered hiring an escort, but Lily was far too smart for that. She’d sniff out my lie in seconds and would never speak to me again. I needed to find a woman with a low profile. Someone genuine, with a humble background.

That woman I met at the library yesterday popped into my mind. What was her name? Maria? Mya? Mia! That’s right, it was Mia. She was perfect. But how was I going to convince this stranger to pretend to be my girlfriend?

From the way we left things yesterday, I knew it would take more than a polite apology for her to agree to go along with this. I was positive she hated me after the rude way I spoke to her. I was not thinking of seeing her again back then.

I have to solve two issues now. One, my board, I need to make sure I keep things in order while I manage to get rid of them. And two, my sister’s wish. I will have to ask that girl to pretend to be my girlfriend.

Why was I even thinking of doing this? My sister always asked me to get a girl, but this was the first time she made me promise. Were her coughs that serious? Why am I judging her? Lily would not fake something like this. Health is an important topic, she would never joke about it.

For her, I will do this. For her, I will apologize to this girl and make her an offer she can’t resist. Who would not want to have easy money just to pretend to be my girlfriend? Probably a librarian who had the personality to face me. I chuckled remembering her outburst.

The only way I was going to make this right was to beg her in person. I decided I would visit the Greenbrooke Library and make things right with Mia. I needed this to work. For Lily’s sake, I needed to know I’d done everything I could to make her happy.