CHAPTER 3 - Why do you want to marry me now.

“Who the hell is Avery? The name doesn’t sound romantic,” Martin frowned and asked but Anderson seemed upset.

“Shut up, Martin, just shut up,” Anderson yelled. Martin was startled and so was the receptionist.

“What did she say she wanted?” Anderson asked the bewildered receptionist who quickly composed herself.

She was perturbed by the CEO’s strange behaviors but revealed,

“She won’t talk, said it was personal.”

Anderson chuckled. “Thanks but I don’t want to see her.” He didn’t want to hear any more bad news. There was just too much for him to do.

“Okay.”

“So who is Avery?” Martin asked when they entered Anderson’s office. Since things hadn’t gone as planned, Anderson didn’t want to talk about it.

“You’ve been away for a month Martin, you should be working in your office.”

“You are sending me away?” Martin was offended. It seemed that his best friend was keeping secrets from him.

“See you during lunctime,” Anderson discharged him but since they always had lunch together, Martin was determined to ask again during that time.

“Alright.”

Avery was anxious. Last night when she failed at seeing Anderson to explain things to him. She even went as far as going to see his parents at their newly built home. Meeting the couple, she was enthralled by the bond they shared.

Their security was even tighter than Anderson’s though their house was smaller. The couple lived with just two maids. Since their kids were all grown up, Susan and Andrew saw their former home to be too big and lonely. They willed it to Anderson and bought a smaller one that fit their needs.

Avery and her dad were surprised that as soon as Avery mentioned her name, she was allowed into the house. Though small, the luxurious aesthetics were just enormous. Susan and Andrew were dressed, and ready to leave before they received information from security that Avery was there.

“Have a seat,” Susan said to Avery, whose head was lowered the whole time. She was playing nervously with her fingers like a teenager, and took her seat obediently. Andrew was on the phone and said to Susan after he hung up.

“The pilot is ready and all is set.”

Susan was seeing Avery for the first time and wondered what was going on between her and her son. They were about to leave for the Bahamas if not for Avery’s sudden appearance. “Can he wait a little more, Avery is here.”

“Avery you mean…” Andrew walked towards her and stopped at the sight of the petite girl who lowered her head like she was scared.

“Yes,” Susan agreed and asked, “are you alright Avery? Will you like something to drink?”

“No, no,” Avery lifted her head to see Andrew wrap his arm around Susan’s waist and lowered her head instantly.

‘How can they behave like a youth in love?’ Avery couldn’t understand. Andrew seemed to have a problem keeping his hands off Susan. She could see that Anderson had a striking resemblance to his father, except for their eyes and the gray hairs that gave his father a more mature look.

“We are leaving the country in the next hour,” Andrew told Avery and pecked Susan on the cheek.

“Ohhh, I'm sorry but I wanted to speak with Anderson,” Avery said in a low tone.

“He doesn't live here but I can give you his address,” Andrew said and was about to do so when Avery quickly said,

“I already went there.” After she narrated everything, Susan asked,

“Are you sure that you want to marry my son? Divorce might not be easy if you try to leave him in the future.”

Avery stiffened and her nails dug into her palms. Trent had promised to come and save her but Susan seemed like a very honest woman and she felt guilty. “My parents have given me everything and I want to do just this one thing for them.”

Instantly, the couple understood that there was no love between Avery and Anderson but if they still wanted to get married, they’d do their part and leave the rest to them. Anderson was very disciplined and principled. “Alright. We can only cancel our trip and wait for you to speak to him tomorrow. If he is still up to it, then fine but if not, then I’m sorry,” Andrew said.

Avery smiled. The middle-aged couple was so easy to talk to and they looked so beautiful together, especially Anderson’s mother. She was still pretty at her age. “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Crown. You are very kind.”

“I will get the driver to drop you home,” Andrew proposed. It wasn’t right for a woman to be alone at this time of the night.

“I came with my dad,” Avery said in a low tone.

“So where is he?” Susan asked. She wanted to be sure since she didn’t know much about Avery.

“At the gate. He said I should take responsibility for my actions,” Avery pushed logs of hair behind her ears but they quickly escaped and covered her face again. She had used her hair as a shield so many times that it never stayed put.

“Alright, and since you did, I have a tip for you. As the CEO, Anderson is supposed to eat in the cafeteria at least once a week on any day he chooses. That was something we brought up to keep it under good supervision. Anderson hasn’t been there throughout the week so he will be there tomorrow. If you are not able to see him in his office, you can track him down over there.”

Avery fell in love with the couple. She didn’t know why they were nice to her but it made her happy. “Thank you, Mr. Crown and Mrs. Crown. I am very grateful.”

After that encounter last night, Avery had been to Anderson’s office three times this morning. The fourth time, the receptionist told her that Anderson didn’t want to see her. As such, she resorted to the final means and that was to wait for him at the cafeteria.

She didn’t have any friends because she didn’t speak much. Her attention was dedicated to her job whenever she was in the office. It wasn’t long before two elegant men walked into the cafeteria, shoulder to shoulder. One was friendly while the other was cold.

A contrast it was. Martin would greet the workers politely while Anderson went about like a cast of concrete. They sat together at their reserved table in the middle, where they had a good view of everything going on.

Avery was depressed to see Anderson in someone else’s company and didn’t know how to approach them. Speaking to Anderson alone wasn’t going to be easy and now, there was another person too. She thought about the whole thing, took a deep breath, and asked a guy who was equally from the accounts office and sat on a chair and table behind her.

“Is that man a friend to Anderson?”

The guy looked at her strangely and asked, “Why do you mention his name casually? Do you know him? The other man is the deputy CEO and they are best friends.”

Avery knew instantly that she won’t get the opportunity to speak with Anderson alone. “Thanks,” she said and stood up.

“Are you going there? Those men don’t allow women to come close to them when they come to eat. You are new. Don’t embarrass yourself and become the company’s clown.”

His words increased her anxiety and she trembled. It wasn’t going to be easy to go and talk to Anderson in front of all these people but thinking about her parent’s predicament, it was worth it.

She sauntered to the table where the two men sat. Anderson saw her first since he was facing Martin and maintained his cold expression. Avery got to him and asked in a low tone, “can I sit?”

“No,” Anderson responded curtly. Her face reddened from embarrassment, as every cutlery stopped moving. For someone like her to make such a daring move, it attracted attention. They could see from Avery’s expression that things weren’t going well and began to murmur in hushed tones.

“The intern has some nerves.”

“She got what she deserved.”

“I never thought a shy person like her could flirt.”

“If you ask me, she’s a social climber.”

Avery could only hear murmurs but didn’t know what they were saying. Without thinking, she pulled a chair and sat down.

Martin smiled and thought that she looked cute. More like a baby doll but Anderson was indifferent and concentrated on his food. Avery swallowed tightly and said, “I’m sorry for what I said yesterday. I will marry you.”

She seemed to have gotten his attention because he halted his movement with the cutlery he held. He didn’t expect her to change her mind and if he had known that this was the reason she kept coming to look for him in the office, he would have given her audience a long time ago. Something seemed to have changed in Anderson but it didn’t seem obvious in his voice when he asked,

“What did you say?”

Avery’s face turned scarlet. She didn’t know what Anderson was thinking and thought that he was bent on getting back at her for what she did. Nevertheless, she spoke a little louder.

“I said, that I will marry you whenever you are ready.”

Anderson‘s cold face expressed warmth but then again, “Why did you change your mind?” He asked seriously. He had seen Trent’s missed calls and grew suspicious.

Avery wasn’t expecting such a question and Martin seemed interested as well. If she said it was because of her parents, then she was a gold digger. She couldn’t say it was because she loved him. After all, she didn’t. Her silence was becoming uncomfortable but Anderson wasn’t making it easy on her. He needed an answer to his question. Maybe she didn’t hear him so he rephrased the question,

“Why do you want to marry me now?”