Twists And Turns

Next day…

Nathan Grey's patience was tested as he paced back and forth, waiting impatiently for Tyler and Brixlee to arrive for the crucial meeting. Although he had instructed them to come early, they seemed to have defied his request. The meeting meant everything to him, and it was the only thing standing between him and becoming the largest tech company in the world. Nathan was ready to settle for anything to achieve his goal.

Finally, Tyler walked in, staring intently at his phone. It was clear that something about him was different. He was dressed in an overall red tuxedo and was smiling more than usual. Nathan was taken aback by his appearance. Tyler had always been a casual guy, always wearing jeans and hoodies. Nathan's initial reaction was to attack Tyler in a low tone for being late, but he held himself back and waited for Brixlee to arrive.

Minutes later, Brixlee walked in, and Nathan frowned. She was the last to arrive, but she smiled, unlike Nathan's flared nostrils. Brixlee had learned that a smile could solve any problem. She had gone to the hospital early that morning to check up on her grandfather due to some health issues, and she couldn't call. Nathan wasn't impressed by her excuse but was surprised that he understood her situation.

"I’m really sorry, something came up, and I had to go see my grandpa at the hospital," she explained, hopeful that Nathan would be forgiving.

"You should have called," Nathan snapped, but Brixlee had caught him off guard. He was taken aback by her apologies, unlike Tyler's neutral expressions.

"I couldn't, I was out of my head," Brixlee replied, explaining her situation.

"Alright, whatever," Nathan said with a visible scoff.

Brixlee turned to Tyler, who was still sitting on her desk. She couldn't resist but snicker at Tyler's outfit.

"I'm sorry, were we supposed to dress stupid today?" Brixlee joked, and Tyler returned the stare.

"Well, If you must know, I have a date tonight, not like you would have a clue about that," Tyler replied in his typical sarcastic tone.

"You're going on a date dressed in an overall red tuxedo? Dude! You look like you got hit by a tomato truck!" Brixlee retorted, laughing coyly.

Tyler frowned, "I may look calm right now, but in my head I've killed you twenty times, in ten seconds, in twenty different ways."

"Really? That's probably why my imaginary friend thinks you have serious mental problems," Brixlee snapped back with a smirk. The exchange of words was amusing for both of them.

"Jeez, why are you so annoying?" Tyler complained.

"That's the only way you can understand me," Brixlee retorted, rolling her eyes.

"You should try thinking; it's not illegal yet," Tyler countered.

"I stopped listening, so why don't you stop talking?" Brixlee quipped.

Nathan was losing patience, his nostrils flaring as he sank deeper into his seat. He was slowly losing his cool, and the bickering between Tyler and Brixlee wasn't helping.

"Cut the bickering!!" he yelled almost on top of his voice, and the whole place went silent."Please be quiet for a moment; I'm trying to focus," Nathan said, taking a deep breath.

Suddenly,one of the employees barged in.

“Jessica Torres is here, she's waiting in the board room," the receptionist informed Nathan, his team members already on tenterhooks. They all knew the fate of the company depended on it.

Brixlee was already fretting when Nathan grabbed his laptop and rushed out, leaving Tyler and Brixlee in the office. Everyone held their breath, hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

Surprisingly, Nathan returned in just ten minutes, looking crestfallen. He dropped his laptop on the table and slumped into his chair, a frown etched on his face.

"What happened?" Brixlee asked anxiously. It was too early for him to be back and his expression added to her apprehension.

"Well, apparently something bad," Tyler added, echoing Brixlee's thoughts.

Nathan let out a sigh, bracing himself for the worst. "As soon as I got to the board room, she stopped my presentation and gave me a riddle to solve," he explained clearly agitated.

"A riddle?" Brixlee and Tyler chorused.

Nathan shook his head, both confused and annoyed. "Yeah...it's really complicated."

"So....what's the riddle??? " Tyler asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"It tears the mind can't tell, it pains the heart can't share, anger wrapped up in deceit, it's more to beat the scalding pain of hate," Nathan recited, clearly flummoxed. "And we only have just a week."

Brixlee was stunned. Was this some kind of joke? After all their hard work preparing the presentation, Jessica Torres had decided to throw a riddle at them? It felt like an insult to their efforts.

"Easy, let's use a search engine," Tyler suggested, bringing out his phone. He scrolled for a few minutes before finally dropping it on the table in frustration. "Nothing! There's nothing about this riddle on the internet."

Brixlee proposed, "How about we make an announcement to the staff? We could offer a reward to anyone who can solve the riddle." Nathan frowned, foreseeing potential problems: "We can't be sure that they're not merely making up answers for the reward."

"We'll have to figure it out ourselves," Tyler suggested. "I know some people who might be able to help with this."

"That's great!" Nathan exclaimed. "Can you drop Brixlee off at the Heelshires' to collect some files on your way?"

***

Xavier Torres, the CEO of one of the largest modeling agencies in Texas, sat in his spacious yet humble office delving into files for the recruitment of new models. His annual special summer fashion show was on the horizon, and he was in search of new faces to grace the runway this year. Talia Mendez, who had always been the face of the show, had already been featured for many years, and it was time to choose new talent for his display.

The files on the desk contained the profiles of many beautiful models, but none seemed to catch his attention. Xavier sighed in frustration, feeling disheartened at the thought of not discovering the perfect models for his show. Suddenly, the knock on his door ceased his thoughts. He knew precisely who it was.

"Come in," Xavier said, trying to hide his annoyance.

Talia entered the room, and her cheerful demeanor piqued his interest. "Hi, Talia," he responded with a lack of enthusiasm.

Talia took a seat and cleared her throat. "So, I came to talk about my contract,” she said calmly. “It's ending next month, right?"

"Not exactly, but yes," Xavier said.

“If the annual fashion show goes really well, I’ll think about renewing my contract. Let’s make this work,” Talia said, extending her hand to shake on it.

Xavier felt the guilt weighing on him as he took her hand. Although he knew that Talia was only trying to hash out a business deal, he couldn't help but feel remorseful for what he was about to do.

"That sounds like a good plan. Let's make it work," he said unenthusiastically.

Talia beamed, clearly satisfied with their conversation. "That's all I wanted to hear," she said, standing up to leave.

As she walked out of the office, Xavier's anxiety increased. He knew that Talia wasn't going to be thrilled if she discovered that she would be replaced in his show. However, he had to do what he thought was best for his agency.

Suddenly, his phone beeped with a reminder that he had an appointment at the Heelshires' residence. This weekly visit was something he always looked forward to since Mrs. Heelshires was an old woman who resided alone. Her son, who also happened to be Xavier's childhood friend, had moved abroad and left her to live without any company.

He grabbed his car keys and left for his appointment.

***

The car came to a stop in front of the Heelshires’ residence. Brixlee stepped out, while Tyler left with a smirk. As she approached the door, a handsome, blonde guy with an athlete’s build answered. Though he was sweaty, he still looked alluring.

“Hey…Hi,” Brixlee stammered.

He stared at her for a few seconds before finally inviting her inside. The house was luxurious with every attribute of a mansion decor. The young man urged Brixlee to take a seat, and she obliged. Soon, an elderly lady appeared with some files in her hand.

“Nathan sent you, right?” she asked, taking a seat and Brixlee nodded.

“Can I offer you a drink?"She asked and Brixlee smiled warmly.

"No,I'll be on my way now"She replied and rose to her feet.

"I should tell Xavier to drop you off at the office then"She implied.

Brixlee stopped in her tracks, the name Xavier Torres ringing a bell. Could he be Nathan’s arch-enemy, Mrs. Jessica Torres’s grandson? Her curiosity peaked, and she couldn’t resist but ask.

“Wait a minute, is he Xavier Torres?” she quickly pursed her lips, secretly hoping she hadn’t made a mistake by asking.

“Well, yeah he is, such a nice boy,” said Mrs. Heelshires, with a smile on her wrinkled face, unaware of the tension rising.

Brixlee’s mind was racing with questions, but she decided to stay composed. Soon enough, Xavier appeared- tall, dark, and handsome, ready to drop Brixlee off. As they exchanged goodbyes and headed out, Brixlee hopped in the car and waited for Xavier to do the same.

The silence in the car was stifling and heavily awkward. Brixlee could’ve sworn Xavier was stealing peeks at her. After a few long minutes of the tension building up, Brixlee couldn’t take it any longer.

"So...you're Xavier Torres, huh?" Brixlee finally broke the silence, her voice coming out meekly.

"Guilty as charged," he replied with a hint of arrogance in his voice. Brixlee felt a pang of annoyance at his tone, but she tried not to let it show.

Feeling a bit more confident, Brixlee continued with her questions. "You're Jessica Torres’s grandson, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know that?" Xavier’s voice was filled with surprise.

"Figured it out. Anyways, I need your help," Brixlee blurted out, her anxiety skyrocketing.

The car screeched to a halt, and Xavier turned to face Brixlee. "My help? On what?" he asked with palpable curiosity. Brixlee took a deep breath and explained everything to him; her job at Nathan’s company, the riddle, and their search for a solution.

"So you're Nathan’s secretary, and you need my help on a riddle my grandma gave you?" Xavier's eyes widened with surprise.

"Well, technically, yes. But it's not just for me. I'm doing it for the company," Brixlee clarified.

"That's easy, but no," Xavier said, turning down the offer with stiff politeness. "Why would I wanna help Nathan? I hate that dude more than I hate tuna casserole."

"I might lose my job if you don't help me," Brixlee lied, trying to play the sympathy card.

Xavier's expression hardened as he frowned at her. Brixlee knew she had to do something to change his mind.

"I could help you, but what’s in it for me?" he asked, his tone suggestive. Brixlee's stomach turned at his insinuation.

"I don't know. What do you want?" she asked, hoping she wouldn’t regret asking that question.

"Well, you have a great body, and..." Xavier trailed off, his eyes scanning her up and down. Brixlee felt a shiver run down her spine, sensing that something wasn't right.

"Ewwww, No!!!" Brixlee blurted out, her tone disgusted.

"What? No! I mean, I own a modeling agency, and the annual summer fashion show is coming up in three days. I haven't found the right model for the job yet, but I think you might be the one," he explained, and Brixlee's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Me? A model for such a big agency?" Brixlee asked, feeling incredulous.

"Think it through. If you do this, then you'll be really doing a big favor for your boss. You have nothing to lose," Xavier urged. Brixlee took a deep breath and cleared her throat.