Through It All

TWENTY ONE

"Adam? What is the matter with you? You look like you're somewhere else."

Adam rubs his eyes as his father watches him in disapproval. "I am sorry. I am a little distracted."

"Well stop that. This is an important meeting, I need you to be at your best, and by arriving twenty minutes late, you almost ruined this for us."

"I'm sorry father. I will be at my best."

But truth is, he feels like he's only at his best with Sophia. He shakes his head trying to erase her image out of his head, even though he didn't want to. He needs to focus on the matter at hand.

"Sorry about that, we needed to clear our thoughts," explains Mr. Lancaster Sr. as they join the two gentleman in the drawing room. "So, where were we?"

The blonde man with a mustache gives him a professional smile. "Well, as you see, we have a hotel in the city, and we are looking to remodel it completely, we need some basics, beds, night stands, chairs, nothing too extravagant."
"You see," adds the second gentleman. "We could get wooden furniture from any other carpentry but, we have heard such wonders about Lancaster's that we decided to give it a go."

"What we have been looking for, is for some, how we shall put it, a more rustic look for our hotel. The new West Hotel is going to be unlike any other," continues Mr. Herold, the blonde man.

"Well, of course, and I guarantee you that we can offer you everything you want as expected. As for a rustic design, I assure you my son here, is an expert. Aren't you Adam?" His father turns to him expectantly.

But Adam is miles away, back with his lovely wife. Sophia was acting so different this morning, in a very positive way. She was so flirty, so seductive, that she drove him crazy. And the thing that drove him crazier, was that she knew exactly what she was doing. It was like he had uncovered a side of her he had never seen before, and wasn't expecting to. It was a pleasant surprise.

"Aren't you an expert Adam?" he hears in a frustrated tone.

"I..." he clears his throat. "I don't know if I consider myself an expert but I do enjoy creating rustic furniture," he replies easily.

His father nods in approval. "I must add however, that we must visit this hotel, just to get a feel of it, to know what exactly it is you have in mind."

The gentlemen smile at each other. "What a great idea. Does this mean you will accept our contract? It will mean more work than you're probably used to but..."

"No, we are glad to," interrupts Mr. Lancaster Sr. "When would you like us to go see your hotel?"

"Well, how about next week? We will need the furniture as soon as possible."

"Then it has been decided," replies the father. "We shall go this Friday, we will be prepared to exchange ideas."

The men stand on their feet, shake hands agreeing. After a short friendly chatter, and seeing them off, Adam decides to ask his father what he meant when he said "we".

"What do you mean?" he asks obliviously.

"Well, that means that I will have to go to New York," he replies slowly

"Yes."

"And I will have to leave my house, and my wife?" Adam says carefully, fearing that he might sound weak, to men's standards.

"Well yes," Mr. Lancaster replies coolly. "But only for a week or two, I am sure she'll do fine."

Adam nods. He knows she will do fine, but the question is, will he?