Lifeline

Chapter 9; Meet the Chef.

"My love for you is incomparable. You know yourself. FOOD!!!" By N. J

ETHAN'S POV.

Money. One word, five letters and two syllables...

A very powerful word that makes and takes lives. Money should come along with a stress package...

I swirled my chair away from the view of the New York sky line through my floor to ceiling windows. My thoughts were getting weirder nowadays.

I sighed and continued staring at the files which had been placed in front of me not less than an hour ago.

It was a Saturday. But what better way to spend my Saturday than coming to work.

"Mr. Veron, Mr. Devin is on his way to your office." Came the voice of my P.A through the intercom.

"Thanks Carmine." I switched it off without waiting for a reply.

I'd taken over my father as CEO of Veron Enterprises at age 22. And even now at age 28, being the CEO can't save me from my best friend.

"Hey dude," I looked away from the havoc on my desk to find my best friend, Marc making his way towards me.

"You look nice." Which was his way of telling me I looked horrible. My two piece grey suit looked appealing in the morning, but now, not so much. He smiled and closed the door behind him getting comfortable on his seat. "So, what's eating you up?" He asked.

He knew me that well. Marc was a Filipino immigrant I'd met through my dad. His father was expanding their automobile business to America. His mom took me like her son when she found out my real mom was dead and he was enrolled in my high school, we've been close since then.

"Natasha and my so called mom." I told him. He immediately understood.

For some time now, my step mom had been pestering me to marry her friend's daughter, Natasha who was a full time model.

Natasha is honestly physically beautiful, she puts a lot of effort into how she looks obviously but beyond that she was a walking scare crow... And that's me saying it nicely.

"Damn! How are you handling her?" I raised a brow at him so he could be more specific.
"By her I mean your step mom."

"Avoidance." I replied swiftly.

He laughed.

"Well, moving on... How was your date with the doctor?" He gave a wide toothed smile as though he were in a toothpaste commercial. Why are we friends again?

"It was nice. She's different." I told him honestly.

"Still haven't told her the truth?"

I sighed. "No."

"You better do so soon. She might actually be the one." He said solemnly.

"Like Jenifer huh?" He just nodded.

"Jenifer understood. I get you Ethan. Everyone acts around you because of your wealth and you don't want to let go of this illusion you're creating because she doesn't know who you are. But trust me bro," he stood up and walked to the door, "if she's 'the one' and she gets to know you're the 'Ethan Veron' and not Ethan Vincent you told her about, things might get ugly." He held the door handle.

"I like who I am around her, she doesn't treat me differently or like a god. It's hard being Ethan Veron most of the time."

He nodded. "I know. I've got to finish up somethings at the office."

"You're leaving already, and after you've dumped a whole speech on me?" I asked.

"Do you see anyone else doing it?" He faked looking around.

"Why are we friends again?" I whispered.

"Because you love me, you love my mom's home baked cookies, I'm smart, funny... Uhm should I go on, I have a whole bunch of reasons." He smirked

"Say hi to Jenifer and the baby for me and get your ass out of my office." I laughed

"Later, bro." He said while closing the door behind him and leaving me to ponder on his words.

Marc Devin had a way with words. His wife Jenifer had recently given birth to their beautiful daughter, Lily. They were the reason I got to meet Kendra in the hospital that faithful day.

I smiled as I recalled the day. Marc being the successful CEO of an automobile company which his family begun in the Philippines, and Jenine being a movie actress generated a lot of buzz at the hospital. Kendra, was Jenifer's Ob-gyn.

Paparazzi had caught up to me there and my only escape had been the restroom and Kendra. Long story short, I left the hospital safe and sound.

I thought back to the date I had with Kendra yesterday and I yearned to see her already.

"Carmine, my office." I called through the intercom.

"Sir?" She entered not more than a minute after. Good.

"What's on my schedule for tomorrow evening?"

She looked through her phone before answering, "Sir, tomorrow's a Sunday. You have dinner with your step mom at 7pm."

Screw it! "Let her know I won't be able to make it. I'll see you bright and early on Monday." I told her as I put on my suit jacket, grabbed the files I was taking home and my phone.

By the time I reached the ground floor my driver was already waiting.

"Good evening Sir," he said and opened the door to the back seat.

"Good evening Marco." I replied after handing the files over.

Immediately the car started moving, I took out my phone and dialled Kendra's number.

"Hello?" She replied after the third ring.

"Hey," I smiled even though she couldn't see me.

"Ethan?"

"The one and only."

She chuckled. "Sorry, I didn't check the caller ID."

"No problem. How are you?"

"I'm good thanks for asking. Sorry, but why'd you call? I kinda have to get back to something."

I thought I heard a kid's voice in the background but waved it off. I must be imagining things.

"Oh okay, let me get straight to the point then. You were impressed with the last meal we both had, correct?"

"Yeah it was amazing. Why ask?"

"Are you free tomorrow evening? Say around 6?"

"I think so. It's a Sunday evening."

"Good. How'd you like to meet the chef?"

Hey guys, I'm back... I am so sorry for the wait but exams are over. I'll make it up to you...

Thank you so much to all those who added lifeline to their reading lists... I'm grateful..

We've reached 350 reads already, thank you for giving me the benefit of doubt to read my book...

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Love you...