Chapter 7

• “Are you okay?” Perry asked backstage.
• She shook her nerves away, “An audience with our beloved guest of honor, what could be better? Do you think he recognized me?” She was still in denial.
• Perry shrugged, “Why else would he request an audience with you at his table?”
• She shot him a look, “My program? Maybe he’s interested in that?”
• “Well … yeah … but you spent a whole day with him … and slept with him twice in one night … they say he has photographic memory … that’s how he managed to thrive with his father’s legacy.”
• Jamie slapped his stomach with the back of her hand, “You said he probably wouldn’t recognize me before my presentation?” She protested.
• “I had to say something … you looked like you were about to faint or something.”
• She didn’t feel much better than before, knowing she was going to be sitting across from him later that night. Now that she knew who he was, it made her even more nervous. Sometimes the things we hear about someone formed an image in our heads that determined how we respond to their names. But she remembered how comfortable their conversation was that day and he wasn’t as intimidating as his reputation was.
• “Okay … I have to map the table before I sit there, let me just check the background of everyone on table 1 and see what angle I can use to persuade them to fund my program,” she had to be able to put the memory of that night aside if she wanted to seize the opportunity at table 1.
• She kept her focus on the task at hand, even though her mind branched out to many other things and kept going back to the notion she was about to sit with Richard as her real self. She had lost her anonymity for the first time to the random stranger she had fun with, and with this particular person, she was biting more than she could chew.
• She had no idea what to expect, she figured it would be best to act as casual as possible as if it was the first time they ever met. “You can do this,” she said to herself and walked out to the floor to sit at table 1.
• The men at the table stood up to welcome her, while the women smiled and raised their glasses at her. They were all CEOs and owners of multimillion dollar companies who were willing to donate a good chunk of their revenues for the good of the environment while they avoid taxes and gain publicity out of their good deeds.
• Richard was the youngest among them. He didn’t seem to know everyone on the table as well as everyone knew him.
• “Thank you for joining us … Ms. Knox … I think everyone on this table agrees with me that your program is very well planned and has a promising result,” his deep voice enchanted her. She remembered how soothing it was when he whispered in her ear that night.
• “Thank you for having me here, Mr. Love,” she tried her best to avoid eye contact with him, but it was useless. She had to face him.
• “Gabriel … most people call me Gabriel … but you can call me Richard if it suits you,” he said it without a twitch or even a blink.
• She gasped inside. She didn’t appreciate his sarcasm. “Gabriel should be proper … just like everybody else,” she replied politely.
• “Very well … please entice us with more details of your program, and everybody can post their questions and concerns before deciding whether Ms. Knox’s program will be the one they choose to fund.” He sat back and crossed his legs. “I’m sure Ms. Knox will be very … persuasive,” he added and leaned his elbow on the armrest of his chair.
• She cleared her throat and opened her folder. She made notes on who’s who on that table with codes for clues only she knew and started her presentation.
• Gabriel was cold as stone, he didn’t say a single word throughout her presentation. He didn’t even look at her. Once in a while he turned his attention to her to let everyone see that he was engaging in the discussion. He let everybody else on the table post their questions and he never interrupted them.
• “If there are no more questions … I think that sums up my program for this year,” Jamie said after she answered the last question from the table.
• There was a pause, a few of them whispered to each other, the rest was waiting for Gabriel to address them. Jamie looked at him, he was looking at his neatly trimmed fingernails.
• “I love turtles,” he broke the silence.
• “And I think your program can be very well implemented if you have the right people to execute them,” he added.
• Some of the others nodded in agreement.
• He leaned forward to the table and rested his forearms on it. “I’m sure everyone here are prepared to write up a nice lump sum for a very good cause … and I don’t see why we can’t all do that for the turtles … defenseless animals who are in the verge of extinction,” he addressed the table.
• Jamie sat silently with a hopeful smile. The other members of the table spoke to their assistants to draft out cheques after the green light from Gabriel.
• “Thank you … I will make sure every penny will go to the preservation of the sea turtles or build new facilities in areas where they are most vulnerable,” she smiled to everyone.
• Her eyes finally rested on Gabriel who now has locked his attention to her. “As for me … I found your presentation most … convincing, Ms. Knox, and I’ve never met anyone who truly, passionately, deeply cares about the turtles.”
• She looked down on the table, “Thank you, Mr. Love.”
• “Therefore … I’m lending one of my hotels for the cause … The Peninsula in Bhorma is sitting nicely by the beach front … I want it to be used for your program with one condition …”
• Everyone on the table gasped, The Peninsula was a five diamond resort on the island of Bhorma, they all looked at Gabriel awaiting for his next sentence.
• Jamie looked up slowly, she couldn’t believe her ears.
• “I want you to personally execute your program there with a team of my choice … you will be working directly under my supervision … if you agree to it … the hotel is for you to use however you see fit.”
• She was speechless, “Umm … you mean … I’ll be working for your hotel?”
• “No … you’ll be working for me … directly … you can use the hotel facilities and a good portion of the beach front for your conservation … I will fund whatever you need for your program as long as I can supervise it … if you agree … we’ll talk details on Monday at my office,” he looked straight into her eyes.
• She swallowed hard, pressed her lips together. It was the best offer anyone had ever made for her programs but it went against everything she believed in, she had to work for him.
• He was waiting for her answer, she had to make up her mind right that very moment.
• An opportunity like that didn’t happen very often, her head was saying ‘no’ but her gut told her otherwise. “Yes … of course … that’s very generous of you, Mr. Love, I’m very grateful,” she finally said.
• He curved a faint smile, “Wonderful.” He made a hand gesture at someone on the back, two men came to the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I have other business to attend to,” he stood and excused himself.
• “Please make sure that Ms. Knox is well taken care of … and put her on my Monday appointment at The Q,” he said to one of the men. He walked over to Jamie who stood up to meet him. “It’s nice to see you, Ms. Knox,” his deep voice soothed her ear. They shook hands and he gave a half nod with a piercing look in his eyes.
• “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Love.” Even though he did say ‘see’.
• “Please … call me Gabriel … I’ll see you Monday,” and then he walked away without taking another glance at her.