“Where is Anita?” Mr. Wyatt asked his assistant with a frown when he saw the other directors and staff walking into the meeting hall with Benne, but his niece was nowhere in view.
The major reason he had asked for this official handover even though they had already completed their business transaction, was because he wanted his niece to meet Benedict Delgado in person. So if she was absent from the meeting room, then the whole thing would be pointless without her. Besides, he had asked her to lead the others in welcoming him, so why was everyone else here apart from her?
“I will find out, and let you know at once,” His assistant said to him before walking away quickly to get the answer.
Mr. Wyatt who was seated on the chair positioned at the head of the table, stood up when Benne approached him, “We have been waiting for you,” he said with a polite smile as he stretched out his hand to shake Benne.
“I hope we didn’t keep you waiting for too long?” Benne asked politely as he shook the man’s hand.
“You didn’t.”
“I’m glad. So, can we start now? We have other appointments to attend to after we leave here,” Benne said as he took out the seat next to Mr. Wyatt and lowered himself on it.
Although he was the owner of the airline now and had every right to sit at the head of the table, he also understood that this was the old man’s last day in the company, and as such, it wouldn’t hurt to let him remain at the head of the table. Besides, they were doing the official handover, so it would be weird for the person who was handing over to him to sit anywhere other than the head of the table.
The other directors and staff in the meeting hall took Benne’s gesture as a go-ahead for them to sit down too, so they all sat down after Mr. Wyatt was seated.
Harry went around the table to sit down directly opposite Benne so that they could maintain eye contact through the meeting period, while Celsie stood behind Benne not knowing where to sit since this wasn’t the company where she worked, and she didn’t know what was expected from her here.
As if reading her mind, Benne turned to her, “You should sit down next to me,” he instructed as he reached out with his hand, and pulled out the last unoccupied seat on the table.
“That spot is taken,” Mr. Wyatt hurried to point out since the plan was for Anita to sit beside Benne, and that was the reason no one else had dared to take that seat.
“Yes, it is. By my assistant,” Benne said bluntly, as he jerked his head to Celsie who was still standing to sit down.
Celsie reluctantly sat down, wondering why the CEO was being this way with her. Was it because his brother had asked him to look out for her? Didn’t he realize that he was making her uncomfortable and putting her in a difficult position by paying extra attention to her and making it seem like he favored her? Knowing the way people gossiped, she was certain that if care was not taken, rumors were soon going to start flying around that she was having an affair with him, and she didn’t want something like that to happen.
Mr. Wyatt’s lips were set in a thin line as he looked at Celsie with disapproval while wondering who she was, and why Benne was going against him so openly just because of her. Before he could comment on it his assistant returned to his side and bent down to whisper into his ear, “Mr. Delgado sent her to get them drinks.”
“Drinks?” Mr. Wyatt asked, trying not to sound upset. Why would Benne choose to humiliate his niece in that manner? Of everyone he had met at the entrance why did he choose to send her on that sort of an errand?
“Yes, sir.” His personal assistant said, and Mr. Wyatt waved him away dismissively as he turned to look at Benne with a forced smile.
“You didn’t introduce the young lady with you. I know Mr. Harry, but I don’t know her,” Mr. Wyatt said, and Benne nodded.
“My apologies. This is my personal assistant Miss Celestia Miller,” Benne said, and looked at the man, as though daring him to speak further.
As far as Benne was concerned his business with the man was done and dusted, and the man had no right to question him. The only reason he was here doing this with him was that he wanted to honor the man’s request. He understood that it wouldn’t be easy for one to easily let go of one’s Company as a result of financial reasons, so he was trying to make it all as easy as possible for the old man.
“I see, but shouldn’t she be seated at…”
Seeing that the old man was bent on being difficult, Benne looked away from him and looked around the table. “Since everyone is here, we should start the meeting,” Benne suggested even though he knew that Anita was yet to return from the errand he had sent her.
“We can’t start yet since one of the directors is not here yet. I was informed you sent her to get you something to quench your thirst, so we can’t proceed without her,” Mr. Wyatt said with a stiff smile since he was offended that Tim had cut him off so rudely.
The door opened before Benne could say anything and Anita who was sweating profusely walked into the meeting room as graciously as she could while carrying three cold cans of coca-cola on a tray. She clenched her teeth together when she saw Celsie was seated on her spot beside the CEO. She pasted a smile on her face as she walked directly to where Benne was seated and placed the tray in front of him, before standing by his side.
“You sure took your sweet time to get here. Are you always so slow or today is just special?” Benne asked as he took one of the cans and passed it to Celsie, before throwing one to Harry, surprising the others on the table who didn’t expect such a carefree action from the CEO.
Most of the people on the table, including Celsie couldn’t help wondering what Anita must have done wrong to deserve such treatment from the CEO. Why was he picking on her?
Anita spared a glance at her Uncle whose lips were set in a thin line. It was obvious to her that he was very angry with Benne’s ill-treatment of her, and she knew that her mother would have a fit if she heard that her daughter had been subjected to the duty of a messenger, and treated this way in the presence of others.
“I’m not a fan of Coca-Cola, do you mind getting me something else? Water, perhaps?” Benne asked Anita who was still standing there, and Harry’s lips twitched in amusement at Benne’s pettiness. Harry looked around the hall to see what the others thought about Benne’s callousness, but from the glint in their eyes, it seemed like they were all enjoying themselves, and the only people who seemed remotely upset by Benne’s behavior was Celsie who was looking at her leg, and Mr. Wyatt whose countenance had changed, and his face was ruddy.
“My assistant will get you whatever you need. We should proceed with the meeting now that she is here as you already mentioned that you have somewhere to be after now,” Mr. Wyatt said, making Benne raise a brow.
“Is there a particular reason you don’t want her to get me what I want? Isn’t she under my payroll now?” Benne asked, reminding Mr. Wyatt that this was no longer his company even though he was seated at the head of the table, and as such he should know his place.
Seeing how her Uncle was about to be humiliated because of her, Anita quickly spoke up, “I will get the water,” she said with a smile as she picked up the tray to leave with the last can of drink, but Benne was quick to snatch the drink.
“Don’t worry about it. I guess I will just have to manage this since I have to be somewhere after now, and I can’t wait all day for you to get what I need,” Benne said dismissively making Anita grit her teeth in annoyance. If he had known he could manage the drink, why then had he asked her to get him water? Was he trying to humiliate her? Why? She couldn’t recall meeting him anywhere or doing anything wrong to him, so what was this about?
Anita gave him a polite nod before she signaled to her secretary who was seated with the other assistants at one end of the hall to take the tray from her.
She returned to where Celsie was seated and tapped her arm gently, “You are on my seat,” Anita said with a stiff smile, as she expected Celsie to go sit with the other secretaries and assistants instead of being on the same table with her.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.