CHAPTER 4 THE PROPOSAL
"Get out of my way kid" a rough voice said from behind the glass doors.
I stopped moving my heart jumping up into my throat. Lian had just run forward with his shoes squeaking on the mall floor and then he bumped into a man wearing a fancy black suit.
"Lian," I said, running to him, my heels making noises on the floor.
The man was really tall. He did not fall down. He just looked at Lian, his jaw getting tighter. I stopped moving and I could not breathe. His eyes were a grey color, the same color as the eyes that looked back at me when I brushed Lian's hair.
Everything around me stopped. I did not hear the mall noises or the people talking. The mans big shoulders got stiff he stared at Lian like he saw a ghost.
"Are you little man" the man asked, his voice was deep and smooth. He did not sound angry he sounded surprised.
Lian did not cry he just rubbed his forehead. "I'm okay you're very tall like a tree" he said.
"Lian come here" I said, my voice was shaking.
I went between them my hands were shaking too. I put them in my coat pockets my fingers touched a credit card. I remembered a night at a club the smell of rain and a man wearing cologne.
The man looked at me his grey eyes were curious. He did not know me I was a stranger to him.
"Your son should be careful" he said, looking at me for a while. "The floor is slippery here."
"He's fine we're leaving" I said, taking Lians hand and pulling him away.
We got into our car I did not look back. My legs felt weak I could barely breathe. The man was still standing there watching us leave.
Two hours later I was walking around my apartment looking at the city lights. Lian was playing with his toys in the room. I was still shaking I poured myself a glass of water. My teeth were chattering.
The phone on the wall made a noise it made me spill water on my shirt.
"Ms. Dave" the security guard said, "there's a Mr. Dante Valenti here he wants to talk to you about Morriston Tech."
My heart stopped, *Dante Valenti*, the man who owned the city. He found me in than two hours.
"Send him up" I said, closing my eyes.
When the elevator doors opened Dante stepped out. He was wearing a shirt, no tie. He looked around my apartment like he owned it.
"Ms. Dave" he said, walking towards me. "You're a woman to find."
"Mr. Valenti" I said, trying to sound calm. "This is my home, not a meeting room. You should not be here."
He laughed it was not a laugh. "I don't waste time with others, Ms. Dave. I heard Morriston Tech has an owner, a smart investor who made the company successful. I did not expect it to be you."
"I don't like being followed" I said, feeling a drop of sweat on my neck.
"I did not follow you because of the mall" Dante said, looking at me closely. "I'm here because our companies are going to compete. Morriston Tech has what I need Valenti AI has what you need."
"We're doing fine on our own" I said, holding my elbows tight.
"You're doing well. You're going to fight with other companies" Dante said, his voice was smooth and dangerous. "I can help you. I'm not talking about a normal partnership."
He took out a document and put it on the table. "A marriage contract, one year. We tie our names and companies together. You get my help I get a wife to make my grandfather happy."
I felt angry *another man trying to use me*. "Are you crazy" I said, stepping up to him. "You think you can buy me for a year to make your grandfather happy? I'm not a thing you can buy Mr. Valenti."
Dante did not move his eyes were interested. He was not used to people talking back to him.
"It's a business deal" he said, using my name. "No feelings just help each other."
Before I could say anything Lian came into the room holding his toy car. "The tall tree man is in our castle" he said.
My heart stopped again I tried to push Lian back. Dante was faster. He got down on his knee he was at Lians level. His face was soft his shoulders were relaxed.
"Hey buddy" Dante said, his voice was gentle. "We meet again did you find your dragons, in this castle?"
Lian. Took a small step toward Dante not being afraid at all. "Mommy said the dragons are in the computer but I think you look like a knight " he said.
Dante laughed in a voice and that made me feel weird inside. It was nice to see this strong and scary man being kind to my son. I felt something in my chest that I did not understand. It was like I wanted to touch his hair. I remembered when a stranger helped me a time ago when I was very sad and alone.. Then I told myself to stop thinking about that. I reminded myself that Dante is a person.
Lian looked at Dante with a face. "Why do you keep staring at me like that?" he asked. "You have the eyes as the mirror " he said.
It got very quiet after that. Dante stopped smiling. His whole body became stiff. He looked into Lians eyes. It seemed like he was breathing harder. The room felt cold all of a sudden.
"Lian go to your room now " I told him trying to sound calm. My voice was shaking. I took Lians arm and almost pushed him down the hallway then I closed the door behind him.
When I turned around Dante was standing up. He looked very tall. His eyes looked dark and scary like he was trying to figure something out. He looked at me. Then at the papers on the table and his chest was moving up and down fast. He seemed like a man who found a clue but did not know what it meant.
He did not ask me the question that I was afraid of. Instead he took a step back, toward the elevator still looking at me.
"Think about it " Dante said in a scary voice. "I do not like it when people say no to me twice."
The elevator doors. He stepped inside leaving the papers on the table. It felt like he left a threat behind.
