Cold chills ran through my veins hearing Jameson ask me to get married to him. The more I thought about his words, the angrier I got. I bursted out saying

“Is this some sort of joke?” “Do you think I came here to be married?”. My chin turned red as I blared, but he cut in immediately and asked.

“Do I look like a joke to you Zina”.

His broad chest moved up and down as he spoke, but I didn't care about his model chest, I only cared about the factory. Immediately I snapped at his words.

“Of course you could be joking”, I shrugged.

He peered into my eyes deeply like he was searching for something that is taking time to be seen. I kept a straight face with high shoulders, not minding what could be going on in his mind. My voice sounded whiny but I managed to say.

“Since you have all the money in the world, why try to get married to me when you can easily get Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter?”.

“You are my Queen Elizabeth granddaughter, it is you I want to get married to Zina”, he emphasized.

I walked closer to the armchair placed by the side of the table and sat down. I ran my hands through my hair to pack the strands together, not because my hair was entirely loose but I was going nuts as a result of Jameson's sudden love story, after all these years of being enemies.

I bit my lips thinking of how best to tell Jameson that I don't need his love but the factory. Just then I felt his hands on my shoulders, his voice then broke the silence.

“You can take your time before you give an answer”, his voice sounded calm like he knew he was at the top of his game. I shrugged his hands off my shoulders as I bellowed

“Jameson for the umpteenth time I'm never getting married to you”.

He walked past me to the chair across the table and sat down, his face beaming with a smile.

“I understand Zina”, he began, “I understand that we have been enemies since high school and you can't come to terms with me asking you to be my wife”, he smiled as he spoke and then placed his hands on the table.

“But listen Zina, I'm for goodness sake serious about getting married to you”.

Before he would get to say another word, I got up from the chair and began walking to the door. I had gotten so close to the door when he ran across the table and grabbed my wrist.

“Zina”, he called, his palms were tender but firm on my wrist as he said “Do you not want your wine factory?”.

I kept calm watching his gentle demeanor, I had never thought Jameson could be this humble.

And even if I never met him after we left high school, the memories of his rudeness live rent free in my head so I couldn't just succumb to his surprising gentility because he wants to get married to me.

Buying my dad's factory so he could get to propose to me shows he is proud as always, so I thought and with that I pulled my hands off his grip and marched to the doors.

Just as I was approaching the door, Edwards walked into the office. His face looked so pale like he hadn't slept the previous night but when he spoke, his voice resounded like a rainstorm. His pale looking face parted into a smile as he uttered, “What a beautiful way of proposing, Mr Jameson”.

Had he been listening to the conversation, I pondered deeply and for how long had he been out there listening to our conversation. I managed to console myself, knowing that I didn't give in to Jameson's proposal.

Jameson on the other hand looked undaunted like he had expected him to walk in. He instead responded to Edwards and said,“A beautiful way indeed” and walked back to his chair.

“I'm Edwards Crawford by the way, Zina's attorney”, Edwards boasted.

Although I wasn't expecting Edwards at this point, I couldn't agree less that he is my attorney, especially if he could get the factory back.

“Welcome”, Jameson responded, in a more accommodating tone than he has been speaking with me.

My eyes popped out seeing the warm look on Jameson's face as he received Edwards, even stretching his hands for a handshake with him. Edwards took Jameson's hand and shook them vigorously, before sitting opposite him.

Edwards spoke first as he sat down while I watched them from behind.

“Mr Jameson, my client came here to make complaints over the wine factory you bought from her father which was sold without her consent, bearing in mind that she is the major shareholder of the factory”.

“She had come peacefully to negotiate the returns of the property and while you should have acted professionally, you threw sexual advances at her, asking her to get married to you to get back the factory”.

My ears almost fell off listening to Edwards speak so brilliantly. So he was really this intelligent, I thought and smiled to myself, maybe my wine factory could be gotten after all. I folded my hands across my ribs and watched how Jameson will navigate this scene.

I didn't care if Edwards was exaggerating when he said Jameson made sexual advances at me. Since Jameson actually held my wrist to stop me from leaving his office, it was enough to prove he could do more than just grab my wrist, so I didn't care whether Edwards exaggerated or not.

“You don't have any proof of your claims Mr Edwards”, Jameson mumbled and laughed out loud.

“Oh, you really underrate me Jameson”, Edwards asserted then added,

“I have a record of all you've said”, he smiled as he looked at Jameson who also reciprocated the smile.

“Well”, Jameson began, “I wouldn't allow you sit here to make up unhealthy claims about me”.

“If you do have some other thing to say, then speak up, and if you don't, we should meet in the courthouse”, he lashed out, gritting his teeth as he spoke.

“We will meet in the courthouse then”, Edwards asserted and got up from the armchair he sat on.

“Zina let's get the hell out of here”, he bellowed as he walked to the door