A Whole New Feeling

My hands are shaking slightly, I have no idea why, it took every ounce of energy I had in me as of that moment to return the gesture, and when our hands touched each other, I swear a bolt of lightning has nothing on the kind of current that ignited my body,

 “Yes, you are right, this is she,” I inwardly cringed at my response, “This is she? Really!! ” 

 I try to let go of his hand, but I catch his eyes linger on my engagement ring for a second and then he lets go of my hand,

I begin to walk towards my father,

 “Catalina dear, congratulation, I am so proud of you, let us celebrate after this, but for now let’s talk business,”

taking a seat beside Mr. Patrick, two seats away from Stiliyan,

 “You are all grown up, young lady, your father tells me you just got engaged to Christian Montero, congratulations,” shifting my gaze to Stiliyan, I see his forehead is a little creased deep in thought, I swiftly return my gaze to Mr. Patrick, as he continues to speak, 

“it’s good to see you, how are you?” Mr. Patrick says to me sounding chirpy as always,

“I’m doing alright, how are your wife and the kids” “all good dear, all good,”

The man seated on the opposite side of Mr. Patrick looks like he is in his late twenties, he introduces himself to me as John Provo, Stiliyan Dimitros lawyer.

The meeting began, and I realized, the green eyed boy is the owner of the tech company my father wants to partner with, “DIVO TECH,” that’s the name of his company, it’s a fairly new company, it’s been running for two years and is doing really well, but in other to expand they need an investor and partner.

My father starts the meeting by reading out the contents of the contract, my mind was on the green eyed boy,

 I turn my head to his direction to look at him again, and I notice he was on his phone, his eye brows furrowed,he looked angry, he caught my eye, he looked really pissed, I wonder what he is reading, I quickly avert my gaze trying to concentrate on my father’s words but to no avail, my mind begins to wonder what it would feel like to have those hands touch me, caress my body in ways I have never been touched before, my thoughts are abruptly interrupted by my fathers loud voice,

   “Catalina!” “ yes sir” I yelp, I refer to my father as “Sir”, at meetings like this, my father looks at me somewhat angry 

“what is wrong with you, you never zone off in a business meeting,” “sorry sir” I say quietly, feeling embarrassed, 

“ I was asking what you think about the contract, any need for adjustments?” thankfully I had looked at the contact days ago, and it looked good to me, but no one really knows how they operate or what the company is like physically, the profits look good on paper, and with the numbers and current public favoritism and customers, it sure is a perfect deal, but I have seen companies like this, when I say “like this” I mean companies that their workers are mostly young people from age twenty to twenty seven but no higher than thirty, they crash and burn in just months, due to internal management conflict or incompetent workers as they feel they now make bank and begin to slack off,

   “there is no problem with the contract but who is to say this company would last, take ‘Bios Tech’ for example, when we were about to make partner with them, I told you they won’t last another year after I took a month to monitor the company, and they actually did not last the next two months . 

What if we are making a rash judgment, they are good on paper, but how long would they be good? , Are you sure they have what it takes?” I look at Stiliyan and his expression was stone cold, if looks could kill, I would be dead at this moment, for some reason I felt hurt too, seeing him like that made my heart waver, I quickly shake the feeling off, I looked at my father and he seemed deep in his thought, there was silence for some seconds,

   “You have a point Cat, I have no one else to entrust with this kind of task, I would speak to Christian and I’m sure he would understand,” I look at my dad confused,

 “you would go to Bulgaria with Mr. Stiliyan, see what the company is about, and work with the employees, basically just do your thing, I don’t know how you do it but I trust your skills on this, I would ask Ryan but he has got a lot on his plate and your mum is retired, in all honesty, you and I know it’s only you that can figure this out” he looks at me apologetically, and I just sit there stunned, I know he his right, but still, Bulgaria!!!, with him!!, I look at the green eye boy and that godforsaken sexy grin is back on his face sending me a wink,the nerve of this boy

  

 “I’m sorry father I can’t, I don’t even speak Bulgarian it would be difficult” truthfully I am not rejecting this offer because it would be stressful on my part but because of this weird unfamiliar feeling I keep having ever since I set my eyes on this boy, the best is to stay clear, he screamed trouble.

 “Catalina brooks this is not a request anymore, you are going and that is final, there are thousands of apps these days that can help in the communication aspect” “but father,” I whine, forgetting we are still at a business meeting,

 “No buts Catalina, you are the boss at work, I am sure a few weeks of absence won’t hurt, and if Christian is the issue I would speak with him I am sure it won’t matter so what else is there,? Is there something you are not telling me?” He looked at me worry evident in his face,

 “Nothing dad, I would do as you say,” “That’s my girl” he says smiling widely.

“It’s settled then, i guess we would sign the papers once we are settled, Mr. Stiliyan, what do you think, are you on board with all of this?” Mr. Patrick says, Stiliyan was quiet for a moment,

“Not a problem, how long is this urghh, observation going to take?” I look at him and he looked serious as if unsure of the idea, it made me curious and I wondered if he was hiding something, guess I would just have to find out.

“A month at most,” “And most of my employees speak good English Miss Catalina, that should not be a problem” he says to me with no facial emotions, 

“Nice, that is perfect then and don’t worry I won’t intrude with your work,” “That’s not what I’m worried about sweet heart” he says in a low whisper, probably for his ears only but I heard his words,

“Deal, i am on board with this, we leave in four days”.

 The meeting ended well, my father and I escorted our guests out of the building, Stiliyan stretched his hand forward for a handshake and I returned the gesture, that jolt of electricity passes through my body, and with the look in his eyes I knew he felt it too, I could tell with the way his pupils darkened,

he quickly withdraws his hand, his face suddenly expressionless,

 “I would see you in four days Catalina,” oh my God!! The way he says my name sounded so foreign and freakishly sexy, I awkwardly nod in response, as words decide to fail me, A rolls Royce pulls up and he walks away without looking back, just like that, gone.

 Mr. Patrick and my father begin to say there good byes, I see a maid approaching us,

“Good evening ma’am, your mother wishes to inform you that dinner is ready,” “be right there,” I say to her with a smile,

Mr.Patrick finally enters his car, after bidding my Dad and I farewell, I let my Dad know dinner is ready, we enter a car to the main house, walking to the main house would take at least five minutes so we always have a car on standby whenever we are in a meeting.

We enter the house and I see my mother coming down the stairs, I don’t think I have ever seen my mum smile so brightly before.

   “Catalina! My princess, where is the diamond, I hear it’s absolutely divine,” she says with so much enthusiasm raising my finger as she screams in awe “look, Sebastian isn’t it magnificent? Cata I knew you could do it, you are my daughter after all” she said grinning from ear to ear,

”tell me all about it honey,”

   “Can we do this over dinner” my dad says, as we begin to walk to the dining room, I see my brother is already seated, his eyes glued to his phone,

 “Hey, kiddo,” I try to mimic him, he looks up, and walk up to me giving me a gentle hug, immediately he uses his left arm to hold my neck as if strangling me, and with his right arm, he ruffles my hair, I should have seen this coming, 

“Who you calling kiddo?, look at you feeling all grown up cause you’re engaged now” he says to me laughing, I begin to hit his arm “let go of me you sack bag, Dad!!!,” “let go of your sister Ryan, she is not a kid anymore,” 

“she is forever my kid sister,” he says, releasing my neck and begins to tickle me, I do the same, and we both laugh in unison,

 “that’s enough now kids” my mother says , we stop and take our seats, I know we are two grown adults but sometimes we act like kids and I don’t mind, I live for days like this, my father at the head of the table, my mum on his left hand side, Ryan opposite her, and I take a seat next to Ryan.

Dinner goes by smoothly, except for my mum constantly gushing about my engagement, and my dad asking about work stuff with Ryan,

my mind drifts off, as I think of the green eye boy, I wanted to know what his story was, where exactly he came from, I knew he was Bulgarian, but i wanted to know where in Bulgaria, who his parents are, does he have siblings I just needed to know everything.