"Erich, wake up. I have taken out your clothes. Get up and get ready for work." Red woke Erich up, removing curtains and letting the sunlight fall directly on his face.
"You did?" He asked, yawning and getting up.
"Yeah... I have some obligations as your wife." She replied, sitting on the bed. "Thanks... By that I can drop you at work." He offered, getting up. "And return?"
"I will pick you up." He shrugged. "No. You don't have to."
"Obligations.... Besides, I can at least do this much for you." He smiled softly. "Whatever. I am waiting for you downstairs." She said, leaving.
They both sat down to have breakfast and Erich began to say hesitantly, "Red.. I.. Have a meeting next month." He took a pause before continuing. "So what?" Red shrugged. "...With Lucifer." He completed his sentence, leaving Red stunned for a second. A shiver anticipated with fear went down her spine, lost in mystifying thoughts.
"Red?" Erich called her. "Wouldn't the price of his ships and your fabrics be expensive? The content's would cost more than the product." Red made up a quick excuse.
"That's why we are meeting."
"I see..."
"If you are alright with it." He added, watching her reflexes which were coming to her usual posture from the tense one. "Why would I have any problem?" She shook her head, having breakfast. "May you lead a successful life." Red passed him a faint smile with her sincere words. "Because my dresses need your fabrics." She joked as he chuckled a bit. "We are connected this way."
"You can say it... Anyways, Good luck for your meeting. If it was successful then we'd be mutual partners, I work with Graves after all." Red said rather proudly, knowing she fulfilled her promise.
"Okay, I will get ready, wait for me." Red said, leaving and getting ready for work as they both left.
On the way, Red watched Erich, seemingly unaffected by the awkwardness surging in her mind. Red was nervous, wanting to tell him Erich doesn't understand her, he would never comprehend she made Lucifer a stranger herself.
I am your well-wisher, Erich but for this time. I pray that this meeting would be a failure and you never see him again. Red averted her gaze when Erich noticed her. "You okay, Red?"
"Yeah.. I am fine."
"Oh, there we are." Erich said, stopping at the grand outlet with a logo of 'A new morning glory' written on it. "Take care." Erich said. "You too." Red said, getting out and walking inside with a deep breath putting up her dominant aura.
Upon entering she was welcomed warmly, congratulated for her wedding. Forming a fake smile and demeanour loving at a time.
"This will go on..." Red sighed, handing Carter her assistant a bouquet of congrats. "Carter."
"Yes, Ms Ben-" Red turned to him with a stern look, "Mrs Black." She warned him. "Sorry, Mrs Black. Here's today's schedule."
"Hmm. We have to attend the upcoming Paris fashion week at all costs. That J Dot has spread his wings, we need to cut it." She snarled, giving him back the schedule.
"And what about the meeting with Graves?" Red asked. "Greta is taking care of it as usual." Carter replied, talking about their finance director. Their meetings of shipments were always done by their finance directors, they never dared to meet personally.
"Can I ask you something, Mrs Black?" Carter asked, walking behind Red while she was walking around. "Yeah... and did you donate the stock?"
"Yeah we did. We were at a loss but compensated for it eventually in a matter of days."
"Yeah, you were asking something."
"Why don't you meet Mr Grave? Even at the meeting of partnership, none of you were present."
Red let out a hollow chuckle, "I don't fancy him. His fakeness irks me." She hissed. He nodded in understanding. "But it's work, you have to swallow resentments to gain the ultimate reward." She said and then went to back,
"Bertha!" Red called her sister who was working as an internee at her place. "Oh, Welcome back, Red!" Bertha smiled, getting up from her seat. "Go Carter and see Greta, if the meeting is done, give me it's recording." Carter nodded and left as Red motioned Bertha to come after her while walking to her office.
"Bertha, the fact you are working here would surely improve your profile and I have taught you to use every situation to your advantage." Red said, coming inside her office. "Yeah.. I know." Bertha trailed off, closing the door.
"Your internship is about to end along with your last paper of CA."
"Yeah. I know."
"You have two options after that."
"I don't understand."
"Either Red Bennet or Graves? Of course you have to start from the bottom at both places because nepotism wouldn't work here." Red proposed with a shrug, leaning on the table, closing her arms at her chest.
"Red.. I haven't decided yet." Bertha shook her head. "You have time till your degree."
"I'll give it a thought and then tell you."
"I see. You may leave." Bertha passed her a smile and went.
When Red was left alone in the cabin to give a thought about the anxiety she pushed behind and ran away from it but to no avail as she is at the point she wants to avoid at all cost. She sighed deeply, holding her forehead in extreme distress as only one prayer roamed in her mind,
"Please Erich, Have an unsuccessful meeting with Lucifer."
In the lavishing Black building, two guys with a prodigious dominant demeanour were waiting for the time to meet and while gulping down true intentions and emotions and being as much of a faker they are- turn charming mode on.
Hidden behind the layers of a tempting smile and malevolent determinations, ignorant of the virtue and morals; still choosing the way they shouldn't. Amid their agonizing thoughts, their assistants came, actions the same at the same time as if two people doing the same deed are shown in two frames.
"Mr Black, It's time for the meeting." Gracia said. Erich hummed, standing up and wearing his blazer while coming out from his cabin with his assistant.
"Sir, It's time for the meeting." Harry said. Lucifer hummed, stood up and wore his coat, buttoning it and went to the meeting room with his assistant.
After sparing a glance at their watch, they took a step further, head high in pride and a stern gaze clouded with unfathomable mist.
Erich, who never wears a tie, opens the first button of his shirt, taking off the bow he wore for recreation and handing it to Gracia while Lucifer secured his fancy black tie and put his hand in his pocket.
Entering the room, they both stood across from each other as the frame which separated them finally met and showed them together, looking at each other coldly and reflecting their charisma at the same time.
Sending daggers with murderous intent, burning in a fiery fire from inside, they walked forward and shook hands,
So he is the root of evil. Lucifer thought and said, "Hello, Mr Black."
So he is the flaw of our relationship. Erich thought, "Hello, Mr Grave."
After a brief handshake, they sat down.