Chapter 2
Edward finished packing and took his limousine to the cruise terminal where the Princess Cruise liner was docked. His driver pulled his luggage from the trunk and lined it up on a baggage cart.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come along?” Edward asks his driver. “There is more than enough room.”
“I am actually going to go and visit my family this week, sir. I haven’t seen them in about six months.”
“Ah, very nice. Family is definitely important. Where do they live?”
“Wyoming.”
“I hope you enjoy your time off. We will see you in Monday evening then?”
“Yes, sir.”
Edward nodded and smiled as the driver got back into the car. He followed the baggage handler into the airport and within the hour, he was boarding the gigantic ship.
“Welcome to the Princess, Mr. Caldwell. We look forward to your stay with us.” The blond haired hostess flirtatiously offered him a beverage as two crew members stood idly by with his luggage in their hands, waiting for him to follow.
“Thank you,” he said with a nod. He took a glass of champagne from her cart and turned away. He was used to the flirting wherever he went and felt it only added to his reasons not to engage in more than idol conversation with women. He looked down the deck and saw Joseph with his arms around his hostess and another attractive employee of the cruise lines. He smiled and shook his head, then followed the crew members up the escalator toward his cabin.
“Welcome to the Princess.” One of the members opened his room door and allowed him access to the beautiful suite. The living room was exquisite and massively huge and fed into an equally large romantic bedroom that overlooked the ocean with its large window that slid open on both sides. “I hope everything is to your liking, sir.”
“Yes,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “I couldn’t ask for anything more amazing than this. Thank you.”
“The card next to your telephone will give you access to room service, maid service, spa, the captain and a variety of other services we offer. A state room attendant will be by daily to clean and freshen anything you need or use, and as always, if you need anything else, my extension is on the bottom of your card.”
“Thank you,” he said as he looked around the luxurious room.
“Will there be anything else, sir?”
“No, thank you.”
He pulled back the curtains on the bedroom window and pulled the window open. The warm salty breeze immediately consumed his senses as he walked out on the large balcony that overlooked the ocean.
“This is exactly what I need.” He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes.
The party room was spectacularly decorated with small white twinkling lights and sparkling glassware waiting on beautifully lined tables for the guests to fill and enjoy themselves on the large deck that overlooked the ocean. Soft jazz was being played by an orchestra on the stage lining the back wall. Edward was excited to get together with everyone who helped in their success.
As the room filled up, he watched people’s body language, interpreting it to his liking as he often did when he was out in public. There was a lot of small talk that would change dramatically as the night went on and alcohol became a factor. Several of Edward’s guests were people from his past who helped push him toward his success and those who have supported him in his decisions he made as he grew. Joseph’s guest list, however, consisted of women he thought about having sex with, women he was interested in having sex with and even a few who he has already gotten plenty acquainted with.
Edward got up on the stage and waited for the orchestra to finish their song. He walked to the center of the stage and tapped his champagne glass with his gold Dizayn ring.
“Hello? May I have everyone’s attention?” He looked over the crowd of people as conversation fell to murmurs and eventually silence. Women were dressed in everything from expensive shimmering dresses that cascaded down their bodies to the floor to short club dresses that barely covered what was meant to be covered. Men were mostly dressed in three piece suits with a couple of tuxedos and a few casual dressers in dress pants and polo shirts. Overall it was a good crowd and Edward was pleased. “It’s nice to see so many familiar faces here with us on this wonderful evening. First I want to thank all of you for joining my partner, Joseph Johnson, and myself on this momentous occasion. I never thought that an idea ten years ago from a couple of college boys would amount to something of this magnitude.”
“Don’t let him shit you!” called Joseph from the back of the room. Chuckles and murmurs came from the crowd.
“Well, I definitely hoped it would,” he said smiling “but I honestly have to say that looking at what we built, I am humbled when I look out toward all of you. When I look at the fact that Caldwell and Johnson Associates employs between 125 and 150 people successfully I have to smile. If it weren’t for the help and the support of my friends and family, we wouldn’t have gotten this far this fast.” He held up his drink and took a breath. “So here is to you, my friends and family. Thank you.”
Applause and hoots and hollers came from the crowd as Edward took a drink of his champagne. A few other suits walked up to him congratulating him on his success while others asked him what his secrets were as they tried getting an inside scoop on how to be successful.
“Just, hard work and perseverance.”
“What exactly does your company do?” interrupted a casually dressed man in khakis and a golf shirt.
“Andrew Riding, right?” asked Edward.
“Yes, call me Andy.”
Andy was somewhat of a geeky friend of one of the ladies Joseph invited and was always trying to get in on the action. He had been at a few of the company functions, always listening to conversation and acting like there was some sort of big hidden secret on how to become successful and wealthy.
“We are a company that deals with various financial services such as investments, banking and loans.”
“But how did you get started? I mean, you had to have gotten the initial investments someplace.”
“You pitch your idea and your business plan to certain banks and investors in hopes they are interested in investing in you.”
“Edward!” Joseph interrupted, slapping him on the back. “Nice speech my man.”
“Nice timing.” Edward eyes Joseph and he caught on quickly.
Joseph took Andrew’s hand and shook it heartily. “How’s it hangin’?”
“I’m good thanks. Just trying to have a conversation with Edward here, before you….”
“And what was this wise man telling you?”
“Just a few inside tips on how to become successful.” Andy seemed utterly annoyed at Joseph’s interruption.
“Well, Andy. First you have to dress the part. No matter what you do or where you go, always dress for success.”
Andy looked at Joseph’s suit and how crisp and clean it looked on him, then he looked down at his own attire and wrinkled his nose.
“Let me introduce you to a lady I know who is an amazing guru at shopping.” Joseph put his arm around Andy and led him away from Edward as planned. “She can set you right up.”
Edward chuckled as he mingled with some of the other guests he didn’t mind talking to. He spent a lot of his night just chatting with his guests and handing out a few business cards he had made up for the occasion.
When he got back around to Joseph leaning up against the wall as he poured on the charm to a beautiful woman in a sexy red cashmere dress, he didn’t hesitate to interrupt. “Hey, thanks for getting me away from that Andrew character.”
“Hey, no prob. What is his deal anyway?”
“Just looking to make a quick million.”
“Aren’t they all?”
“No doubt.” He redirected his attention to Joseph’s female friend and although he didn’t make it a habit to ask about them, this time he did. “So, who is your friend?”
“This is Miranda. We went out a couple of weeks ago, remember?”
“I remember you talking about her.”
“She is a model for Victoria’s Secret and is looking to let loose for the weekend before flying off to Barbados for a two-week photo shoot.”
“Wow. Impressive.”
“Thank you,” she said in a thick accent. Her pouty lips, bronzed skin and sandy blond hair accented her features very well.
“Is it true that the world deems Brazilian women as the sexiest women on earth?” asked Edward trying to be polite but coy.
“If it is,” Joseph interrupted “Miranda here is on the top of the list.” He leaned closer to her, kissing her nose, then her lips three times before acknowledging Edward.
“I do not know, but I will use my beauty for as long as I can. Modelling has been very rewarding for me.”
“I bet it has. You are very beautiful.”
“Thank you, Edward. Would you like to meet my girlfriend? She is from Fortaleza, Brazil, like me.”
“I’d be delighted to meet her.”
Miranda put her fingers into her mouth and whistled a quick but loud whistle as she looked around the room. Within a few moments a brunette even more beautiful in Edward’s opinion, approached them. She was almost as tall as he was in her heels and her piercing green eyes seemed to look right through him.
“Hello,” he said, putting his hand out toward her, seemingly mesmerized by her.
“This is Talita, Miranda’s friend. Talita, this is Edward.”
“Hello,” she said with the same familiar accent. She took his hand delicately and smiled as if it was something she rehearsed before meeting him.
He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it keeping his eyes on hers. She didn’t waver, she didn’t shy away and she didn’t lose her demeanor. He liked that.
“Oh,” Joseph pursed his lips. “I do believe we have a winner.”
“What?” Miranda asked curiously.
“Nothing honey. Why don’t we take a walk?” He put his arm around her and pulled her away from Edward and Talita, leaving them in a room full of people that seemed to fade away.
“So, Edward. What do you do?”
He smiled and put his head down. It was unexpected. Usually everyone knew who he was. “I work at Caldwell and Johnson.”
“Oh, how nice. I hear it is a fabulous company, very promising and successful.”
“Yes, I have heard that too.”
“You are cute, very modest. I like that.”
“Well thank you. I try to stay humble.”
“It is very attractive on you.”
Edward and Talita finished out the night on the top deck of the ship, a beautiful moon overhead illuminating the waters around them and casting a very romantic light on his new female friend. She rubbed her arms as the night got later and he reached up to his chest to take his suit coat off but remembered he had taken it off at the party and never retrieved it.
“Walk with me. I’ll get you something to put on.” He took her hand and they strolled along the deck and back to the party. When they got back into the party room, there were only a few stragglers left. He went to his table and saw that his jacket was missing.
“Excuse me,” he asked a couple sitting nearby. They were completely into their conversation about politics and the Brexit issues. “I don’t mean to interrupt.”
“Hey, Edward. No, it’s fine. What do you need?”
“Have you seen my jacket by any chance? I left it here on my chair earlier.”
“I saw Joseph with it before he left. He must have thought you left for the night.”
“Ah, thank you.” He nodded to the couple and smiled. “Enjoy your evening.” He turned to Talita and took her hand, contemplating on whether to get it from him or whether to go up to his room and get another one. When he stopped in front of Joseph’s door he leaned forward in hopes of grasping some sort of idea whether he and his lady friend were inside and if it was worth interrupting them. The door was slightly open so he pushed it a bit more and noticed a piece of red clothing on the carpet acting as a door jam, keeping it from entirely closing. Recognizing it as Miranda’s dress, he pushed the door open a little more and peered inside. The light from the moon played an important part on allowing him to see the festivities inside his partner’s room. The blankets were piled up on the floor and Joseph’s naked ass was bobbing up and down on a pair of tanned arms and legs reminding him of a sexy spider being pinned underneath a naked black man.
“Hmmm,” he muttered. He kicked the dress inside the room and quietly closed the door. When he turned around the look on his face made Talita blush.
“They are not!” she exclaimed in a loud whisper.
He nodded, confirming her suspicions and took her hand, leading her down the corridor to his cabin. When they got inside and he turned a light on, she gasped.
“Oh, my. This is gorgeous. How did you get such a beautiful room?”
“I guess I just got lucky.”
“I only got a small port hole for a window. You must be pretty important in the company to get a room like this.”
“I do okay.” He knew he should have told her he owned half the company, but he rarely got the opportunity to clean water down role as a normal man who had to work for a living. The thought amused him so he continued the role. “I guess it helps to know people.”