To Color Your Life

Emily walked over to one of the waiters who didn't look busy working. "Sorry, do you know how to get to the table 1265?"

The girl did not know for sure that such a table exists. But if she understood the hieroglyphs correctly, then that was exactly it.

The male waiter surveyed Hayes with an appraising glance, as if deciding whether to comply with her request, then nodded and pointed to the exit from the hall, "Follow me."

They moved from the Aztec hall to the neighboring one, stylized as the Middle Ages. After which the waiter led Emily through two more rooms and led up the stairs leading to the floor above.

The Pharaoh restaurant was one of the largest in the city and occupied an entire floor in the building. The guests of the restaurant followed her with interested glances. Perhaps they thought she was some kind of actress who had come to give a performance. So Emily was relieved when they went up to the hallway, where it was quiet and there were no strangers.

The waiter took her to the door with number 1265, bowed and silently left.

The determination that had supported the girl before had given way to slight apprehension. Wasn't it a mistake to come here?

Emily clenched her hand into a fist and, without hesitation, knocked on the door.

"Come in," she heard from the other side.

The girl turned the handle, the door opened noiselessly, and she went inside. A dim light burned in the room. Floor lamps, shaped like burning torches, stood in the corners of the room. In the center there was a large table, at which ten people could comfortably fit, but the cutlery was for one.

This very one was standing with his back to Emily and looking out at the night city through the window that took up the entire wall.

"I was not mistaken. You really know how to surprise," Christian Denver turned and looked at the girl.

"Why did you want to meet me, Mr. Denver? And how did you know that I can understand your message?" Emily remained at the door.

The man stepped away from the window and walked to the table, "I didn't know, but I was hoping for it. After all, it has been seven years since you entered the competition for a place in the Pharaoh." He took a bottle from the table, "Would you like some wine?"

Emily shook her head. She has drunk enough alcohol for today. And their relationship with Denver was not at the level to drink in each other's company. If he had a reason for inviting her, then she had her own reason for coming here.

"I'd rather just drink water," she replied, "Have you studied my personal file?"

The man nodded, "I have to study the one who decided to challenge me," the corners of his lips curved into a barely noticeable smile, "Among everyone I know, you, Emily, are the most unpredictable," he went up to the girl and handed her a glass with water, "And mysterious."

Christian looked straight into her face, looked intently and attentively, as if he wanted to catch any of her emotions or movements.

Emily didn't like those looks. She got her dose of attention when she dyed her hair lavender while studying. And then, when she lost her parents, these were sympathetic looks. Perhaps it was then when she took a dislike to someone else's attention.

What an irony, Hayes. Ten minutes earlier, you agreed to become the one who would actually have to live under the gaze of strangers.

"You did not answer my question. Why did you invite me, Christian?" she confidently held his gaze. The man grinned and looked away first.

"Indeed, why?" he sighed, as if asking himself. "Would you please?" he held out his hand to her and Emily, after a slight hesitation, put her hand in it.

The man took her to the window where he had stood earlier when she just entered the room. Emily froze, amazed at the beauty of the night city that lay before her, in full view. Skyscrapers, streets were burning with thousands of multi-colored lights, reflecting in the waters of the bay.

"You like it?" Denver asked.

"This is amazing," Emily said genuinely.

Christian smiled, sipped wine from his glass and turned to the girl, "Miss Hayes, I am ready to provide you with an office with exactly the same view from the window, if you agree to work with me."

Emily stared at the man blankly.

Denver understood her confusion and continued, "As a leader, I am impressed by your involvement in work processes and team loyalty. It will be a pity if Pharaoh loses such a promising employee."

Emily immediately became indifferent to the beautiful view outside the window. She turned to the man and answered in a firm voice, "The magazine will not lose me, because our department is worth keeping."

Christian tilted his head to one side, his gaze flickering from Emily's eyes to her lips and then back again, "I'm sorry to upset such a beautiful woman, but I don't want you to have any unnecessary hopes, Emily. Your determination is pleasant to me. In a way, you remind me of myself when I was just starting my career."

Denver leaned his shoulder against the glass. He looked confident, like a monolith that cannot be moved even by a hundred people. "To be honest, you have awakened feelings in me that I have not experienced before. Excitement and emotions that I thought were unusual for me. Therefore, I am ready to make some concessions. If you are concerned about the future of the magazine's staff, I can resolve this issue. All you need is your consent."

Consent? With what? Betray what people worked for three years and took risks? Even if Justin is not in the Pharaoh's magazine, Emily agreed to fight for his business to the end.

She looked up and answered with a professional smile, "This is a good offer, Mr. Denver. If you are willing to pay the appropriate price."

The man raised his eyebrows in surprise. He clearly did not expect the girl to switch to a working tone and start putting forward her demands.

"Name your price then. I am confident that I can satisfy any of your requests."

Emily folded her arms over her chest and grinned. Eyes outlined in Black liner in the style of ancient Egyptian priestesses flashed in the twilight of the room, "Five trillion dollars."

"Are you joking?!" Denver was completely astonished.

"I'm completely serious," Emily replied with a pompous air, "This is exactly the amount I owe the boss. Mr. Evans appreciates me very much as an employee, so if you want to reassign me to yourself, you will have to pay off my debt and interest on it first. You can call him. He will confirm. I even have a note of hand from him."

"How the hell did he come up with such an abnormal amount?! Are you not going to marry him?" It looks like Emily has added a couple more emotions to Denver's piggy bank that were not characteristic of him before. Disbelief and confusion were reflected on his face.

"Marriage does not cancel debt," Emily threw up her hands, as if the situation was hopeless.

Christian looked at the girl, trying to see the hint of a joke in her eyes, but Hayes was completely serious.

"Damn, you seem to have puzzled me again," the man scratched his head.

"How many shares do you have?" Emily asked head-on. Come on Hayes! Strike while the iron is hot!

The man was even more confused. He looked as if Emily had asked him how many times a day he went to the bathroom, it was so confidential.

Christian was silent for a few seconds, and then a playful grin appeared on his face, "This information is known only to me and my lawyer."

Bummer. Well, at least, it was worth the shot.

"I have got 2145 shares."

Now it was Emily's turn to be surprised. She asked this question without thinking, and certainly did not expect the man to answer.

"Why are you confused, Miss Hayes?" Denver approached the girl within one step of her, "Aren't you glad you were able to get such valuable information?" he switched to a whisper, "I hope this secret stays between us?"

"How many shares can you buy for two million dollars?"

Christian froze and seemed to even stop breathing, he did not take his eyes off Emily's face. The man closed them for a moment and opened them again, "Just the same amount as I have," he replied in a slightly hoarse voice, "Did you find out all that you wanted?"

Emily nodded gratefully, "Thank you for your trust, Christian. I think we understood each other. See you at the council on Friday."

The man did not move even a little bit. The girl took this as a sign that the conversation was over and went to the exit.

"What a pity." She heard in the back.

"What do you mean?" Emily stopped at the door.

Christian glanced at her over his shoulder. "I wish I was Mark Antony." He chuckled at the confused face of the girl. "Go, Miss Hayes. I've kept you here long enough. See you on Friday. I will gladly look at your dragon."

Emily hesitated for a moment, nodded, and hurried away.

Still, this man was so strange.