Chapter 4：More Brawns Than Brains

"Good morning, boss!"

"Good morning, Mr. Black."

I sipped from my coffee while I strode fast towards the lift. People, like a zipper, parted away as I stepped in front of them like I was a king before they bowed and greeted me in chorus. I scowled at them because they looked stupid. Even if I'm the CEO and the owner of this building, I didn't think I should be treated differently. I'm still human after all.

"Get the fuck into the lift!" I barked at them as I stayed outside the elevator doors.

They all got inside until the goddamn cab announced overload. Lesser idiots stepped out until it's good to go up. Few trickled away to use the stairs while those who stayed with me in wait, stood with spine so damn straight and face turned to other side. These people have serious problems when it came to hierarchal shit.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Even without turning, I already knew who that shoes belonged to. The little five feet twit was addicted with high heels to compensate her lack of height. All heads turned around and greeted the newly arrived person behind me. Unlike me, the employees greeted her with warm and genuine smiles on their faces.

"Good morning, Ms. Shadow."

"Please, it's Winter and good morning to you, too." She chirped before she stood beside me and waited for the elevators to arrive again. "Good morning, Bruce."

"Morning, Winter." I answered and silently cursed the goddamn delay of the lift.

I still didn't turn my head to Winter. I didn't want to. I hated looking at her. Oh, I cared so much for her alright but since Madame came into my life, I've written off other women. So I thought it's best to treat them hateful to spare myself from Madame's punishment.

She hid her assets with a long sleeved loose shirt tucked beneath a high-waist slim fit pants and, of course, her ever high shoes she'd been so fun collecting. She loved red lipstick and light painted nail polish with her long dark hair cleanly pinned away from her face. It was her usual garb so there's no point of looking at her. Yet, I could still see her at the corner of my eye and caught her glanced up to me. I swore she smiled before shaking her head.

"What's so funny?" I frowned.

"I've told you a thousand times to get yourself a private lift but you insisted you don't need it. Now we're both late for our meeting."

I didn't answer her because it was true. I couldn't count anymore how many times she insisted to me to make myself my own private elevator but I also kept refusing her. I thought it'd be an unnecessary cost and the shit was impractical. People already treated me like shit even I'm sharing a cab with them. I couldn't imagine what would they turn out to be once I got up and down this building with my own goddamn lift. Would these fuckers still know me at all?

I, Winter and Brian Brown were partners in our booming business. We made a fantastic, safe and classy dating site. It first started out as a joke. But we didn't know the market would respond so positively. Apparently, a lot of people were looking and hungry for affection and love which our site promised to provide. So Dark Inc. was born considering our surnames being cunningly named after dark shades.

After we've established a great name in that area, we started thinking of other business to put up. We huddled and brainstormed about it for a couple of weeks over pizza and beer. We didn't actually think of any hardcore shit, just some random stuffs we usually thought like when we're younger way back in college.

So yeah, we ended up with coffee shops, ice cream parlor and flower shop. Didn't even know why we decided on that shit. But Winter said it would be perfect in alignment with the dating site. Flashing ads in our site about these stores was our subtle recommendation for the couples to get to know each other in person over coffee or ice cream. The fuckers took the bait and our little businesses went to massive hype and still growing as we speak.

Winter was the chief of marketing while Brown handled the finance and I took the chair as the CEO. Didn't even give a damn being the leader among the three of us. We met way back in Uni taking up Business courses but I dropped out and enlisted myself to Uncle Sam. I've long known I'm more than brawn than brain, not that I'm a stupid fuck. I just didn't like being confined in tight suit inside a prison called office. It's motherfucking boring.

But while I was in service, home called to inform me that my old man died in an accident. Being without a mother anymore and the sole heir of my father's empire, I didn't know where to use the huge money he left in my hands. The States released me early from my service and I returned home for good to settle my father's affairs.

I was twenty-seven back then and got no fucking clue what to do. So I called Winter and Brian, both the closest people I have, to help me with my dilemma. Brian was the brain and planner while Winter was the doer. Both decided to assign me as the CEO since I was the eldest and the source of money even though I didn't fucking like the idea. Yet, I was outnumbered so I didn't have the choice.