Perry still sat in the conference room unmoving. He had met the heads of departments to discuss collaborating with FACE.
They had all rejected the idea at first in their heads. That was because they did not know the owner. And that FACE was kinda faceless since, it came into view.
Nobody spoke about rejecting the idea.
Yet they sat there, not moving at all.
Their head was seated and so were they. And Perry wasn't ready to leave the place.
John came in after resolving an issue with one particular difficult employee. He witnessed the heads of departments still in their chairs, just as Perry.
They were not talking, meaning the meeting was over. He glanced at Perry who was in his own world.
"You have to tell them the meeting is over," he whispered into Perry's ear. He half opened his eyes to scan the place and saw
them still there.
"Ahem... he cleared his throat and all of them shifted their attention to him.
"This meeting is over," he said expecting them to be on their way out.
'What is wrong with him today?'
John thought as he had to remind his boss again.
"You have to get up for them to also leave," he told Perry.
"I am not leaving yet, you may all leave!" He commanded, making the ten people move out one after the other.
Perry glanced up to see John staring at him.
"Sit," John heard.
"I want you to make me invitation cards,"
"Okay," John had no idea what the invitation cards were for and still agreed.
Who was he to refuse anyway? He finally got his body off the seat. John also got off the chair.
"Prepare my car. I am going over to my family's house," he said and was already at the door going to his office.
John stood, unmoving. What happened? He sat down again to make a call.
*****
"There he is, the baby of the family!" Priscilla, Perry's third sister, said mockingly and welcomed him. She said it though she was only a year older.
Perry did not argue and embraced her. He kissed her left cheek and smiled at her.
Priscilla would be getting married in two months and would be left with him, who was still single.
He decided to cherish the moments left.
Perry is the last and only boy of their parents. He was twenty-six and still his sisters were treating him like a child.
The first two sisters were twins and have their own families. They even got married on the same day.
"There he is, still single after all these years," Perry heard one of the twins' voices.
"What are you still waiting for?" The voice, he recognised as Hailee, the second twin's voice.
He kinda had difficulty identifying the two.
Only Hailee's voice can make him identify them. Her voice was soft and melodious.
The Worcestershire family met every Thursday to talk and have dinner together.
The children were all grown up and had their own families.
'What is it like having family together to share a meal and knowing about their little lives?'
The elder Worcestershire once said.
They were all living apart, including Priscilla, who was yet to marry.
Perry had moved out the very day he got his post. He wanted to leave alone and was still single with no partner by his side.
They got to his side and hugged him. His sisters were exactly like their mum.
"Look," he followed Hailee's hand that was pointing at the dining table, which had a space that had been vacant since they all moved out of the mansion, which was right in front of the marble staircase and welcomed it.
The golden chandelier lit across the hallways, illuminating the golden colours of the place. The twins stood beside him staring at the empty space.
"It is still empty," Aileen said, backing her twin up.
Perry stared at the vacant space without a chair. He knew who it was reserved for-----His partner.
He moved to where his grandfather was and greeted him. The old man nodded his head and raised his hand to tell Rubby something.
"Come on, everyone, to the table," she shouted, and everybody came out of his or her hiding place.
Mack, Perry's father, together with his three sons-in-law and their three kids, all descend the grand staircase.
Priscilla had yet to have a child of her own. They all sat down to eat.
"How's everything going with you and Stylish?" His grandpa asked.
He had already asked about the others. Perry was the only one left.
"Everything's well, Grandpa. I am hosting a ball in two days," he announced.
"When are you bringing in a girl?" The twins asked in unison.
"I'm still working on it," he answered and began to scratch his head though there was nothing itchy there.
"Leave my little boy alone. He will find one when the time comes!" Rubby, their mum shouted, saving her dear son from his sisters' clutches.
Perry ran to her side, leaving his sisters behind.
"How are you?" Perry asked the woman who was helping the elderly Worcestershire into the head seat of the glassy dining table.
"Grandpa," he moved to his grandpa's side.
.
.
.
"Grandpa, take this one. It is healthy," Aileen dropped a boiled shrimp onto her grandpa's plate.
"Take," Rubby too placed a shrimp on her son's plate.
"Daddy I want this," one of the kids told Leonard. She too wanted a shrimp.
Another kid yelled out to catch attention and was crying as well. Everyone turned to him, making his wish come true.
The table became lively again. They all went back to their usual places and discussed the ball with Perry, keeping in mind to tell John what he had to do.
"A ball in two days," he announced the reason for telling John to make him invitation cards.
"A ball in two days," Mack repeated his last lines. Everyone stopped eating except the three children.
"Yeah, I am collaborating with FACE. I want to invite the Williamses over to discuss the contract."
"You already sent a contract over," Hailee said wanting Perry to repeat himself.
"Why with FACE?"
"Do you even know the owner?"
"Have you seen her before?" His sisters asked question after question.
"What is..."
"Enough, let him speak!" Elder Worcestershire yelled at Hailee.
"I've already sent the contract over. The ball will make us meet, and then we'll discuss it," he explained.
The whole table became silent except the kids who had any idea what was going on.
"Are you sure about this?" Leonard, Aileen's husband spoke for the first time.
He and the others knew about FACE. The owner was very mysterious. It was only last month that a new release came and she was introduced as a Williams.
That was all that they heard about her. They never knew it was a young woman until the new release came up.
Some reporters even went to the Williams property to get something about her but to no avail.
"I am," his answer made them all return to their food.