Suddenly, I Am Rich

Gray arrived at the meeting place at exactly noon. The lunch spot that Emily texted him wasn’t fancy. It looked casual and cozy, though he was sure that the food would be expensive.

”I look fine, don’t I?” Gray frowned as he stared at his reflection in the glass panels near the entrance.

He adjusted his collar for the third time. He was wearing a simple white polo shirt tucked down into well-fitted jeans and a decent pair of shoes. His hair was slightly styled this time, too, just to look a little more presentable.

After taking one more deep breath, Gray pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The warm scent of fresh bread and grilled dishes filled the air. The place wasn’t too crowded, and soft music played from a speaker overhead, keeping a light atmosphere.

Gray scanned the tables for familiar faces. It wasn’t that long before he saw her.

Emily was already seated at the far side of the restaurant. She was alone.

Gray stared at her for a while. Emily looked serious. Her brows were furrowed as she scrolled through her iPad. She looked like she was searching for something. Though even with that, Emily’s beauty radiated.

Just one look at Emily and you could tell she was rich. She carried herself with grace, and on top of that, she just had this aura that would make you want to look at her.

Gray stood for a second longer, quietly taking in the scene. He wasn’t used to this kind of experience, meeting girls at nice restaurants, especially girls who looked like that.

He exhaled once and started walking again.

”Hey, Emily” Gray greeted her when he reached the table.

Emily looked up instantly, and the serious look on her face melted away into a soft and welcoming smile.

”Gray! You’re early.”

”Yeah, didn’t want to make you wait,” he smiled back, pulling out the chair across from her. ”I was watching you, and you looked like you were solving a national crisis just now.”

Emily chuckled and set her iPad down.

”Well, it’s close. I was just replying to some reports. You know how it is.”

”I can’t relate, but I can imagine,” Gray replied, settling into his seat.

A waiter came over and poured them both water before handing out menus. Emily gestured toward it.

”You can order anything you want. My treat today since I’m the one who invited you.”

”Really?” Gray raised a brow. Emily just silently nodded to him.

”If that’s the case, then who am I to say no?” Gray uttered with a smile playing on his lips. Good thing he didn’t eat earlier before coming here.

”I figured you’d say that.” Emily laughed gently, clearly amused.

It was refreshing.

Emily wasn’t used to casual talks like this. In the past, all her focus was on their business. She also has met a lot of people, some were scared of her, and some were nice just because she was rich.

But Gray seemed different.

”I’ll order them,” Gray smiled at her.

Emily just nodded, though her eyes remained at Gray. She saw how he picked up the menu and scanned through it.

’These names again...’ The names of the dishes looked more complicated than they needed to be. But at least this time, he wasn’t panicking about how much everything cost.

”I’ll go for the grilled lemon chicken with herbed rice and one lemonade,” Gray said before closing the menu.

”Great choice,” Emily nodded. ”I’ll get the same.”

After placing their orders with the waiter, a short silence passed between them. It was a comfortable one.

”I’ve got to say, Gray,” Emily began, resting her chin on her hand, ”you dress up well.”

Gray glanced down at his simple outfit and smirked.

”You think so? This is probably the fanciest shirt I own.”

”Well, it fits you perfectly.” She grinned. ”Honestly, I think that kind of confidence matters more than fashion.”

Gray scratched the back of his neck.

”Confidence, huh? If only you knew how long I stood outside the door debating whether I looked okay or not.”

”You’re funny.” Emily chuckled again. The sound of her laugh was warm and genuine.

”Oh well, I’ll take that as a compliment then,” Gray shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

It didn’t take long before their drinks arrived. They took a few sips, and Gray found it a perfect opportunity to ask the main point of their meeting.

”So,” Gray started, finally leaning forward slightly, ”you mentioned there was something you wanted to talk to me about yesterday?”

”Yes.” Emily’s expression shifted slightly; a bit more serious but still kind. ”Actually, it’s about Chloe.”

”Your sister?”

”Yeah.” Emily nodded before a small sigh escaped her lips. ”She’s been struggling lately with her business classes. She won’t admit it, of course. She’s too stubborn, you know. But I can tell she’s falling behind.”

Gray’s brows furrowed slightly, listening closely to her words.

”She’s smart,” Emily continued. ”But she just has trouble focusing sometimes. And since I help manage parts of the company, my schedule’s too packed to tutor her myself. We’ve tried private tutors before, but they didn’t really help.”

”So...” Gray leaned back, connecting the dots. He figured instantly where this was heading.

”You’re offering me a tutoring job?”

”Yes. I mean, just until she gets back on track. It’s not exactly working for the company yet, but if you do well, I can easily recommend you when a position opens up.” Emily nodded slowly.

Gray took a breath, thinking it over. It was a job that he had never thought of, but maybe he could make it work. Just maybe...

”It’s not a bad deal,” his gaze rose to Emily. ”Actually... it sounds good.”

”So?” Emily tilted her head. ”You’re accepting it?” Her eyes became hopeful.

”Yeah. I accept.” Gray smiled.

Emily’s eyes lit up immediately.

”Yay!” she said, clapping her hands softly. ”You just saved me a lot of stress, Gray.”

”Glad to be of service.” Gray laughed. Though on the inside, he was already thinking about how he’d make this work.