His SALVATION

Chapter 4

Elijah's P.O.V.

It was around noon when I got an unexpected call. It was my Grandfather calling; he wanted to have lunch with me today. Weird! But since I was free during lunchtime, I accepted his invitation. But since I had a meeting with Brooklyn Construction Pvt. Ltd. at around 3:30 in the afternoon, I will have to get back by three. So, I chose a place near my office so that even if I left at three from the restaurant, I’d still be able to be back before the clients arrived. There was this amazing Italian restaurant named ‘Slice of Italy’ where they served amazing pasta dishes. Grandpa would love to have some authentic risotto, which I knew was also served there. So, I pinged Alex into my cabin and asked him to book a table for two at the said restaurant for lunch. He nodded and left. Next, I called Grandpa and informed him about the reservations, and he politely accepted and disconnected the call after informing me to be there on time. Once I was done with all this prep, I moved back to my work and looked into the profit and loss statement mentioned in the report. I got bust with making the required changes wherever needed.

It was around 1:20 pm when someone knocked on my cabin door. I moved my attention toward the door, mumbling a small “Come in” to the person waiting on the other side. Alex walked in and informed me about the reservations, bringing me back into this world. I took a look at my wristwatch and jumped out of my chair. I had to be there by 1:30 pm; it was already around 1:20 pm. If I wasted another minute over here, I’d be late, and Grandpa won’t be the one who would be happy about this. So, I took my suit jacket resting on the back frame of my chair and hastily put my arms through it. Running my palms over the front of my jacket, I straightened it out, grabbed m phone, and walked out of the cabin. The restaurant was hardly a 3–minute drive but a good 10-minute walk from my office. So, I called the driver and asked him to get the car out front. The car was already waiting for me when I reached the ground floor. I swiftly got myself inside and signaled the driver to start the car. Within the next few minutes, I was standing outside the restaurant.

The moment I stepped in, the manager came waddling towards me. She did not waste another minute waiting for an introduction because she knew who I was. As a regular customer, I was treated with the utmost respect and directed toward my reserved table. Thankfully, I was all settled in and waiting for my grandfather at the table by 1:28 pm. I breathed a sigh of relief long held in anticipation of what was coming my way. The waiter was at my table within a minute with a menu card. I politely asked him for a glass of water and informed him that I was expecting someone, asking him to wait a few minutes for my order. My eyes were trained on my wristwatch, staring at the second’s hand. About thirty seconds left for 1:30 pm when I heard my grandfather say, “Trying to time me, kid?” I sighed loud enough for him to hear that, and his laughter roared in the vicinity. I moved my eyes from my wrist to him, only to find that we’ve got company.

I stand up to greet my grandfather and his best friend, Nicholas Rodriguez, Sofia’s Paternal Grandfather. This is one of the reasons why our families are okay with the girls hanging out and having sleepovers are each other’s place. It was the first day of our school here when we realized that Sofia knew our grandpa. When Matty came running towards us, Sofia followed her hand in hand and hugged Grandpa. He smiled at them and addressed them, “It looks like both my angels have already met each other.” He called them Angels, and that was when I knew they were old acquaintances. The thought was only confirmed when he first dropped Sofia and drove us home later. That was the day, and since then, she has not left us alone.

I extended my hand toward him and greeted him with, “What supplements are you on, Grandpa Nick? Looks like you’re aging backward.” Grandpa Nick and my grandfather laughed at my comment and settled in the chairs before me. Once we were all tucked in, I asked, “What’s the occasion, Grandpa?” He shared a look with Grandpa Nick and said, “We have a proposal for you.” I nodded, now interested in what he was saying. Resting my hands on the arms of the chair, I relaxed a bit and enquired, “Related to what? Restaurant or Construction?”

They both looked at each other once before turning toward me. Grandpa Nick was the one who answered this time, “More like a marriage proposal.”