Suddenly, I Am Rich

Gray’s brows furrowed. His thumb hovered over the screen. With much care, he tapped it open.

[Luna M.:] Are you free this week? I thought we could grab that lunch I mentioned.

Gray blinked at the words, rereading them twice just to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating at all. His throat went dry. He sat up straighter on his bed, his heart pounding so loudly that he could hear it.

”Damn... She actually meant it,” he muttered under his breath.

He initially thought that the woman was just joking. He thought that she only said those words for formality. He didn’t expect that she was sincere with it.

For a good ten seconds, he just stared at the message, trying to think of a reply that wouldn’t make him sound too eager to meet her. He erased his words three times before finally typing.

[Gray:] Yeah, I’d love that. I’m free most days after work. Which day is good for you?

He hit send and immediately regretted it when he saw his message.

”Most days after work? Really?” He sighed and shook his head. That made him sound like he wasn’t doing anything in his life. Before he could overthink it further, her reply popped up.

[Luna M.:] How about Thursday? There’s a quiet place I like near the city. The food’s good.

Gray let out a breath at that.

’Thursday...’ That was only three days away.

[Gray:] Thursday works. Just tell me the time and I’ll be there.

He typed back quickly. A moment later, her next message came through on the phone.

[Luna M.:] Perfect. Let’s do 12:30. I’ll send you the address.

Gray stared at the screen, his pulse still racing. He wanted to say more, but the thought of dragging the conversation too long made him stop.

Instead, he just typed a simple reply.

[Gray:] Looking forward to it.

[Luna M.:] Me too. Get some rest, Gray. You’ve had a long day.

Gray let the phone fall gently onto his chest after their short conversation. He stared blankly at the ceiling. His lips stretched into a helpless grin that refused to fade. He closed his eyes as he felt the excitement bubbling inside him.

”Lunch with Luna McQueen...” he whispered to himself, almost laughing at how unreal it sounded.

’Damn. It seems like sleep wouldn’t come easily tonight.’ He shook himself. He already knew that it would be impossible to sleep early in the next days. Not when Thursday was carved into his mind like a date he’d never forget.

- - -

In the following days, he forced himself to drown in his work.

He woke up early, went to the office, and busied himself with the endless line of documents that always demanded his attention. Joel was settling in well as a manager, too.

Gray was really thankful that the man was there to handle the day-to-day service of the grocery store.

Still, Gray had become more hands-on at his work. After reading documents and signing papers in the morning, he would go visit the store in the afternoon. He would check in with Joel and also the employees.

Aside from that, he would also oversee their delivery line. Rome and the others were really working hard on that field, which made him thankful and speechless.

Who would have thought that those thugs would one day change their lives and work in a grocery store instead?

As a result, he had really become closer to his employees. Though still, there’s only a certain closeness that they had, because he was still their boss.

Aside from that, instead of going home afterward, his evenings now consist of him going to the second branch site to check on it.

Stoneworks had really lived up to its reputation. Nearly a month had passed since they signed the deal, and the progress was really evident on the land.

The foundation of his future grocery store had already taken shape. There was already a skeleton of concrete and steel rising from the dirt. Each day, Gray could see the changes as on his land.

The walls were being poured, beams were being lifted, and outlines of rooms were emerging from concrete blocks.

He always stood still for a few minutes to watch the team of construction workers working together. Workers rotated shifts. They work sixteen hours a day, split cleanly between them, so the work never truly stops.

It amazed him, too. Because of it. the site was alive even at late hours.

Sometimes, he caught himself imagining what the finished building would look like.

That same routine was followed on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, it changed when Thursday arrived.

Instead of planning to go to his store’s locations by afternoon, he cleared his schedule instead.

”Lunch with Luna McQueen...” Gray leaned back against the seat of the car. Daniel was in the front, driving it. It was already exactly 12 in the afternoon. And just like what they agreed on, he and Luna would really meet for lunch today.

[Gray:] I’m already on my way.

[Luna M.:] Same here. See you!

He had read her reply three times already as if the simple words alone were enough to complete his day. He really finds it unbelievable how the person whom he looked up to in the past is now within his reach.

Today felt different, too.

For once, he didn’t wear his usual simple suits. Instead, he wore something more polished and expensive. His shirt was neatly ironed, his blazer was of high quality, and his slacks were also new.

He even took the time to style his hair, carefully brushing it back until he looked... decent. Well, maybe more than decent.

And then, there was the cologne. He had only meant to dab a little on his body, but he ended up spraying more than usual. It was the reason why he could smell himself clearly.

”Damn... I did all this just for lunch,” The thought made him chuckle under his breath.