Chapter 129: His kind of confidence

Tom began speaking before the bodyguards could drag Marcel any farther.

"He hasn’t done anything wrong. If anyone is to blame for this visit, it’s me." he said, calm yet loud enough to cut through the tension in the lounge.

Ray’s eyes lifted fully to him now. And as they did, something shifted there, not warmth exactly, but interest. It was a flicker of recognition without recognition, the look of a man revising his first assumption.

He raised one hand and made a small gesture. The bodyguards stopped at once, still holding Marcel, but no longer dragging him away like a finished problem.

Ray set his fork down and studied Tom more openly.

"Which family are you from?" Ray asked, calmly, his gaze still fixed on him like Tom was a familiar man whom he just hadn’t remembered yet, someone he was supposed to know.

Tom chuckled under his breath as he realized exactly the shape of the impression he had made in the presence of this mafia boss; Looking calmly dangerous enough to be read as connected and Important enough to be mistaken for one of them.

"Sorry to disappoint you, I’m not a member of any mafia family." Tom admitted.

Ray’s brows drew together slightly. The answer clearly did not match the presence sitting across from him.

"Then who are you? And what do you want?"Ray asked.

Tom extended his hand over the table. "Tom Harlow."

Ray looked at the offered hand for a second, then took it. His grip was firm but assessing.

"Ray." he said simply.

Even while shaking hands, he continued watching Tom with that same guarded admiration, as if still trying to place the source of the man’s nerve.

Tom settled back into the chair. "I’m here on behalf of someone else..." He paused and held Ray’s gaze as if to confirm he was listening attentively. Then he continued;

The CEO who now owns the building you’ve been claiming."

Ray’s expression became hard slightly.

"So you came to ask me to let go of the building?" He gave a short breath through his nose.

"I let you sit and speak because there’s something about you worth listening to. That doesn’t mean I’ll hand over what matters to me. Eat if you want. Then leave." Ray added then redirected his attention to his food.

Tom shook his head.

"No, that’s not why I came. And it’s not my place to make that demand." he said.

That brought back Ray’s attention to his face and Ray’s eyes narrowed slightly, waiting for him to expatiate what he meant. Tom continued;

"I came to ask you to accept a physical meeting with the CEO. Listen to her. Talk things through. Understand each other directly instead of dragging this conflict out through boys and blockades."

For a moment, Ray only stared at him in silence. The lounge around them remained muted, the bodyguards stood still, both stealing glances at Tom, the look they were trying hard to conceal was saying; "Who was this man with that kind of nerves?"

Meanwhile, Marcel had been pushed onto his knees, forgotten in that spot in all ways that mattered. Then Ray leaned back a little, interest returning in a different form.

"You look like a man who could be useful later," he said and let that settled for a moment before continuing. A small smile of appreciation tugged on Tom’s lips.

"If I agree to what you’re asking, will you be useful to me in return?"Ray asked.

"You seem like someone who will be very useful to me sooner or later." He added.

"Definitely," Tom answered. "One good turn deserves another. That is, if you cooperate with the CEO."

Ray laughed under his breath, short but real enough to show his teeth. "Intelligent. I wouldn’t expect any less from someone that looks like you and exude this high level of charisma." He muttered as he nodded in approval.

"Alright. I’ll make myself available for a meeting with her tomorrow during lunch." he said.

"That works so well. I appreciate your warm welcoming." Tom said the he brought out his phone. "We should exchange numbers."

Ray did not refuse.They swapped contacts smoothly in the manner of men sealing an arrangement that had the potential of blooming into friendship rather than a temporary arrangement. Once it was done, Ray gestured loosely toward the table.

"You can stay and eat."

Tom glanced at the unfinished breakfast spread and gave a small smile. "I actually missed breakfast. I will stay."

Ray’s mouth curved with rough amusement. "Tell me, what does this CEO mean to you, for you to miss breakfast over her business?" he asked.

Tom’s answer came without hesitation. "A lot. A whole lot..."

Ray shook his head slightly, as if filing that under a category he had never bothered to understand. "Women’s business was never for me." he said with total satisfaction.

Tom chuckled and replied; "Well. It’s my business."

That made Ray peer hard at him more, more openly entertained. "That sounds interesting. I wouldn’t mind learning a lesson or two from you."

"Then we will need another time for that. There’s a lot to teach." Tom said with all seriousness

Ray gave a low huff of laughter. "I’ll make time."

Afterwards, he signaled one of the bodyguards, who moved at once towards him. He instructed him to go call a server. While at that, Ray didn’t hide the fact that he was stealing glances at Tom.

Tom saw what was happening and he had a wild guess of why the man was being like that- he had never met a man with his kind of confidence.

Within a blink of an eye, a server had arrived. Plates shifted and another setting was arranged across from him.

By the time Tom finally walked back out of the hotel, the smile on his face wasn’t exactly quiet. The rush of the morning had resolved into exactly what he needed: a confirmed lunch meeting for Josie.

Bree straightened the moment he reached the car.

"Where to?" she asked.

Tom opened the door and got in. "The brunch."

Bree nodded, started the engine, and pulled away from the outskirts hotel, carrying him back toward the city for the next stage of the day.