Choices – Part 2

Part 2

The sight that greeted Casey sent an instant message into his brain making him momentarily forget about his throbbing toes. What was a little pain for the pleasure that was before him? He could take care of himself and do more than that with the crispy notes lying on the floor.

The several wads of dollars scattered close to his feet. He instantly lost whatever semblance of control he had over his jaw muscles. He opened and closed his mouth several times like a fish deprived of water. Maybe it was because his mouth was suddenly dry. He desperately needed water, but that was a luxury his clients didn’t think was necessary for him. He provided his water when he was at work, but this time around, he didn’t have his can. Anyway, a bottle of beer would do more justice to his feelings than a pitcher of water.

Casey knew he wasn’t himself, and he wasn’t sure he would recover anytime soon. He reeled from the shock of seeing such large amounts of money. With a quick scan with his eyes he estimated that the treasure ran into hundreds of thousands of dollars. That was way more than anything he had ever come across in his entire miserable life. He could faint right there. For the first time in his life, he was weak. Wow! He couldn’t believe the effect this money had on him. He held on to the side of the desk he had just cleaned to support himself, soiling the point of contact with his dirty hands. Casey didn’t notice that. He understood now what people meant when they talked about swooning. For a big guy like him, that was far away from his imagination.

As if discovering the treasure wasn’t enough, Casey had the strangest feeling. The day was surely one dedicated to unexplainable occurrences. He felt himself shifting into another dimension. His body felt as if he was being lifted, and he saw a different version of himself.

He was dressed in a well-tailored suit with matching accessories. He had a meeting and was running behind schedule. His personal assistant struggled to catch up with heavy breathing, but he wasn’t fazed. As a matter of fact, he was enjoying the attention and smiled to himself. On another day, he would have laughed out loud, but right now, he was getting late for his meeting. Not that anyone would query his late-coming. He liked to put people in their places and on edge by getting to the venue pronto! This was the privilege that only money could afford. People worshipped money and those that had it. He was among the few that commanded such respect.

Casey checked his wristwatch for the umpteenth time. Right on cue, the Limousine he favored for such meetings, especially when he was interested in creating an impression, drove into the special parking space allotted to him. His driver knew that he didn’t like to be kept waiting. This lateness entirely was of Casey’s doing. He had lost track of time while absorbed in his work. On the other hand, his vain side knew that was only an excuse as his personal assistant had reminded him several times about the meeting. He was going to assess many contractors, all vying and dying to pick up the contract of marketing and advertisement of his cleaning company. Let them squirm as they wait for him. It was his time, and the ball was in his court.

His personal assistant managed to get herself inside the limo along with him. She held out some documents to Casey almost as soon as her bum hit the soft leather of the car seat. Casey couldn’t stop the quirk from forming at her reaction. He wasn’t a difficult boss; he was far from it. However, his members of staff knew that he wanted his work done in a specific way and at a particular pace. He took the papers, thoroughly went through them, and appended his signature where it was necessary. With that done and out of the way, he focused on something else, but his personal assistant was obviously not done with him. She informed him of a press conference scheduled to immediately hold after the meeting. She mentioned other things, but Casey’s mind wandered from her. She would repeat them after the meeting, even if he told her he got everything she said. His thoughts soon drowned out her voice.

The meeting was a brief one. Although he tried not to mix his business with sentiments, he awarded the contract to a start-up company. Casey knew what it meant to be poor and struggling. As long as the company did his work well, he had no problems.

The Press Conference was scheduled to hold thirty minutes after the contract meeting. He used the chance to grab something to eat, giving his personal assistant the time off to prepare for the conference. He went with some of his colleagues, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of the luxurious hotel. He dined in nothing less than a five-star hotel. Any other was below his standards and what society expected from individuals like him. Not that he cared, but it was sometimes nice to enjoy the luxury that came with his position.

The Press badgered him about his humanitarian work. He loved that, but what he loved more was that they acknowledged the success of his cleaning company. It was his pride and source of joy.

“Sir?” One of the pressmen called.

He acknowledged the gentleman with the tilt of his head.

“One last question, sir, before the end of this conference,” the man said, nonverbally seeking his permission to continue his line.

“Ok?” Casey replied.

“How did you come about your wealth?” The man finally threw the dagger.

Casey smiled his answer to the man, preferring not to say a word. Nobody would believe how he made his fortune, and he didn’t want them to. It was his little secret. He cherished it above anything else.