7. a ball in two days?

Perry still sat in the conference room unmoving. He had met the board of directors to discuss about collaborating with FACE.

They had all agreed to it perfectly well. Nobody spoke about rejecting the idea. Yet they sat there not moving as well.

The head was seated and so were they. And Perry wasn't ready to leave the place.

John came in after solving an issue wit one crazy employee. He witnessed the board of directors still in their chairs and same as Perry. They were not talking meaning the meeting was over. He glanced at Perry who was in his own world.

"You have to tell them the meeting is over," his whispered into Perry's ears. He half opened his eyes to scan the place and saw them still there.

"Ah hem," he cleared his throat and all the men there shifted their attention to him

"This meeting is over," he said expecting them to be on their way out.

'What is wrong with him today?' John thought as he had to remind his boss again.

"You have to get up for them to also leave," he told Perry.

"I am not leaving, you may all leave!" He commanded, making the ten men move out one after the other.

Perry glanced up to see John staring at him.

"Sit," John heard.

"I want you to make me invitation cards,"

"Okay," John had no idea what the invitation cards were for and still agreed.

Who was he to refuse anyway. He finally got his body off the saet. John also got off the chair.

"Prepare my car. I am going over to my family house," he said and was already at the door going to his office.

John stood unmoving. What happened? He sat down again to make a call.

*** " There he is, the baby of the family!" Priscilla, Perry's third sister said mockingly and welcoming him. She said it although they were just a year apart.

Perry did not argue and embraced her. He kissed her left cheek and smiled at her.

Priscilla would be getting married in two months time and would be left with him only and still single.

He decided to cherish the moments left.

Perry is the last and only boy of their parents. He was twenty six and still his sisters treated him like a child. The first two sisters are twins and have their own family. They even got married on the same day.

"There he is, still single after all these years," Perry heard one of the twin's voice.

"What are you still waiting for?" He recognized Hailee, the second twin's voice. He kinda have difficulty identifying the two. Only Hailee's voice can make him identify them. Her voice was very soft and melodious.

The Worcestershires mostly meet on every Thursday to talk and have dinner together. The children have all grown up and having their own families.

'What is it like having family together to sharing a meal and knowing about their little lives.' The elder Worcestershire once said. They were all leaving apart, including Priscilla who was yet to marry.

Perry had moved out the very day he got his post. He wanted to leave alone and was still single with no partner by his side.

They got to his side and hugged him. His sisters where the exact figure of their mum.

"Look," he followed Hailee's hand that was pointing at the dinning table which was right in front of the marble staircase and welcoming it. The golden chandelier lit across the hallways illuminating the golden colors of the place. The twins stood beside him staring at the empty space.

"It is still empty," Aileen said, backing her twin up.

Perry stared at the vacant space without a chair there. He knew who it was reserved for.

His partner.

"When are you bringing in a girl?" The twins asked in unison.

"I'm still working on it," he answered and begin to scratch his head though there was nothing itchy there.

"Leave my little boy alone. He will find one when the time arrives," Rubby, their mum shouted, saving her dear son from his sisters clutches.

Perry ran to her side, leaving his sisters behind.

"How are you?" Perry asked the woman who was helping the elder Worcestershire into the head seat of the glassy dinning table.

"Grandpa," he moves to his grandpa's side to greet him. The old man nods his head and raises his hand to tell Rubby something.

"Come on everyone, to the table," she shouts and everybody comes out of his or her hiding place.

Mack, Perry's father together with his three sons-in-law and their three kids all descend the grand staircase.

Priscilla was yet to have a child of her own. They all sit down to eat.

"How's everything going with you and Stylish?" His grandpa asked. He had already asked about the others. Perry was the only one left.

"Everything's well grandpa. I am hosting a ball in two days time," he announced the reason for telling John to making him invitation cards.

"A ball in two days?" Mack repeated his last lines. Everyone stopped eating except the three children.

"Yeah, I am collaborating with FACE. I want to invite the Williams over in order to discuss about the contract."

"You already sent a contract over," Hailee said wanting Perry to repeat himself.

"Why with FACE?"

"Do you even know the owner?"

"Have you seen her before?" His sisters asked question after question.

"What is..."

"Enough, let him speak!" Elder Worcestershire yelled at Hailee.

"I've already sent the contract over. The ball will make us meet and then we'll discuss about it," he explained.

The whole table became silent with the exception of the kids who had no idea of what was going on.

"Are you sure about this?" Leonard, Aileen's husband spoke for the first time.

He and the others knew about FACE. The owner was very mysterious. It was only last month that a new release came and was introduced as a Williams.

That was all that they haerd about her. They never knew it was a young woman until the release. Some reporters even went to the Williams property to get something about her but to no avail.

"I am," his answer made them all to return to their food.

*** "Grandpa, take this one. It is healthy," Aileen dropped a boiled shrimp onto her grandpa's plate.

"Take," Rubby too placed a shrimp on her son's plate.

"Daddy I want this," one of the kids told Leonard. She too wanted a shrimp.

Another kid yelled out to cause attention and was crying as well. Everyone turned to him making his wish to come true.

The table became lively again. They all went back to their usual and discussing about the ball with Perry keeping in mind to tell John what he had to do.