Insta Empire

Ch 5 - The Reunion

"Chairman, I'm sorry. We will return to our desks immediately!" Lily's coworker apologized.

Feeling overwhelmed, Lily quickly returned to her office and closed the door. Sitting down at her desk, Lily started sobbing as she thought to herself, "I know that Kevin isn't an idiot. I just wish that he would remember that. Then maybe he and I could give our relationship another go. I haven't given up on him…yet."

When Kevin returned home, he opened the door and found his mother-in-law, Dorothy, sitting in the living room watching TV. When she heard him enter, she opened her mouth and called him, "Kevin, come here. I need to ask you something." Kevin nodded and quickly sat on the sofa next to Dorothy.

"Kevin, you and Lily have been married for over two years now and still no grandchildren. Does your family have any genetic history or issues with fertility?"

"Um, no, my parents are very healthy, and I've never heard of any genetic diseases in our family. " Kevin nervously replied.

Dorothy raised the corner of her eyes and crossed her arms to look at Kevin, "Really? You know, it's weird that I don't know that much about your parents. Maybe we should schedule a doctor's appointment for you and your parents to get tested. That way we can see if there are any bad genes on your side."

"There's no need. They have always been in good health. I don't want to waste any money," Kevin awkwardly responded.

"Why are you being so defensive? All that I'm asking is for your parents to get a checkup. Honestly Kevin, it's for their own good! I won't take no for an answer. Now, I have to go run an errand, but I'll see you tonight at the family get together." After his mother-in-law left the room, Kevin shook his head and checked his watch, "I need to change asap! I'll deal with my mother-in-law's issue later - I have a class reunion to attend."

After changing his clothes, Kevin hopped on his motorbike and rode to the fanciest hotel in Chicago, the Rose Hotel. After parking his motorbike outside the lobby, Kevin quickly fixed his windswept hair and stepped down onto the pavement. "Kevin, is that you?"

A handsome man called out from a parked Mercedes-Benz S32. The man stuck his head out of his car window and flashed a million-dollar smile at Kevin. The moment Kevin saw him, his eyes were filled with surprise. "Tucker! Look at you! You haven't aged a day. Something tells me that you're still just as popular as you always were?"

Tucker grinned back, "Let's just say, I'm a lucky guy."

"Glad to hear. That's a nice car you've got there."

Tucker looked at Kevin's motorbike, "And you are still as eccentric as ever. Did you really ride that here?"

"Yes, it was one of the first things that I bought with my own money. Earning something feels different than being handed it."

Tucker paused and shrugged his shoulders, "Cool story bro. What do you say? Should we head in and see who's aged beautifully and who's aged poorly?" As soon as Kevin and Tucker entered the ballroom, everyone turned to greet them.

"Tucker! It's so good to see you," a familiar man yelled.

Tucker waved back, "And look who I've brought with me. Little Kevin is all grown up!"

The man waved to Kevin and then whispered to another student, "Kevin was always a bit of an outsider back in high school, but now he is hanging out with someone as cool as Tucker. Maybe there's more to Kevin than meets the eye."

"I think you're right," the former classmate replied.

Looking around the room, Kevin thought to himself, "Wow, I'm the most underdressed person here. I like being underestimated." With a big smile, Kevin turned to his right, "Hey Tucker, I'm going to go grab a seat. Let's catch up more later."

"Sure thing dude," Tucker replied.

Sitting at an empty table, Kevin was happy to have a little space. It had been a while since he had seen everyone and it was nice to be able to sit back and take everything in. Kevin gasped when he saw his former classmate, Britney, enter the room, "Wow, she looks stunning. 'm not surprised though - Britney was the most popular girl in high school. I figured she would have left Chicago by now."

Just as Kevin lifted his hand to wave to Britney, Tucker quickly jumped in front of him and yelled, "Hey Brit Brit. Did you forget about me?"

Britney walked over with an all-knowing smile on her face, "Tucker. You haven't changed one bit."

Tucker laughed, "You say that like that's a bad thing." Britney tilted her head to the side and laughed, "We did date on and off throughout high school so it can't be too bad."

"You're right Brit. We had some good times back in the day. But look at you now, you look amazing – what are you up to?"

Britney bit her bottom lip, "Well, I know it's a bit cliché, but I'm about to sign with an agency."

"No shit! You're really doing it!"

Britney's cheeks turned red, "Well, I'm trying to. I haven't signed anything yet, but it's looking good."

"You were always meant for bigger things Brit. To think, I'll be able to say 'I knew her when'," Tucker grinned.

Suddenly, a group of girls sat down at the table with Kevin. One of the girls turned to the other and whispered, "I heard that Britney is about to become a superstar! She's too sweet to ever brag about it, but Britney is going to sign with Williams Media next week."

Another girl replied, "No way! Williams Media is the biggest media company in America! If Britney signs with them, then she'll be famous before we know it."

A small, mousey girl popped up from her seat, "I'm going to ask Britney for an autograph." The two other girls nodded, "Good idea! It might be worth something one day!"

"Hey Britney, can we get your autograph?!" the three girls harmonized as they stepped in between Britney and Tucker.

Seeing Britney handle them with grace and humility, Kevin smiled to himself, "Good for Britney. I'm so glad that she's still pursuing her dream. And if she really is signing with Williams Media, then I should get to know her a little better. After all, as of tomorrow, I will be the official owner of Williams Media. This will be a good chance for me to familiarize myself with my clients."

Just then, Britney and Tucker came and sat down at the table with Kevin. Turning to his right, Kevin gasped to himself, "Just my luck. Britney sat down right next to me. Something tells me that I am going to love running Williams Media. I'll finally have a chance to create my own empire."

Looking into Britney's beautiful almond-shaped eyes, Kevin smiled to himself, "But first things first, I need to go talk to my newest client.