Billionaire CEO Was Tired of Dating — Until the Waitress Arrived and Changed His Plans…
The Transactional Life
The crystal chandelier cast fractured rainbows across the marble floor as Marcus Chen stared at his untouched scotch. He wondered when exactly his life had become a series of calculated transactions.
At 42, he’d built an empire that stretched across three continents. Yet here he sat in the private dining room of Manhattan’s most exclusive restaurant.
He was preparing to endure another meticulously arranged date with another woman who’d researched his net worth before learning his middle name. He’d canceled twice already.
His assistant, Patricia, had been unusually firm this time.
“Mr. Chen, you promised it’s just dinner.”
But Marcus knew better. It was never just dinner.
It was performance art where two strangers pretended chemistry could be scheduled between a quarterly earnings call and a flight to Singapore.
The woman arrived precisely at 8:00 as expected. She wore a silk dress and a practiced smile. Her eyes assessed the room’s value before acknowledging his presence.
Marcus stood and extended his hand. He felt the familiar weight of disappointment settle in his chest.
They exchanged pleasantries that meant nothing. They ordered dishes they wouldn’t taste.
They danced through conversations about art collections and vacation homes that could have been generated by an algorithm.
He was composing his exit strategy, perhaps a fabricated emergency call, when the door opened. She wasn’t supposed to be there.
The private dining room had its own dedicated staff, but apparently someone had called in sick.
The woman who entered carried a water pitcher with both hands, concentrating on not spilling a drop. Her uniform was slightly too large, and her dark hair was escaping from a ponytail.
When she looked up, Marcus saw something in her eyes he hadn’t seen in years. She had no idea who he was.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” she said, her voice carrying a slight tremor of nervousness.
“I’m filling in tonight. Can I get you anything?”
His date barely glanced at her, continuing her monologue about a charity gala in the Hamptons.
