Mesmerized

He wakes up and looks out the window. He lives in New York City on the Upper East Side. He is a wealthy hedge fund manager. He has been at this company since he graduated from Yale eight years ago.

He looks in the mirror and sees the ghost of a person staring back at him. Robert Grimes used to be a partier, he spent most of his time with his friends and gambling all his family's money away.

Today, he has a big meeting to see if he will get the promotion to CEO or if his older brother will get it.

He attended Yale University and had fallen in love with a girl named Leigh. She had dated his friend in college but did go out on a date with him once.

Robert strips off his boxers and jumps in the shower. He lets all his stress and worries go down the drain as he washes his body.

Once he is finished he grabs a towel and wraps it around his waist. He walks to his closet and decided to wear a blue polo shirt and khaki pants today. He laid them on the bed then thought twice. He has his meeting in front of the board today.

He places the clothes back in his closet and grabs his charcoal grey suit with a pink button-up shirt, he grabs his silver tie and black Dolce and Gabbana black derby dress shoes.

He gets dressed and looks in the mirror. He has a neatly trimmed beard and he smiles and heads out the door.

He walks down to the lobby of his building and climbs into the backseat of his Towncar. He is taking care of business when he arrives at his stop.

He walks into the building and smiles at the ladies he passes. He walks to the elevator and goes to his floor.

He steps off and walks to his office. His secretary Meagan is standing at his door with a coffee and breakfast sandwich in hand.

"Here is your coffee Mr. Grimes and a sausage and egg croissant. I have already laid your messages on your desk in order of urgency, the files your requested are already on your desk, and I have turned your line on. Is there anything else I can do right now, Mr. Grimes?"

"No, thank you, Meagan. It seems you have everything in order. Just answer the phones and do not disturb me unless it is an emergency until after ten."

"Yes, sir Mr. Grimes." She walked to her desk and sat down as he closed his office door."

That afternoon, Robert had just left the board meeting and he was promoted over his brother Sam. Robert Grimes was now CEO of AQR Capital Management.

His company was a multimillion-dollar company worth over two hundred and forty million dollars.

He went to his office and called a friend to have drinks and celebrate with. The phone rang three times and finally, he answered.

"Hey, Stefan are you able to go celebrate with me tonight? I am the new CEO. Dad promoted me over Sam since he has been having too many issues with drinking."

"Yea sounds good brother. I can meet you right after work at MacDuff's Pub at say six. I know you have to have to drive back to the city we can do dinner and drinks to celebrate."

"Alright, see you then."

Robert hangs up the phone and opens his desk drawer. He pulls out a photo from college. It was him and all his friends at a birthday party for one of their friends.

He stares at Leigh and wishes he had kept in touch. He had not seen her since he graduated in 2013 and then they had all met up in 2016. That was the last time he saw her.

The last he heard she was writing for the Greenwich times here in town but he only came to work and normally went straight back to the city. He had not had the luck of bumping into her.

He had been working here for the last eight years but the last he heard was she had started at the paper and moved here two years ago.

He finished his day and left his office. He walked out to his Towncar and ask the driver, "I need to go to MacDuff's Pub. I will be there for a few hours, here is some cash go get yourself something to eat, and I will text you about thirty minutes before I am ready."

"Thank you, Mr. Grimes." The driver dropped him off and left.

He and Stefan had been sitting there for a while. They had already eaten dinner and drank a couple of bottles of scotch. When he saw this petite brunette enter the pub.

He watched her walk over to a crowd at a table and sit down. It was Leigh Hayden. He stared directly at her and couldn't believe his luck. He watched her walk over to the bar and wait.

"I will be right back Stefan." He stood up and walked over to the bar.

"Well, hello there sexy lady. What can I get you to drink?"

Leigh turned her head afraid to see who was standing there. She turned slowly and was shocked when she saw Robert. Her face lit up.

"Robert, it's really you. How are you doing? I haven't seen you since 2016." She threw her arms around his neck.

"Yes, sweet Leigh it is me. I am doing okay just got promoted up to CEO today. I know way too long. I was just thinking about you earlier."

"Wow, Robert you sure have changed. Got a beard and you look very handsome. You are all grown up now. That's great news, Robert."

She noticed how tired he looked but also the way his face was very handsome. He had grown up into a very nice-looking man. She was staring into his eyes they were mesmerizing.

"Thank you very much and might I say you are still very beautiful. So, are you married or any kids?" He twirled her around as she held his finger. He looked her up and down then smiled with admiration.

Her blue eyes were so mesmerizing he could see himself through her eyes. She was so beautiful, he wanted to pick her up and take her home then ravish her body all night long.

"Nope, not yet. I am still single and just working. How about you has some lucky lady snatched you up yet?"

"No, same as you still single. Bartender, we need some drinks over here. I will have four glasses of your best scotch and whatever the beautiful lady wants add it to my tab. Also, cash it out."

"Are you leaving?"

"Oh, Leigh I have to go back to the City tonight that is where I live but I work here. Can you unlock your phone and hand it to me?"

She did as was asked he sent a text to his number and saved his number in her phone. He handed it back to her and saved her number on his phone.

"Okay, you have my number and I have yours. Call me tomorrow and we can meet up for dinner? Hang on let me do this right, Leigh Hayden will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"Yes, I would love to. I will call you tomorrow and we can meet up in town. It was so nice seeing you, Robert."

"It was nice seeing you as well Leigh. I will see you tomorrow. Have a great night." He hugged her and walked back to his table.

The server brought his bill over and he signed and gave her a fifty-dollar tip.

"So, who is the brunette you were talking to?"

"That is a friend from Yale. I haven't seen her for a few years. It was nice running into her."

"She looked like more than just a friend. The way you looked at her and twirled her around. Do you like her or have you slept with her and just trying to get her back in your bed?"

"Stefan, no I haven't slept with her I went on one date with her in college then she started dating a friend of mine but they broke up years ago. Yes, I like her I have always liked her. Earlier today I was looking at a picture of all of us back in college and wishing I could see her again. Then she just walks in and we are having dinner tomorrow night."

"Wow, you sound like a man in love. I have never seen you like this and honestly never thought I would see you like this."

Six months later:

He and Leigh had been seeing each other since the night after they ran into each other.

They both work stressful jobs but make time for each other at least three times a week.

Robert had bought Leigh a very nice gift. He had hidden her gift inside of a cardboard box with plain brown paper wrapped around it. He laid the gift on her doorstep with a single red rose and a note.

He walked out of her building and went to the house he had bought here.

Leigh walked into her building and checked her mail. She walked to her door looking through her mail. She stopped at her door and looked down.

There was a suspicious package wrapped in brown paper outside of her door with a single red rose on top. She looked down the hall then slowly bent down to pick it up.

She read the note it said, Roses are red violets are blue, I am so glad I found you, you make me happier than I have ever been, these last six months have been so amazing, meet me at the first place we met when you were a blazing editor, these are a gift from me to you, I will see you soon.

Rory walked in and sat everything down on her bar. She went to her room and changed clothes. She walked out to her car and drove back to where it all started at Yale University.

She went to the Yale Daily news and there stood Robert holding eleven roses and a picnic basket.

She walked over and kissed him. He stood there with a smile on his face.

"You look absolutely stunning, I'm sorry my poem didn't rhyme that great I tried. Did you open your gift?"

"No, I read the poem and changed clothes and came straight here."

"Oh, okay well make sure when you return home you open your gift. Now, join me out on the quad for a nice romantic dinner."

He laid two blankets on the ground and they sat down. He opened the basket and poured her some champagne. He lifted out the bag that was insulated to keep their food warm.

"To us, thank you so much Leigh for the happiness you have given me. I hope we can have many more nights like tonight."

Leigh looked at her glass but didn't drink it. She saw Robert pull out a small box and tears brimmed her eyes.

"Leigh you have made me a very happy man, I never thought that I would find someone to spend my life with until I found you. Leigh Hayden, will you make me the happiest man and be my wife?"

Leigh had tears running down her cheeks, "oh, Robert. This is so romantic and I would love nothing more but I have to tell you something first."

Robert's heart stopped he was afraid of what she was about to say. "Okay, I'm listening."

"Robert, I love you I really do. I am or actually, we are pregnant. I just found out yesterday. I just had to be honest and tell you before I said yes."

"We are pregnant, we are going to have a baby, are you serious? This is great." He jumped up picked her up and twirled her around. "So, will you marry me?"

Leigh stood there with tears running down her face, "Yes, Robert I will marry you."