CH 16: The First Out of Five

Ambryan drove back to the city.

As he descended down the hill, the green fields slowly disappeared from his sight. Gray buildings emerged in front of his windshield. They towered to the sky in various heights and sizes. Four-lane roads slithered along the ground.

They interconnected, creating a maze.

He pushed a button on his dashboard. The trunk opened and the roof rolled up over his head. It shielded him from the scorching heat. He turned on the air-conditioning. With less greenery, the temperature was higher.

Thus, the cool air was needed.

It didn't take long for Ambryan to reach his destination.

His Jaguar XK rolled down a slope, leading him to an underground parking lot. He steered the wheels to the right and headed for the reserved space for residents. A divider separated it from the visitor's area. He stepped on the brake when he reached his designated spot.

Then, he took a private elevator.

It led him to his penthouse which occupied the entire top floor.

Floor to ceiling windows covered an entire wall, overlooking the city. Black metal frames added a simple design and cut them into small sections. From the front door, the hallway revealed the sitting area. A large ivory carpet blanketed its floor while a modern sofa set surrounded an obsidian coffee table.

Ambryan removed his shoes and stepped down the raised floor.

Soon, he felt something soft brush his legs.

He looked down.

"Meow."

An albino Siberian cat nestled between his feet. Pale purple eyes stared at his face, pink tint lining their round shape. Its bushy tail circled around its body while it sat on the floor. Round tip ears flapped once in greeting.

"Hello, Kiri," Ambryan said as he knelt to nuzzle her chin. He chuckled when he felt her purr under his touch. "Are you glad to be in the penthouse? Work is piling up so we'll have to stay here for the rest of the week."

The cat laid on its side, rubbing her cheek against his foot.

He lifted her up like a baby and walked to his office.

"Come on, mother would throw a fit if I'm late for the chat." Ambryan held Kiri up at his eye level. He squinted his eyes, playing with an idea. "Maybe I should ask their opinions on cats. I'm sure they already prepared for today. The randomness would throw them off and make this easier."

The cat merely swung her tail.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Ambryan opened a door.

Kiri jumped off his arms and leaped for the table, tucking her legs in. She already knew where they would stay for today. Her gaze flickered to the computer monitor. Her tail swayed behind her as if sweeping the surface.

She snapped her head when Ambryan hadn't joined her.

He assessed the bookshelves near the door, taking his time. He found nothing covered in dust. Then, he turned to the couch at the opposite side. It was perfectly clean and free of crease.

"Meow."

"I'm coming," Ambryan replied, finally reaching the work desk. He sat on the rotating chair and patted the cat's head. "You're going to help me, right? We need to eliminate as many as possible. The last one standing would be… well, the woman I'd take to social events."

He sighed, switching on the computer. He bit a knuckle between his lips. "I can't get rid of them all or I won't get mother's end of the bargain. This might be the only chance I'd get."

The monitor lit up.

A lone dandelion photo covered the screen.

Ambryan clicked on the web browser icon. His fingers typed on the keyboard and hit 'enter'. The site loaded with an address bar that said,

https//: w w w. datetheceo .c o m

(A/N: I am telling you. It's not a real website. Don't waste your time trying XD)

Scratching the back of his neck, he heaved another sigh and groaned. "Trust mother to think of a ridiculous name."

The website became red in color. A gold vine bordered the outline. It reminded Ambryan of his school diplomas. They had the same design for the frame—tiny leaves at the corners.

Two text boxes appeared, asking for a username and a password.

Username: Yan

Password: ****************

He waited for it to load.

A scraping sound caught Ambryan's attention. He peeled his eyes off the screen, glancing at his cat. Kiri used two of her paws and scratched the front of a drawer. He pulled the handle.

It contained only one thing, a rectangular leather case.

Ambryan opened it and took out the anti-radiation glasses inside. Eve had pushed him to buy a pair after his eyes kept hurting for several late nights at the office. He only needed to wear them whenever he had long computer hours—which happened a lot.

Putting them on, the square black frames complimented his strong jawline. It also softened his 'permanent' scowl. Nothing in his eyesight changed. The lens merely had a tint to them. He actually doubted if they did anything when he first tried them.

"Meow." Kiri purred, wagging her white bushy tail faster. Her pale purple eyes twinkled.

Ambryan raised an eyebrow. He bumped her nose with a finger and said, "Kiri, really… do you like guys who wear glasses?"

"Meow!"

Ambryan wondered if he heard correctly.

Did his cat just confirm his question?

Shaking his head, he pushed the thought out of his mind. His gaze returned on the monitor. A warm hue shielded his vision. He felt his eyes relax as he studied the layout. It seemed that his mother had more fun with the website.

The left side contained his profile, a tall rectangular block of dark red. Cursive gold letters showed his name at the top. A photograph hung underneath it—taken from a day he'd rather forget. A dark cloud surrounded his head as he stared at the photo.

It had been at a neighbor's birthday party for their kid. He had his arms crossed over his chest, leaning back on a monoblock chair. He wore a blue vest and a black tie over a white dress shirt. His eyebrows knitted on top of his aviator sunglasses.

A headband squeezed the sides of his face with white bunny ears sticking up towards the sky.

'What was my mother thinking?' Ambryan asked internally, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Other than that, the rest seemed standard. It had his age, his education background, his occupation and a short bio. None of them had been in his control. His mother seemed to think he wouldn't know how to accomplish them properly.

Then, she reassured him that she did the same for the other girls.

That thought led Ambryan to the right side of the layout. It contained five gray circles, three on top and two at the bottom. His mother explained that each would light up when it was time. She had made them blank so he'd focus on one girl at a time. The layout would change once he finished talking to them all.

'30 minutes…' he mused. It was much more than he anticipated. How did one hold a conversation for that long? He never liked small talk. He'd just leave mandatory replies then until the woman stopped.

The first circle lit up.

Ambryan's violet eyes slumped into a deadpan expression.

The woman in the photo looked over her shoulder. Her dark brown hair flowed down her back. Sunlight peeked from behind, illuminating the garden around her. It also made her tan skin glow. The leaves from the plants emphasized her green eyes.

As far as first impressions went, she almost reminded Ambryan of Charlee Edwards. Hence, the reaction he had. His mother probably based her choices with his previous dates. He clicked on her photo.

It led him to her profile.

```

Name: Zara Smith

Age: 24

Education: College graduate

Occupation: Makeup Artist

Bio: Hello! I'm Zara. I freelance as a makeup artist for any social event. I also work in a salon if a customer wanted a makeup appointment. During my free time, I hang out with my friends and binge shows and movies at streaming sites.

```

Ambryan raised his eyebrows.

He clicked the 'chat' button and sent his first message.

.

``Yan: Hello, Ms. Smith. What deal did you have with my mother for you to join this site?``

.

He cringed when he saw his profile picture pop out. Then, his face became impassive and his mind detached. It was an expression he wore when hard at work. He waited for the other party to respond. The chat window had the same gray background. The 'typing' dots also had the same color but in a darker shade.

.

``Zara: Um… what? Haha. What deal?``

.

Ambryan's fingers flew across the keyboard.

.

``Yan: You can't possibly be here without talking to my mother. I've never seen you before either. If she made an offer, I can double it for you. Just tell me what you need and I will help you.``

.

The chat became silent.

Ambryan laced his fingers and rested his elbows on the table. He watched the idle window. He wouldn't put it past his mother to make more deals. She wanted them all to play her game. The way to ensure its proper execution would be to establish agreements.

What kind of women would she pick?

.

``Zara: Your mother once came to our salon. She complimented my work and I asked her if it was possible to endorse me to a few celebrities. She agreed to do so as long as I joined this website.``

.

'It seems like mother gave the deal out of impulse,' Ambryan thought, shaking his head. He began typing a reply.

.

``Yan: I appreciate your honesty. I can see why my mother had picked you.``

``Zara: I think it was because she said I could probably turn frogs into princesses. (frog emote)``

.

"Meow!" Kiri spoke up suddenly. She stood up and repeatedly poke the screen. A growl rumbled in her chest. Then, she shoved the monitor with two paws and screeched, "Mrrreeooow…!"

Ambryan grabbed her torso and pulled her back. He checked her face. She glared back at him, her pupil turning into slits. He frowned. "You don't like her, huh?

"Mreow!"

He put her on the table and scratched the back of her ear.

"That didn't even last five minutes. What am I supposed to do now?"