C'est La Vie....

Mr. Tender looked on without an element of surprise, the ever serious face slowly widening into a smile.

"Dad I'm in love with Jennifer!", Michael repeated. His voice was getting loud and Mr. Tender could grasp the graveness of the situation. Mr. Tender knew Jennifer.

"Jennifer Mason Biggs" he recollected in his mind, daughter of the famous lawyer David Mason Biggs. One of Michael's many friends, she was a girl whom Michael had befriended recently.

"Michael, I think it is certainly a pleasant thi....", Mr. Tender was interrupted by his son.

"But Dad, she doesn't know about this and she is leaving for Australia! I'm driving her to the airport in two hours......"

"Then stop her!", Mr. Tender quipped.

"No.....no!!". A gap of silence was inserted instantly.

"She doesn't love you Michael? Is that it?", Mr. Tender's calm voice highlighted affection and concern.

"She does.....maybe not.....but she hasn't said anything.", Michael appeared confused.

"Ask her, son!!.....Buy her a gift.....make her speak.....do..."

"But Dad", Michael was nervous, "I cannot.....just like that.....there's no direct question for me Dad.....I don't know where it'll land.....she's my friend and maybe she doesn't love me. I don't want to embarrass her and spoil the friendship that we have now. I cannot endure her accusations Dad - she is way too dear to me.....you know....."

Mr. Tender pulled a chair next to his son and seated himself.
"Michael, calm down my son. You've got looks son.....you're a grown up responsible guy. You've got the looks and the money. You are the son of Mr. William Tender, the third richest man in the city. You could buy a Lamborghini Diablo when she can just dream about it. You could buy the Fourth Estate bungalow and ten others at Nellington Road worth two million when she cannot even think about it. Benefaction, endowment, gifts son.....GIFTS.....you could get her then, don't you think? Tell me how much you'd need Michael, tell me son."

"Dad! Please....please for God's sake. I came for emotional support not for monetary benefits or any such idea of yours.....like I'm trying to allure a business partner like you'd do with all those Lamborghinis and estates and what not."
"Money cannot buy everything Dad.....not everything!! It cannot buy people's feelings.....it cannot buy my love for you and your love for me.....I hope you understand one day that money is not what you think is!! - Anyway, THANKS A LOT for your help!!", saying this Michael stomped out of the office room.

Mr. Tender was calm and his face didn't show any sign of displeasure. He said, "I don't know when you'll understand Michael." Pressing "one" on his intercom he said, "Truman, you can come in now.....Thank you."

Michael glanced at his watch nervously every few minutes. "3.14 p.m." - the watch read now. He didn't, he certainly didn't want to believe it - he was driving Jennifer to the airport when he wished with all his heart, that she'd stay; to talk to her, tell her once that he couldn't live without her, to tell her how the days they'd spent together at 'Camp Bale' changed his viewpoint about their relationship or friendship rather, which later evolved into a greater fondness for her and now he wanted to tell her how much he was in love with her.

"Damn it!!", he muttered.
"My first love story will remain an unfinished one.", he told himself.