Gray was able to have a break that weekend. However, it didn’t last long because as soon as weekdays started, he was greeted by imdiate work.
"Gosh! Don’t be so slow, Gray. We’re gonna be late!"
A loud shout from Mara echoed from the office as they scrambled to fix their things. They got so busy with their own work that they forgot the ti.
Today, a representative from Jet2 company will co and visit the grocery store to check on it, and to also get the list of stocks and information on their end.
At the middle of putting away folders, Gray’s phone rang loudly. He picked it up with one hand and answered, "Hello?"
"Sir Gray, good morning. It’s Joel," Joel’s calm voice answered the other line. "I just wanted to ask you. What ti should I expect the Jet2 rep? The staff and I have finished setting everything up on our end."
Gray blinked. He looked at the clock. Then swore under his breath.
"Shit. Joel, sorry. Give us thirty minutes. We’ll head out now."
"Copy that, sir. We’ll wait then."
The call ended abruptly after that.
As he placed his phone in his pocket, Gray stood up fast.
"Let’s go."
Mara looked up from her stack of papers, slightly frazzled.
"Wait, what?"
"They’re waiting for us at the store. We’re behind already." He was already grabbing his coat.
"I know that. But are you done already? Oh, hell—okay, okay," Mara mumbled, hugging the folders close to her chest and rushing after him.
She couldn’t help but shake her head as she followed. A minute earlier, Gray was moving slowly, and now he was super fast.
Daniel was already outside by the ti they erged from the office building. He gave a small nod before opening the back seat as they climbed in.
The drive to the grocery store took less than twenty minutes, but the silence in the car was tense.
Mara kept flipping through docunts, her lips moving as she ntally rehearsed things.
Gray leaned his head back for a mont. He couldn’t afford to ss this up.
When they pulled into the parking lot, Mara let out a low whistle under her breath.
It was her first ti seeing the store in person.
"Damn," she said as she stepped out of the car, eyes scanning the storefront.
"It’s huge."
Gray smiled faintly. "Looks better in person, huh?"
Mara quickly nodded, impressed by it.
"It actually does. You didn’t tell it was this big. It’s like a full-on supermarket."
"It is a full-on supermarket," Gray muttered, smoothing out his coat. "Co on. Joel’s probably already inside. I’ll introduce you to each other."
They walked toward the entrance with Mara still holding the thick folders with both hands. As they entered through the automatic doors, the sll of fresh produce and baked bread hit them imdiately.
The staff behind the counters greeted Gray with polite bows and nods. Today, everyone looked sharp. They were in uniform and ready.
Joel approached them near the produce aisle. He looked formal than usual. He was even carrying a clipboard in his hand.
"Sir Gray, Miss," he greeted, offering a professional nod to both of them. "Everything’s ready. We’ve cleared the stock areas you requested, and the office is prepped for the eting."
"Thanks, Joel. You’re a lifesaver." Gray clapped him on the shoulder.
Joel smiled lightly. "Just doing my job, sir."
"By the way," Gray turned toward Mara, gesturing with a nod.
"This is Mara, my assistant. She’s been helping with the Jet2 negotiations and will be overseeing parts of the transition. If you have any worries, you can turn to her too."
"Nice to et you, Miss Mara. I’ve heard a lot about you." Joel gave her a respectful smile and extended his hand.
Mara adjusted the folders in her arms before shaking his hand firmly. She laughed before answering to him.
"I didn’t know Gray ntioned , but I hope it’s good things."
Joel chuckled. "Only the good ones, I promise."
"That’s good, then," She glanced around the store again, still slightly wide-eyed. "Honestly, I’m kind of shocked. The setup here is really impressive."
"Thanks," Joel replied. "It’s taken a lot of ti and team effort. We’ve cleaned up the back office too, so if the Jet2 team wants to check storage and docuntation, we’re ready."
"Perfect. Let’s settle in the office then. I want to review one last thing before they arrive." Gray gave him an approving nod.
They began walking through the store. Custors were already browsing the aisles, and employees moved quickly but calmly between stations. There was a subtle sense of pride in the air, a feeling that Gray had started to feel more of lately.
By the ti they reached the office, Mara was already laying the folders out on the desk. Joel reviewed the printed schedule posted on the wall while Gray checked his phone again for updates.
Five minutes passed. Then—
Knock knock.
A light knock on the door was followed by a voice calling out from the hallway.
"Sir Gray, a visitor just arrived. He says he’s from Jet2."
It was the store’s security guard.
"Got it. Please escort him in. We’ll et him here." Gray straightened his posture.
The guard nodded and disappeared around the corner.
"Alright. Let’s make this good." Gray looked at both Mara and Joel.
"Let’s proceed with this smoothly," Mara took a deep breath and flipped the folder to the first page.
Joel also gave a confident nod. "We’re ready, Sir."
Footsteps echoed from the hall, growing louder. A mont later, the door handle turned.
A man stepped confidently inside.
He was tall, dressed in a dark tailored suit that fit so well. His steps were asured and clean, like soone who was used to walking into rooms where everyone stood straighter just because he was there.
There was no smile on his face. And yet, he looked approachable. Aside from that, he had presence.
Hanging from the ID lanyard around his neck was a clean black-and-white badge:
Anton Reyes — Director of Online System Operations, Jet2 Group
Jet2 didn’t just send anyone. They sent the highest executive on their online operation to help and overlook the deal with Gray.
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