章 3: FIVE BLIND DATES
"Imagine a world where you never have to worry about cleaning your room or adjusting the thermostat again. A world where those mundane tasks are taken care of for you leaving you free to do the things you really enjoy. A world where you can live your life to the fullest, without having to stress about little things." William paused, letting his words sink in. "Well, that world is now a reality." He continued, his voice full of excitement. "I am proud to introduce to you.... Scarlet!"
With a flourish, a sleek red robot vacuum rolled onto the stage, its lights flashing and its wheel whirring. The audience gasped as the machine made its grand entrance, its impressive design and advanced features instantly impressing them.
"Behold the future of home cleaning!" The room was abuzz with chatter as everyone oohed and aahed over the Scarlet. Some even pulled out their phones to snap photos and record videos of the robot vacuum.
"Now, let me demonstrate how Scarlet can adjust the thermostat." William said, addressing the crowd. He took out his smartphone and opened the Scarlet app. On the screen, a map of the house was displayed, along with different icons representing the various rooms. "With just a few taps on the screen, i can adjust the thermostat for any room in the house." He tapped on the icon for the living room and a menu of options appeared. "If you don't want to use your phone to adjust the thermostat, there are other ways." William's tone brimmed with enthusiasm. "Scarlet is also compatible with voice commands." He cleared his throat and said in a clear voice. "Adjust the room temperature to 74 degrees."
Immediately, the thermostat adjusted itself to the desired temperature. The audience clapped and cheered, their excitement growing by the minute. "And that's just the beginning." William said, smiling widely. "Scarlet can do so much more!"
"Now, here's something really impressive." He said. "Watch this. Scarlet, play 'Take All The Love' by Arthur Nery."
"As you wish." Scarlet's digital voice said, and the song started playing through its built-in speakers.
The audience woahed as they listened to the song, their eyes wide with wonder.
"I can play any song you request, as long as it's available on the internet." Scarlet said.
The audience erupted into applause, impressed by the robot's impressive capabilities.
One of the audience raised his hand, when William gestured for him to speak. He asked. "Can Scarlet also tell weather conditions?"
"Let's try it out." William replied. "Scarlet, what is the weather forecast for tomorrow?"
"The forecast for tomorrow is partly cloudy, with a high of 72 degrees and a low of 58 degrees." The robot vacuum answered, its tone clear and precise. "The humidity will be around 65% and there is a 10% chance of rain."
There were gasps and murmurs from the crowd, as they were amazed by the robot's ability to provide such detailed weather information.
"Scarlet." William called out, his voice playful. "How do i look?"
"Good-looking is an understatement, you look breathtaking." Scarlet replied, its tone perfectly deadpan.
The crowd roared with laughter amused by the robot's cheeky response.
"Looks like Scarlet has a sense of humor." William quipped and smiled, his dimples on full display. The young ladies in the audience swooned, charmed by the CEO's easy charm.
"But a world like that is not just a fantasy." William proceeded, his voice filled with conviction. "It can be a reality, and that reality is brought to you by Harmony Solutions. A home of efficiency, productivity and quality of life, we are on a mission to make home life better for everyone. Thank you."
As the speech drew to a close, the audience rose to their feet, applauding and cheering. They were impressed and inspired by his passion. And as the applause continued to ring out, William couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.
He left the room, accompanied by his secretary, Henry. "How is the sales?"
"The sales skyrocketed, the presentation was a success." Henry answered, checking the tablet.
"Good." William said with a smile, feeling proud but they suddenly halted when they saw a group of mothers waiting in line outside. It was clear they were hoping to speak with William and set up a date for their daughters.
He is called the "Wanted Bachelor" for a reason - but not for the reason one might think. It wasn't that he was sought-after prize for eligible young women; rather, it was because they were chasing after him for something else entirely.
Young women and their mothers alike clamoured to be in his presence, hoping to catch his eye. But it was not love that they sought, rather, they wanted something much more tangible. They wanted to win the favour of the wealthy and influential CEO to ingratiate themselves with him and gain his approval.
However, William Anderson isn't interested in settling down. Reason? No one knows.
Seeing the line, William turned to Henry. "Back door." He whispered.
Henry nodded and the two men quickly slipped out the back door, the mothers unaware of their escape. Once they were out of view, the two men couldn't help but laugh at their narrow escape.
Henry opened the door to William's office but as William stepped in and saw his grandmother, he knew what was coming next, and he started backing away towards the door.
"Don't you dare run away!" Virginia called after him, her tone stern but playful.
William gulped. There was no escape. He would have to endure his grandmother's matchmaking once again. He took a seat on the couch, crossing his legs as he prepared for the inevitable conversation that was to come. Henry stood near the couch with his arms crossed, a look of amusement on his face.
William's grandmother, clutching her walking stick, stood up slowly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "That was a lovely presentation, William." She spoke with pride. "It would be even better if you had a lovely lady by your side."
William rolled his eyes, knowing that his grandmother's next words would be about finding him a wife.
"I'll get married when I'm ready, and not a moment sooner." He said, trying to sound firm. "You don't need to worry about it."
"And when will that be?" His grandmother pressed, her voice raising in pitch. "You're thirty for Christ's sake! When will I have great-grand children like my friend, Gladys?"
William sighed. "Is having great -grandchildren a competition?" He mumbled.
Virginia narrowed her eyes. "I can hear you mumbling."
"I haven't found the right person yet." William replied. "And your blind dates aren't helping." He gave his grandmother a pointed look, trying to convey how much he disliked the whole matchmaking process.
But his grandmother was undeterred. "Right person?" She asked, her tone mocking. "You think I don't know that Henry has been attending those blind dates on your behalf?"
William turned to look at Henry, who was trying to avoid his gaze, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. William couldn't help but smirk - he'd been caught.
"I've had enough of this." Virginia said, her tone full of determination. "From now on, you will go on every blind date I set up for you. Five blind dates a day, until you find a wife and give me great -grandchildren. She turned to Henry, her finger pointing at him accusingly. "And you." She said. "I don't want to see you interfering with these blind dates, or I'll fire you. And I'm not joking."
Henry's face turned pale. He knew she was serious - his job was on the line.
"Isn't that too much?" William protested.
"Nonsense!" Virginia retorted. "I'm serious about this, and you're not getting out of it."
"But five dates a day?"William sputtered. "I can't possibly do that."
"You can, and you will." Virginia said firmly. "I'm tired of your excuses. I'm not getting any younger, and I want to see my grandson happily married before I die."
"Trust me, with your temper, you're not going to die anytime soon." William tried to reassure her.
Virginia chuckled then her face turned serious as she spoke. "It's time to move on, William." She said. "You need to get over her."
William tensed up, his fists clenched tightly. He knew who she was refering to.
Grandma's voice softened. "I know it's hard." She said. "But you deserve to be happy. You can't keep holding on to the past like this." She added. "I'll leave you to your blind dates." She turned to leave but as she reached the door, she paused and looked at William. "Won't you give your old Grandma a goodbye kiss?"
William hesitated for a moment, then stood up and walked over to her. He leaned down and gently kissed her on the cheek. "Goodbye, Grandma." He said, a smile on his face.
His grandmother's eyes twinkled as she looked at him. "I love you, William." She said. "Never forget that."
"I know." William replied, his voice soft. "I love you too."
Virginia hummed contentedly, then turned to Henry, who had been standing quietly by the door. "And you." She said, pointing a finger at him. "Should also get a girlfriend, don't be like William. I know plenty of lovely young ladies...." She kept talking as she and Henry left the office, leaving William alone with his thoughts. Five blind dates. He let out a long, weary sigh.
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