Mr. Tasha finished his meal calmly and with gratitude, It was extremely delicious.
Mr. Tasha left a generous tip for the chef and the waiter.
His destination now was his home, He took out his phone and called Charlie.
Charlie answered quickly.
"Hello, Mr. Tasha. How are things?" His voice sounded tense.
"I'm fine, What matters is that you and Mary get ready for the party. I've invited a professional event planner."
"But Mr. Tasha, I already chose an event planner to handle everything. You don't need to trouble yourself any further."
"Charlie, send me his number so I can speak with him. I've arranged everything, Consider it an early gift."
"But Mr. Tasha, this is too much…" Charlie's voice grew heavier and heavier. Mr. Tasha understood him, but in his eyes, Charlie truly deserved this.
"Charlie, you deserve it. You've worked very hard, Goodbye. I'll take care of everything, Just make sure you and Mary are there two hours before the gathering starts to welcome the guests." Mr. Tasha's voice reflected sincere appreciation.
He ended the call and signaled for a taxi.
…
On the other side of the city, Charlie was preparing his suit, but he stopped and looked at it quietly.
What Mr. Tasha had done felt unacceptable, He had given too much.
Mr. Tasha knew Charlie well, and understood his situation better than anyone else, They had been friends before they were ever boss and employee.
However, Charlie believed that friendship could create problems within the workplace. Despite being a diligent worker who tried as much as possible to separate his personal life from his job, he feared losing their friendship because of work, so he put a distance between them.
Yet, the actions and attitudes of both Charlie and Tasha toward each other contradicted that decision.
Perhaps friendship was just a word, but actions were real.
Charlie's phone rang, It was Mary calling.
"Hello, Charlie. Are you ready?" Her voice was hesitant and rushed, as if she were running a marathon.
"Yes, Mary. I'll come pick you up shortly." Charlie's voice grew calmer as he reflected on the past for a moment.
"Charlie, what's wrong?" Mary sensed a change in his tone, Normally he would be a little nervous, but his usual enthusiastic and cheerful tone wouldn't be this calm unless something was on his mind.
"Mr. Tasha spoke to me and said the party would be entirely at his expense, He said it was a gift for my hard work, and that we should be there two hours early to receive the guests." Charlie explained.
"And?" Mary replied. "Are you worrying about the past again? You know Mr. Tasha's actions are not something to argue with. He's sincere in what he does, He knows you well and understands you well. Don't worry. He knew you would think this way, yet he did it anyway because he knows you'll understand."
Mary spoke as if she had stepped into Charlie's mind, She understood him and reassured him.
Charlie fell silent for a moment before replying.
"Maybe you're right. I won't overthink it anymore... Let's focus on today." His tone improved slightly.
"Alright, I'll finish getting ready. I'll wait for you." Mary said softly and ended the call.
Charlie thought about Mary.
She was understanding and considerate, She was truly special to him.
…
Mr. Tasha was busy.
Workers were everywhere.
Some were preparing the garden and filling it with chairs.
Others were setting up the musical instruments for the jazz band, while others arranged the dining tables.
Food preparation was already underway with five chefs and seven assistants, Some workers carried in elegant dessert plates and various bottles of juice.
Mr. Tasha oversaw everything, observing and stepping in whenever needed.
Despite all this, he found their performance astonishing and well-coordinated. The old man had truly done an incredible job training these workers, Each of them carried out their tasks with great efficiency.
The rest of the day passed like this until all preparations were complete, The villa's lighting glowed in a soft, calm red.
Charlie and Mary arrived, and Charlie called Mr. Tasha.
"Hello, Charlie. Have you arrived?" Mr. Tasha answered immediately.
"Yes, Mr. Tasha. We're at the gate."
"What are you waiting for? Come in." Mr. Tasha was inside, standing with the chefs, watching their work.
The villa gate was open, Charlie and Mary entered.
What they saw was truly breathtaking.
The path leading to the inner gate was lined with flowers on both sides.
Soft red lights illuminated the beautiful garden.
The interior was even more luxurious, In the large hall facing the garden, the musical instruments were set up.
Charlie was surprised, and confusion appeared on Mary's face. The instruments were inside, while the chairs were outside. Why?
At that moment, Mr. Tasha approached them.
"You're wondering why the instruments are inside and the chairs are outside. It's simple, I had the idea that the outdoor area would be where you exchange engagement rings, while the calm, soothing music is heard from there."
Mr. Tasha paused, then pointed upward.
"After that, we'll move to the second floor, where the large halls are. There will be a dance party, then gifts, and finally dinner."
"Mr. Tasha, were these ideas yours?" Charlie asked.
"The music idea was mine, yes. The rest was handled by the old man, What matters now is that you can relax. The preparations are complete, and guests will start arriving in an hour."
Mr. Tasha said this and returned to the kitchen. Everything was ready, so he continued observing the chefs' work.