Authors: Claire Adams
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
I
ate breakfast
with Riley and Betty, and we discussed the tutor situation. Riley was
grudgingly going along with the plan, but I knew that by the time the day was
over, she'd be on board. Betty had assured me that the tutor was one of the
best in the city and that Riley would love working with her.
I was surprised
when I found Jimmy waiting for me in the driveway after breakfast. He drove me
into the office but agreed to drop me off a block from the front door so that I
wouldn't have to explain why I was being ferried to work in the boss's car.
"Hey, Leah,
where's Riley?" Burt asked as he clocked in and looked over the day's
orders. "We were getting used to having the little mite around!"
"She's back
in school, boys," I said, giving them a grateful smile. "I appreciate
your kindness and patience as we worked out the issues with the
suspension."
"Hey, you
know, we've all been there," Burt said sympathetically.
"I haven't
been," Javier chimed in.
"That's
because you're twelve, too," Burt shot back. "You haven't lived
enough to get suspended."
The guys laughed
and slapped Javi on the back as they got to work pulling boxes and loading up
the orders that were to be shipped out in the morning pickup. I was grateful
that they had no idea about Lincoln’s and Sloan’s plan because I didn't trust
that they would keep cool heads about the plotted destruction of the company. I
also didn't want them worrying about their job security because if I knew
anything it was that once there was a hint of instability, the workers would go
running to look for new jobs. I couldn't afford to lose even one of them.
I worked quietly
in my office all morning, only briefly wondering what Jack was doing in the
office upstairs before refocusing on the orders I'd received from the sales force
the day before. I hummed to myself as I typed and tried not to let my mind
wander to the fact that I still needed to get to the hospital to visit Mama and
find a realtor to deal with the house.
"One thing at
a time," I murmured as my fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard.
"Hey,
honey!" Norma called, cutting into my concentration.
"Hey,
Norma," I said, turning around to find the feisty Southerner standing in
my doorway. She was wearing a long purple blouse with a chiffon scarf tied at
the neck and a tight pair of leggings that were tucked into a pair of purple
suede boots. As usual, her hair and makeup were impeccable, and I suddenly felt
very dumpy and out of touch with anything resembling fashion. "What's
up?"
"I've got a
new batch of orders for you, darlin'," she said as she stepped into the
office and shut the door behind her. "And I want you to know that Jack
told me about the plan this morning."
"Plan?"
I asked, trying not to betray the fact that I didn't know the plan myself.
"Yeah, you know,
the plan to keep Lincoln and that horse's patootie from ruining Baby
Steps," she whispered conspiratorially.
"Oh, yes,
that one," I said trying to hide a smile at the image of Sloan as a
horse's ass. "Well, good, we're going need a lot of support if we're going
to stop them. But Norma …"
"I know, I
know!" she interrupted. "I can't talk to anyone but you or Jack about
this because if word gets out before you're ready to move, we're all going to
be screwed."
"All right,
so we're good then," I laughed. "Show me what you've got."
Norma spent the
next half hour explaining the paperwork that Sloan had filled out and then
telling me what Jack had decided to do with it. Once I understood the plan, I
knew exactly what my role was. I told Norma I had it under control and sent her
on her way as I set to work making sure that Baby Steps would be protected from
the two who were trying to destroy it.
*
After
dinner, I called Patrick and found out nothing had changed with Mama's
condition. She was still in the treatment center, and he said they were having
a hard time getting her to comply with the rules, but they were hopeful she
might talk with a counselor and figure out a compromise.
I sighed as he
told me that the realtor thought we'd have to lower the price of the house
substantially in order to sell it “as is.” She felt fairly certain that once we
did, the place would go quickly, and we'd have money in a couple of months for
Mama's treatment and a room in the retirement center. I told him I'd try to
come by to see Mama the next week, but he told me that family members were
encouraged to stay away until the recovery was fully underway. I sighed and
told him to call me when he thought it was a good time to go visit. He assured
me he would and then he hung up.
Feeling down after
the call, I went upstairs and found Riley sprawled out on the bed doing her
homework. Her room was the perfect place for a twelve-year-old girl. It had
been painted a light shade of lavender and had a mural of a brightly colored
flower garden painted over it. The floor was covered with thick white carpeting
that felt like soft grass under my bare feet. The furniture had been painted white
and trimmed with the same shade that was on the walls and had tiny green vines
dotted with flowers running up and down the edges. The whole room resembled a
scene out of a fairy tale.
I was
surprised that the decorative touches that Betty had added hadn’t made my
little tomboy rebel against it. The reality was that it was a room to be
envied—and one that Riley didn't want to leave.
I felt happy that
she was able to have such a wonderful little space for herself while we were
homeless, but it also made me very aware of the fact that I'd never be able to
provide her with something like it. I wondered how we'd go back to living in a
small apartment once our welcome had been worn out. I pushed the thoughts to
the side.
"Hey there,
kiddo," I said as I walked over and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Hey, what's
up?" she asked as she rolled over and sat up, leaving her books spread
across the duvet.
"Nothing, I
just wanted to check in and see how your first day with the tutor went," I
smiled as I reached out and smoothed her wild hair. She reached up and
playfully ruffled it up again.
"It was
really awesome, Leah!" she said excitedly. "She taught me all kinds
of things that we haven't learned in school, and she gave me a bunch of
homework to get done for tomorrow."
"So, you like
it?" I asked.
"It's so much
better than just sitting around waiting to go back to school," she nodded.
"I wish I didn't have to, though."
"You'd rather
study with a tutor than go to school with all of your friends?" I asked
surprised.
"I don't have
any friends, Leah," she said dropping her head and biting her lip.
"No one likes me, and I don't like anyone at school. Well, except for
Becky, but she's not in my grade."
"I'm sorry
about that, Riley," I said reaching out and rubbing her arm. "We'll
see if we can't do something about that once we get our own place. Maybe you
need to go to a different school."
"Can't I stay
here and study with the tutor?" she asked.
"I'm not sure
that's possible, sweetie," I said, trying to think of a way to break it to
her that I couldn't afford the services of a tutor like the one Betty had
employed. "I don't know if your tutor will travel to our new place."
"Oh,
nonsense," Betty said as she stepped into the room smiling. "We'll
find a way to get her to you when you move to your new home. Either that or you
can come here once a week and study with her, if need be."
"Seriously?"
Riley asked as she jumped off the bed and ran over to hug Betty.
"Seriously,"
Betty said as she hugged the girl tightly. "Leah and I will figure it out.
Don't you worry. Now, don't you have homework to complete for tomorrow, young
lady?"
"I do! I'm
working on it," Riley said as she ran back to the bed and threw herself
across it. I stood up and turned to go, but before I could, Riley pushed
herself up and threw her arms around my waist saying, "Thank you, Leah.
I'm glad you decided to let us stay here."
"You're
welcome, kiddo," I smiled as I hugged her back. "We'll figure
something out. Don't worry."
Betty and I exited
the room and quietly closed the door behind us before heading down to the
sitting room where she had had the kitchen staff lay out tea and dessert.
"I hope you
don't think I'm interfering," she said as she poured us both a cup of tea.
"I don't mean to, but Riley is such a smart girl. She loved working with
Bree."
"I don't mind
at all," I admitted. "But I worry that I'm setting her up for
disappointment once we return to our regular existence."
"I know we
live a rather extravagant lifestyle," Betty said as she sipped from her
cup. "But having you and Riley around makes me realize how much I miss
having people in the house. Since Bernard died, it's been so quiet around here
and I've felt lonely. The two of you, and Jack of course, make the house much livelier."
"Well, it's
been wonderful for us, too," I said. "I can't thank you enough for
inviting us to stay with you."
"What are
your plans for your next move?" Betty asked.
"I've been
looking for an apartment near Riley's school, but she just told me she doesn't
want to go back to it. So now I'm not sure where to look," I said, feeling
overwhelmed by everything I needed to do. "I guess I'll have to scout out
schools."
"I know some
excellent ones," Betty offered. "I can give you a list of them, if
you like."
"That would
be great," I nodded, knowing that the schools she'd recommend were likely
to be in neighborhoods where my salary wouldn't make it possible to rent.
"Meanwhile,
we'll figure out a way to keep Bree coming to visit Riley once you two are
settled again," she said.
"Thank you,
Betty. I know Riley would love that," I said. I stood up and excused
myself, saying that I was exhausted and needed a hot bath before bed. Betty
wished me a good night, and I climbed the stairs, feeling more tired than I had
in a very long time.
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRE VOLUME IV
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
By
the time I got home that
night, I was exhausted, but also revved up about the plan to thwart Lincoln and
Sloan. We'd put most of the pieces in place, and now all we had to do was wait
for the two traitors to out themselves on their own. I knew we'd have to be
careful about how we proceeded, but since Leah, Norma, and I were the only ones
who knew what the plan was, I felt confident that no one would let the cat out
of the bag.
The house was
dark, but as I walked down the hallway to my room, I saw a sliver of light
shining from under Leah's door. I stopped and listened, and then tapped lightly
on the door.
"I told you
to go to—oh, Jack, sorry, I thought you were Riley," Leah laughed. She
pushed a strand of wet hair out of her eyes as she smiled at me and asked,
"How was your day?"
"It was, um,
productive," I said as I stared at her. She must have just taken a shower
because she looked fresh and smelled like lavender and sage. My mind
immediately recalled what it had felt like to hold her close, and I had the
urge to push the door open a little wider and take her in my arms.
"Jack? Are
you okay?" she asked, pulling me back to reality.
"Oh, yeah,
fine," I said, shaking my head to clear the thoughts. I could feel myself
being pulled to her, and every day the pull was stronger. I wanted to tell her
what I was thinking. I knew that if I did, I risked not only being rejected but
also losing an incredibly valuable employee. How much longer could this go on?
"So, we
figured out a way to manage the shipments that wouldn't interfere with the plan
we devised," I heard her saying as I watched her mouth moving. I wanted so
badly to kiss her lips.
"That's
great, Leah," I said nodding as I stepped closer to the door. Leah backed
up and opened the door wider.
"Do you want
to come in?" she asked.
"I've been
meaning to talk to you about something," I began deciding that it was now
or never. I needed to say something or else I'd explode.
"I
know," she said looking down at the floor as she bit her lip. "I've
been thinking about it, too."
"You have
been?" I said surprised that she was being this open with me.
"Yeah, I know
it's probably been really difficult for you, so I've been trying to think of a
way to talk to you about it," she said looking up at me. Her eyes were a
shade of deep blue that reminded me of the ocean off the coast of Santorini,
and I was mesmerized by them.
"You have
been?" I repeated dumbly.
"I've been
trying to think of a way to bring it up since the funeral, but I didn't know
how to say it without scaring you off or offending you," she said as she
held my gaze. "But after everything that's happened in the past few weeks,
and now that Riley and I are staying here, I thought it was probably time to
bring it up."
"I see,"
I said, feeling the blood rushing away from my brain as I anticipated her next
sentence.
"Yeah, I
don't know quite how to say this, but Jack …" she hesitated for a moment
and then took a deep breath and let it all spill out. "I really need a
raise. I'm doing a lot of work in the warehouse and taking on a lot of
responsibility and with the fire and my mother and Riley, I need a raise so
that I can afford to pay for Riley's tutor and move her into a better school.
We need to get our own apartment because it's really nice of your mother to put
us up like this, but she can't have two guests living in the house
indefinitely. Plus it's kind of weird for an employee to be living with her
boss, don't you think?"
I stood staring at
her as the words tumbled out in rapid succession, shocked that they weren't
what I thought they were going to be.
"Ah,
yes," I said to hide my disappointment. "Well, then tomorrow we'll
talk about what a fair raise would be. I definitely can't afford to lose
you."
"Thank you,
Jack," she said, smiling up at me. "I appreciate your understanding
and your willingness to consider my proposal."
"No
problem," I nodded as I turned and walked out the door.
"Sweet
dreams!" she called as I pulled the door shut behind me. I went back to my
room and took a long cold shower, hoping that it would quell the aching need,
but as I climbed into bed, I realized that nothing but Leah herself was going
to accomplish that.
The image of her
pretty face and her curvy body under the nightclothes she wore would not leave
my mind, so I lay under the sheet stroking myself. The release gave me enough
relief to fall asleep, but my dreams were full of Leah.