Romance: The Billionaire's Proposal (7 page)

“Thank you Tara. You know we appreciate every penny that we get,” he says.

“Thanks for being so understanding, Mark. Talk to you soon,” I say.

Hanging up, I fall back into bed.

I know that I have to start my day, but I really didn’t feel like getting up and doing something.

I can’t believe I misjudged Alexander. I was usually on point when I made judgments about people, but in this case I was way off.

My phone buzzes. I reach over to get it and see that it’s the councilman’s office calling.

“Hello,” I say into the phone.

“Hi, is this Ms. Timmons?” asks a lady.

“Yes.”

“This is Rhonda, Councilman Jones’s assistant. I wanted you to know that he’s accepted your proposal and that he wants you to come down and sign the deal right away,” she says.

“Really?” I yell into the phone. “Thank you! I’ll be right over.”

“Okay. See you down here,” she says. “Congratulations.”

Leaping out of bed, I rush into the bathroom. I wash my face, brush my teeth, and brush my hair back into a ponytail. I throw on a pair of black jeans and a casual white T-shirt before rushing out the door.

My heart is beating a thousand miles per hour and I didn’t want to make the councilman wait any longer than he needs to, just in case something came up and he changes his mind.

After I pull up to the councilman’s office within twenty minutes, I rush in the building. Once inside, I see the councilman shaking hands with Alexander and a few of his lawyers with a smile on his face.

My heart drops.

What?

In twenty minutes, they’ve changed their minds?

My shock instantly grows to fury.

I know he has gotten the deal under the table, when just moments ago it was mine.

Alexander walks past me with a smirk on his face and continues out the door, chuckling.

I storm over to Councilman Jones, who looks a little concerned.

“Ms. Timmons, I can explain…” he starts to say with his hands out.

“You can explain what? How you go back on your word?”

“Tara…”

“Just twenty minutes ago I got a call saying that my proposal is the one you wanted to take and as soon as I get here, I see that it’s Alexander’s you chose. You know how shady that makes you look, Councilman? How sleazy that makes you? And here I thought you were one of the good people in the world.”

“I have to do what is right…

“What, did he promise to fund your next campaign? You know what? I really don’t care. I told you why that land was important to the community and you ignored it, so when you don’t get reelected I hope you know why. You barely even got elected the first time! Probably because people see you for the creep that you really are. If they didn’t know, I’ll make sure they do, because a real man would keep his word no matter what. Have a nice freaking day!” I yell at him as I walk out.

I can’t believe this is happening.

I just get inside my car, drive around the corner and then burst into tears. I pull out my cell phone to dial the one person who will understand me: my best friend, Amber.

“Hello,” she says.

“I’m having the day from hell!” I sob into the phone. “It started good and then bam, it went straight to the pits! Why does the universe hate me? I’m a good person. I like to help people and yet I’m still come out last. This day absolutely sucks!”

“What happened? Tell me what’s wrong?” she says. “Because right now, you’re just doing a whole lot of rambling.”

“You know how I wanted that piece of land at the end of town, right? Well I pitched the idea to Councilman Jones, and then some guy who’s worth like billions of dollars came in and made an offer as well, to make a parking garage or something. Anyway, I got a call this morning saying that Councilman Jones had accepted my offer. But when I got here he had already given the property to the billionaire guy—who by the way is a massive jerk—and now I’m sitting in my car, crying. Crying because men are jerks who obviously don’t respect women in business. If I were a man I bet this never would’ve happened to me, but since I got two breasts and a bit of an ass they just think they can run all over me! To be honest, it’s exactly what they did.”

“Oh my gosh, Tara, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s horrible.”

“I know how bad you wanted it. I can’t believe the councilman is such a jerk; he seemed like one of the more decent politicians. It’s no wonder he just barely won the election. He must’ve pissed some people off before, and they were trying to get him out before he got in.”

“I know right? The guy probably promised to fund his campaign or something. You know I definitely can’t afford to do something like that. Even if I could, I still wouldn’t, because it’s a sleazy way to do business and eventually all of that sleaziness comes back to haunt you.”

“Probably that’s all he’s going to care about with reelections coming up. With how it happened last time, he probably needs to get out there and hit the streets even harder if he wants to win by more than just five votes.”

“I know. I got half the nerve to go to Alexander’s office and give him a piece of my mind again. I just can’t believe the slime ball.” And just when I was starting to change my mind about him, too.

“Who’s Alexander?” she asks, confused.

“The billionaire guy.”

“You know where he works? Then why are you sitting there crying? Go tell him that you aren’t going to take this lying down. Fight for what you want, girl!”

I smile to myself and wipe away the tears.

This is why we’ve been friends with her for so long.

She always knows what to say to cheer me up, and I’m forever grateful for that.

“You’re right. I’m going to go there now. Thanks, girl.”

“Anytime. Now go get what’s yours.”

“I will.”

I start my car and drive to Alexander’s office—he has no idea who he’s dealing with.

I’m going to make sure to make this a day he would never forget.

Alexander

As I walk into my spacious office, I place the papers on my desk and take a seat.

I’ve already left word with my assistant that when Tara comes barging through the doors—which I know she will—to just let her come in.

I know that it was underhanded to take her deal when the councilman had already offered it to her, but then I’d have no reason to talk to her.

I wouldn’t see that little light of fire in her eyes when she got mad.

It is a beautiful thing to watch. I love a strong, fiery lady.

I know that what I say when she comes into my office will determine what happens in our future, but I’m prepared to let her yell and scream, and do whatever she wants to do as long as she walks away with me in the end.

It seems a little desperate, but no one has ever gotten to me the way that she has.

My mother always said that I should never settle for anything other than the best. If she wants to be a woman in life, then she has to pass my tests. I’m not settling for any gold-digger.

I only want the best…

The look on her face when my lawyers and I walked out of Councilman Jones’s office was one that will stay with me forever.

She looked hurt and betrayed, but I think I now know her enough to know that she isn’t going to easily accept defeat.

If anything, she’s probably going to come to my office and call me a bastard.

And I can live with that.

I hear yelling outside my door, immediately letting me know that she’s there.

I pull out some more papers from my drawer and place them on my desk.

The doors to my office swing open to reveal Tara standing there with her face flushed and her breathing out of control.

“How could you?! You asshole!” she yells.

I smile.

Okay, so it wasn’t “big, fat jerk,” but we were getting somewhere.

“Tara, have a seat,” I say calmly. “I’m sure that you want to discuss what happened today as calmly as possible.”

Chapter Ten

Tara

I can’t believe this asshole has the nerve to have a smile across his face when I walk through the door.

And his assistant didn’t even argue with me.

After I finished giving her a few choice words, she told me that Alexander had been expecting me and that she was to let me through with no problems. I feel like I was being set up, but I don’t care.

I’ve come to take what’s mine.

“Tara, are you going to take a seat?” he asks calmly.

I ignore his request, “How could you? You know that he’d already said yes to my proposal, and you still went in and took the deal from me.”

He nods. “You are correct. I did know that he had accepted your proposal. But I also knew that you hadn’t signed the papers yet, so I still had time. That is the world of business.”

“That was an underhanded thing to do and you know it. Who really goes in and steals others’ deals from under their noses? I’m sure that’s a new type of low—even for you.”

“It is business Tara. I always get what I want, and what I wanted was that property.”

“You really are a selfish asshole, aren’t you?”

He shrugs. “I pride myself on being cutthroat. How do you think I’ve gotten to where I am today? Certainly not by being nice.”

I take a deep breath.

I can’t believe that I once found this guy so attractive, when he is nothing but a first-class bastard.

I have to think of something fast, but my mind is drawing a blank.

Then something clicks.

I know exactly what to do.

“If you put up another warehouse there, I’ll file a motion with the court to preserve the area.”

Suddenly, his face loses its humor.

I can tell that I’ve gotten him just where I want him.

Alexander

I have to admit that I’m quite impressed by the way Tara is fighting for the property.

Had I really wanted it, I know that I would be in trouble because she handled business like a mosquito drawn to blood.

I didn’t think that she was as cutthroat as me, but this stunt has proven that she is.

I know right then that she is the woman for me, and it’s time to reveal my plan to her.

Although, I do plan to keep a little of it to myself—I don’t want her to freak out or think that I’m some kind of stalker.

I look into her beautiful brown eyes and smile. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world, and I want nothing more in the world than to make her happy.

Moving from my seat to sit at the edge of my desk, I become face to face with her.

“I’ll give you the property on one condition, Tara: you have to go to dinner with me. Any place that I choose,” I say to her.

A shocked expression crosses her face. “Wh-what? You want me to go to dinner? With you?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Yes, it is…”

“Then that’s what I mean.”

“So if I go to dinner with you, will you sign the land over to me?”

“Yes, it’s that simple.”

“I don’t understand…” Tara hesitates with a confused look across her beautiful face.

“I really admire you; you have a fire in you and a lot of spunk. In that regard, you’re a lot like my mother. And from the moment I laid eyes on you I knew that you were different. Especially since you didn’t even know how much money I had. And now that you do, it still doesn’t seem to bother you, other than the fact that I frequently get on your nerves beyond reproach.”

She sits quiet for a minute, and for a while I think that she’s not going to say anything at all.

“All you want is dinner and then you’ll sign the land across?” she asks again.

“That’s correct.”

“Okay. Fine. So where are we going for dinner?”

“Paris.”

Chapter Eleven

Tara

I look at him in disbelief.

Did he really just say Paris?

He wants dinner in Paris?

I never really thought he was paying me attention—that he was just using me to get information.

But I’m starting to think that I’ve been completely wrong.

“You remembered that I wanted to go to Paris?” I ask him.

He smiles. “I remember everything that you’ve ever told me. You are something special, Tara, and I want to do nothing more than to get to know you better.”

I smile up at him, but then I quickly lose it. “Look, Alexander, I like you too. But you’re rich, and your relationships probably are splashed all over the tabloids. I’m a very private person. I don’t want to be known as someone’s girlfriend; I want to be my own person. You understand me?”

He offers another smile. “I don’t think you have to ever worry about anyone thinking of you as just a girlfriend. You are a beautiful woman with a beautiful mind, and anyone who comes into contact with you is going to love you. I think I’m halfway there myself. You know how much work I had to put into this plan just to get you to notice me?”

“What do you mean?”

“This was always my plan,” he smiles.