Counting the Days (Counting the Billions, #1)

by Timms, Lexy

  Gerrard smiled crookedly at me. “Come on, man, did you call me in here just to stroke my ego?” he asked jokingly.

  I didn’t return the grin, though, instead fixing him with a cool look. “It’s recently come to my attention you’ve been selling insider information on me to the media for the last couple years,” I continued, as though he hadn’t spoken.

  Gerrard snorted, but I thought I could detect a hint of fear in his eyes. He knew what direction this meeting was heading in then. Good. “Daniel, you know they’re going to get information on you anyway,” he said. “Why not control the information we’re giving them? That was all I was trying to do, just give them breadcrumbs and keep them happy.”

  I fought the urge to shout at him. My gaze turned icy. “Really?” I asked. “Because from everything I’ve heard, it sounds like all you’re concerned with is feeding them the juiciest information from this company to ensure they pay you the highest rates. And it’s not just information about my personal life that you’re spilling. That, I might have been more lenient about.” Not really, but he didn’t need to know that. “Instead, you’ve been giving up information that concerns some of my employees as well.”

  That was the real issue here. It was bad enough that he was selling information about me, making it so that the media could follow me and keep one step ahead of my business dealings. But it wasn’t just about me. He had been selling information about other employees too, and those guys were under my protection. Yet my own right-hand man was throwing us all under the bus.

  It pissed me off. It was part of why I had waited a couple days between uncovering all this information and actually scheduling a meeting with Gerrard to fire him. I didn’t want him to know just how much this had gotten under my skin.

  Because hell, I couldn’t help but take all of this as a personal slight against me and the company. Gerrard would never have dared to do something like this when he was working for my father. But then again, my father wasn’t the kind of guy the media was concerned with, except for his financial influence and business acumen. Me, on the other hand, I was one of the “sexiest wealthy bachelors in Chicago,” according to a number of lists, and even though I’d calmed down and focused more on the company since taking it over, I still liked a good night out and a little fun.

  So shoot me. I wasn’t as terrible as the media told everyone I was. It was just that I was always in the public eye, bound to do something stupid at some point; that was just the law of averages. Come to find out that the reason I was always in the public eye was thanks to Gerrard.

  Gerrard raised an eyebrow at me. “I don’t know who told you I was leaking information to the media, but whoever it was, they’re lying,” he snapped, but I could see the faint sheen of sweat along his brow.

  I shook my head. “Gerrard, don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be,” I warned him. “By leaking information, you’re violating the contract that you signed when you came on board with this company twenty-five years ago. I don’t want to take legal action against you. But I will, if it comes to that. If you sell any more information to the media, rest assured that we will not hesitate to take you down.” I glared at him, hoping he could see how serious I was.

  Gerrard had always been a great advisor, but sometimes he thought that because I was over a decade his junior, he could get away with liberties that he never would have attempted with my father. I wanted to make sure he knew that this wasn’t something he could get away with.

  I should probably have just taken him to court straightaway. I had more than enough evidence to prove that he had been leaking information. I had enough information to destroy him. I could blackball him in this industry—I just hoped I wouldn’t have to go that far. I had a weakness for Gerrard. He helped me so much, even from the time that my father was still running the company. I wouldn’t be half as business savvy as I was without his guidance over the years.

  But that ended now. I would never be able to trust him again. Even in matters of the company, I would always suspect that he was just trying to make his own profits in his advice to me. I couldn’t have that shadow of doubt constantly overhead.

  Gerrard was clearly angry with me, but he seemed to realize that he was in the wrong. He got carefully to his feet, and I waited for him to say something about how he had been with the company for years and how he didn’t deserve this. Anything would have made me feel more justified in firing him, to be honest. All his silence was doing was making me feel guilty.

  This was what was best for the company I tried to remind myself. That was the thing with business. Sometimes doing the right thing felt like screwing over the guys you trusted the most. But Gerrard no longer deserved my trust. He hadn’t for years, apparently.

  Gerrard stalked out of my office, without saying another word. He slammed the door behind him, and a couple of my father’s knick-knacks on the shelves rattled a little. I closed my eyes for a moment, pressing my fingertips to my temples and counting to five. Then, I got to my feet. I knew everyone else in the company was going to have questions, and I didn’t want them to hear whatever Gerrard had to say before I had a chance to say anything.

  I didn’t want them to believe that I had fired him unfairly or rashly. No, this was something that I had thought through from every possible angle since I had found out he was two-timing me.

  I went to the door and opened it, standing in the doorway and waited for everyone’s attention to shift from Gerrard, who was angrily packing his things, over to me. “Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for all your hard work this week. As you may have heard, Gerrard will no longer be employed with this company. It has recently come to light that he’s been leaking information about myself and about some of you to the media. Information that our competitors can use to their advantage in all of our business dealings.”

  I paused, looking around at all of their faces. They had so much trust in me, so much respect. I still wondered how exactly I had earned all of that. But of course, I had worked my ass off over the years. They knew I wasn’t the kind of boss to sit back and let them do all the work. No, I was just as involved in this company as the next person. Often more involved, if I had my way. They also knew that I would do everything in my power to protect them. And that was why this thing with Gerrard weighed particularly heavy on my mind.

  I shook my head. “I apologize for not catching what Gerrard was doing sooner. I know how hard you work, and I have a duty to you to make sure that all of your hard work isn’t done in vain. That we stay one step ahead of our competitors at all times and keep bringing in the money you need to send your kids to college and keep your partners happy.”

  There were some grins around the office at the implied joke: most of the guys were at least a little older than me, a lot of them were guys who had come in while my father was still in charge of McGregor Enterprises. Even among the guys who were my age or even a little younger, most of them were more settled down than I was.

  I didn’t really understand what the rush was, nor had I ever found someone that I really wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But more power to them, I suppose.

  “To make it up to everyone, dinner’s on me tonight,” I told them all, and I saw some more smiles at that. It wouldn’t be the first time I had treated the office to dinner. I had made arrangements with the caterers the day before, and they would be here soon with good food and drinks for everyone who chose to stick around. It would be most of them, I knew from past experience. I was nothing if not a generous boss.

  Of course, I would have preferred to take them out on the town with me, but like always, the press would have been hot on my tail if I had tried something like that. Better to have these low-key parties in the office, behind closed doors.

  Especially since our rat would soon be gone, I thought, glancing over at where Gerrard was just finished packing his things.

  For a moment, I thought about how it must feel, to have a twenty-five-year career end in just
a few minutes. I couldn’t imagine having to pack up all of your personal things into one medium-sized box and to leave this office and know that you were never coming back.

  But I shook my head. That would never happen to me; I owned this place. And despite everything that made it into the press, despite all the gossip, everyone knew I could handle this job. Everyone knew that McGregor Enterprises was only getting stronger every quarter. They weren’t going to boot me out of here. I was like a superhero to them.

  I retreated into my office even as the caterers entered and started setting up the food. Since taking over the company, I had tried to keep a little distance between myself and the guys who were working for me. It was only professional, I believed. They were more likely to do what I asked them to do if they didn’t get too chummy with the boss.

  Gerrard had been the only exception to that rule. And now, he was out of there. For the first time, I felt loneliness well up inside of me as I considered the chasm that stretched between the rest of the office and myself. But that was stupid. I would find a new advisor. I had to. And then things would go on just the way that they had been. If I was lonely, I would just go out to that new place, Variance, tonight. It was Friday, after all. Time to have a little fun.

  I smiled to myself as I sat down at my desk to finish up a few last-minute things before heading home.

  Chapter 2

  Abby

  MATT HAD TOLD ME TIME and time again that I didn’t need to knock on the front door, that I could just come inside. But even though this had been my childhood home, it just didn’t feel the same anymore. Now that my parents were both gone and the house belonged to Matt, my brother, and his family, I did feel more like a guest than like someone who had once occupied the downstairs bedroom.

  It wasn’t anything in particular that Matt did to make me feel that way. Nor his wife, Leanne. She had been my best friend since freshman year of high school, and even though it had been a little hard to wrap my head around the idea of her dating my brother while we were in college, nothing had really changed between us.

  But I didn’t live here anymore, and I felt like it was only common courtesy that I announce my presence at the door rather than just walking inside. Plus, I thought as a smile crested on my face, I love when the kids answer the door.

  I could hear the little footsteps inside now, one of Matt and Leanne’s two kids bounding down the hallway toward the front door. Zachary was beaming when he opened the door. “Auntie Abby!” he cried, throwing his arms around my legs. His younger sister, Layla, wasn’t far behind him.

  “Hey, you little rascals!” I said to them, grinning right back at them. I didn’t want kids of my own, but being around these two definitely made my heart swell. They were both absolutely adorable and so well-behaved too. Oh, Zachary definitely had a streak of mischief in him, and Layla could be a little bratty when she was overtired. But overall, they were the best kids, and I loved spending time with them.

  “I painted a picture!” Layla told me proudly, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the living room. She showed off a blue and green painting that vaguely resembled a peacock, and I oohed and ahhed over it while Zachary ran off to get whatever he had been working on lately so he could display that as well.

  Eventually, Leanne came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands off on her apron. She laughed when she saw me sitting on the floor with Layla on one side and Zach on the other side, various bits of schoolwork and toys scattered around us. “Hey, Abby,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Thanks for keeping the kids busy while I finished up dinner.”

  I laughed and pushed myself to my feet. “They were keeping me busy,” I corrected, winking at her. I gave her a hug. “How’ve you been, anyway? I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

  Leanne gave me a mildly disapproving look. “That’s because it has been forever,” she chided. “Over a week! We were starting to think you didn’t like us anymore.”

  I giggled and shook my head. “You know that’s not it,” I told her. I grimaced. “I’ve just been busy. I know that’s not any excuse though.”

  “I thought that when you quit your last job, you were going to have more time, not less.” Leanne sighed.

  “When you don’t have a job, you have to treat looking for a job like it’s your full-time job. That’s what my dad always used to say,” I told Leanne.

  “So how’s the job search going anyway?” Leanne asked as she led me toward the kitchen. “Matt’s in the shower, by the way. He just got home from work.”

  “No problem,” I said. “I know I’m a little early. I was excited to see you and the kids.” I paused and shrugged. “Anyway, the job search isn’t going great. I can’t believe it, but I still haven’t found anything.”

  “Something will come up. It’s only been a few weeks,” Leanne reminded me.

  “I know,” I said. “I just would have stayed at L&R longer if I had realized it was going to be this hard for me to find a new position.” I shook my head. “Honestly, I’m getting kind of frustrated. Everyone knows I have plenty of experience, but that almost seems to be a bad thing these days. Like, they think they’re going to have to pay me more or something, even though I insist that their terms are fine. I wouldn’t apply for jobs if I didn’t like the terms of them.” I rolled my eyes.

  Leanne gave me a hesitant look. “I hate to say it, but could it have something to do with the fact that you’ve got so many different positions on your resume?” she asked. “You graduated, what, four years ago now? And how many companies have you worked for since then?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s kind of an outdated view at this point. Most companies are happy to have someone who has already learned the ropes and got a few different points of view on the same kind of business. But maybe that’s just what they keep telling me.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Leanne said soothingly. “And I’m sure you’ll find something soon. Something fulfilling this time.” But I could hear the doubt in her voice. She understood why I had quit so many different jobs in the time since I had graduated. None of those positions gave me anything I wanted in the long run.

  But at the same time, I knew that she didn’t think I was going to find what I was looking for in my work. For her, that kind of soul fulfillment could only be found by getting married and starting a family. We were best friends, but in some things, we were completely different.

  Leanne surprised me, though. “Well, I’m sure that something great is waiting for you just around the corner,” she said optimistically. “You deserve a job you love, with a boss who doesn’t run you into the ground.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “I’d just settle for a job I love,” I told her. “Although it would be good to be able to see you guys more often.”

  Matt came into the kitchen just then, his hair still damp and curling around the edges from his shower. “There’s my favorite little sister,” he said, grinning as he gave me a hug. “How’s it going?”

  “Good,” I told him honestly, because even though the job search had been frustrating as anything in recent weeks, things were going well overall. I had been applying for jobs left and right but still found myself with a little spare time to kill, so I’d been getting back into some of my hobbies, things that I had neglected in all the chaos that was my previous job. I was feeling a lot more balanced than I had been when I was working for a tyrannical CEO who thought my every waking hour should be devoted to him.

  Matt gave me a once-over. “You look good too,” he commented. “Are you going to the gym again?”

  I blushed, pleased that he had noticed. I hadn’t lost a lot of weight yet, nor was I really going to the gym to lose weight, per se. I had long since come to terms with the fact that I was going to be curvy for the rest of my life, and that no amount of time spent at the gym was going to make my hips any smaller. But I did want to be in slightly better shape, tone my arms and legs some more, that sort of thing.
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  “Yeah, I started this great program where I get a few classes per week, in yoga or CrossFit or whatever I want, plus access to the pool and weight room,” I told Matt.

  “Nice,” Matt said, grabbing the plates that Leanne handed him and beginning to set the table. I grabbed the cutlery and followed after him.

  Soon, we were all seated around the table, with Leanne dishing out food to each of us. It was still strange to me to see Matt sit in Dad’s old chair at the head of the table, even though it had been almost a year since Dad had sat there.

  That loss still pained me a little when I thought about it too hard. Mom and Dad had been older; they hadn’t had either me or Matt until they were well into their forties. And with Mom’s dementia, honestly it was probably a mercy that she had gone when she had. But to lose both her and Dad in such a short amount of time had shaken the very foundations of my life. I knew that Dad couldn’t live without Mom, that he accepted the quick decline of his health as another small mercy. Still, it was hard to think that I would never see either of them again.

  Dinner with Matt and Leanne and the kids reminded me of all those family dinners that Matt and I and our parents had had over the years, though. Zach and Layla were just as rowdy as Matt and I had ever been, each talking over the other in an attempt to tell us all about their day. My melancholy faded quickly as I laughed at a story Matt told about one of his coworkers and smiled as Layla told me all about her part in the upcoming school play.

  I might never have anything like this for myself, but that didn’t bother me. I had long since given up hope of meeting a man who didn’t want to change me, and I didn’t want children. But my best friend and my brother were married, and they let me share this part of their lives. That was all the family that I needed.