She really thought she was onto something when she followed him to drinks at a bar with a busty blonde. Nothing really happened, but she stuck around just in case. At the end of the night, he gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. It was harmless, but Angela snapped a picture just in case. Maybe she could find something on the woman. The date seemed normal, but Angela had her fingers crossed that the girl would turn out to be a porn star or married woman or something.
Excited about her new lead, she sent the picture to Clive to see if he could identify the girl. She didn’t take her eyes off her phone until he responded.
Nice try, he said. But that’s my cousin. She invited me too, but I didn’t want to see Daniel.
Angela let out an audible groan. That was the closest she had gotten to finding out his secrets.
Maybe it’s time to give it up, he texted a minute later. I told you that he does everything by the book.
I can’t give up until I have something, she responded.
Angela found it strange that Daniel went back into the bar after saying goodbye to his cousin, so she ordered a drink and found a dark corner to watch him from. He sat alone as if he were waiting for someone.
Moments later, a skinny brunette sat down next to him. They started talking and she proceeded to laugh loudly while tossing her silky hair around. What were the chances the Davis’s had two different cousins to meet up with on a Wednesday night?
From her vantage point, Angela couldn’t quite tell what was going on. Daniel kept placing his hand on her arm and shoulder like he did with Angela at the charity function. This seemed a little friendlier than a casual drink with a friend or family member.
The thought of texting another picture to Clive crossed her mind, but ultimately she decided against it. He was just going to tell her to give up again and she wasn’t ready for that. If she could get rid of the pictures, there was a slight chance she could still make it work with Clive. If she lost her job because of him, she never wanted to see his face again.
Angela crept closer, finding a seat behind a tall potted plant. She couldn’t see them, but she could make out some of their conversation.
“Oh, so you’re a Pilates instructor?” Daniel asked. Angela rolled her eyes. “Maybe I should try it sometime.”
“Yeah, definitely,” the woman said. “I can tell you work out. You should come to my gym for a class sometime.”
“I just might have to do that. My schedule is full this week. I have to—”
Angela couldn’t hear the rest. A noisy bachelorette party set up shop between Daniel and her perch. If she wanted to hear the rest of their conversation, she would have to choose a new spot, but that would put her at risk of being spotted. She had about fifteen hours to blackmail Daniel before it was all over.
She put her head down and briskly walked to the other side of the bar. She found a high-top table and sat with her back turned to Daniel. If he didn’t recognize her from the back, she would be safe.
“What kind of drugs?” the brunette girl asked in a hushed voice.
“Oh, all sorts,” Daniel responded. “Whatever gets the job done.”
Angela’s head whipped around at the hint of illegal activity. She turned her head back before Daniel caught her. She was starting to feel self-conscious about how close she was sitting to him. She got up and walked to the bathroom to buy herself some time. From there, she could stand outside the bar and wait for Daniel to do some drugs with the Pilates instructor.
Not typically a regular at such swanky bars, Angela marveled at the fancy sitting area inside the bathroom. Avoiding eye contact with the bathroom attendant, she sat down on the couch and debated telling Clive about what she’d heard. If she could prove that he was using drugs, it could be enough to pin him. She needed solid evidence, though, so that would have to wait.
After she gained the courage to go back into the bar, someone blocked her path.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Daniel said, looking down at Angela.
Her heart stopped. “Ha-ha, yeah, small world,” she squeaked.
“No, I don’t think it is. In fact, I think you’ve been watching me all night. Does this have something to do with my brother and our private business deal?”
“No,” she lied.
He gave her a reproachful look.
“I’m going to tell him about the drugs,” she said, mustering up the confidence to call him out.
“What are you talking about?”
“I heard you talking to that girl. Who is she? You told her that you do all sorts of drugs. That could get you in a lot of trouble with your company and your charities.”
“Think, Angela,” he said. “What do I do for a living? I sell all sorts of drugs. Pharmaceuticals.”
She blinked hard. How could she be so stupid?
“And the girl? Can’t a man just have one drink at a bar and talk to a pretty girl who approaches him? Are you jealous?”
“No,” she spat. “How could you do this to me? To us?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, “but that’s just how business works. Clive’s not going to be happy with me for a while, but come Christmastime, we’ll be talking and laughing together like we always do. This is our life. I’m sorry if you don’t like how we do things.”
“But what about me? I don’t get to carry on with my multi-million-dollar corporation after a scandal.”
“Don’t take it personally, sweetheart. You’re just collateral damage.”
Angela’s fists balled up in rage. This absolutely validated her feelings toward the upper class. They didn’t care about stepping on other people to get what they wanted. It wasn’t real to them like it was to people like Angela.
“You’re not going to find dirt on me so easily. It wasn’t easy to find it on Clive either. This was such a rare find that I had to seize the opportunity to use it. I can’t believe how lucky I got, too. Well,” he said, looking back into the bar, “there’s a girl waiting for me. You should go home.”
Angela stumbled out of the bar, feeling dazed. She had lost. In just two weeks, she went from feeling the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.
Trying to hold back tears, she hailed a cab and went to Clive’s office. If explicit photos of her would be all over the place in just a day’s time, she would have to say goodbye to him for good.
The doorman must have been expecting her because he sent her up to the penthouse without any questions. When the doors parted, she stormed in. Clive was sitting on the couch, casually reading a book. It wasn’t fair that he seemed so unconcerned.
“It’s over,” Angela said. “I can’t find anything on him.”
“I told you it was pointless,” he sighed. “Come sit down. We can have a drink.”
“I don’t want a drink,” she shouted. “I want my job.”
“Calm down. Let’s talk about it,” he said gently.
“You can’t do this to me,” she said, her voice breaking. “This isn’t fair. I worked so hard for everything I have and I still have nothing. I wanted you and now it’s all over.”
By now, tears were freely flowing down her cheeks. She futilely tried to wipe them away.
“I fell in love with you,” she raged. “And I never even stood a chance. I knew I didn’t belong in your world, but you bought me the fancy dress and let me sip champagne by your side. You tricked me into thinking that I deserved that kind of life, that I wanted that kind of life. You’re the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“You hate me? I have feelings too, you know,” he fired back. “I fell in love with you the first time you came to interview me. By the end of our dinner, I knew I was stuck on you for good. I’m fully prepared to sacrifice a lot, just to protect you.”
“What? Your bottom line?”
“It’s so much more than that,” he said, getting up from his seat. “You don’t understand—I hired fifty people to work on this project. If we don’t sign an agreement with the tech company, they will all lose th
eir jobs. These are real people with families and bills to pay. If I tell Daniel to scrap the photos, they will be jobless. It’s not just about the money.”
Angela sniffled. “I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t ask. You just assumed that I cared about beating my brother in business. Contrary to what you believe about my job, I don’t just care about the money. But, I would never forgive myself if you lost your job either. Do you see why this is so difficult for me?”
Angela nodded.
“I love you,” he said, now standing across from Angela. “I want you to be happy. Tell me what you want to do.”
She let out a shuddered sigh. “Tell him to leak the photos to the press. If I can land one job, maybe I can land another. But,” she said, pointing a finger at Clive, “you’re going to pay my rent for this month if I lose my job at the Times.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” she said.
“You know there’s a chance that you won’t lose your job. I mean, can they fire you for being in a relationship?”
“Are we?”
“If you want to be. I know that I would be honored to call you my girlfriend.”
Clive wiped the tears from Angela’s face. A tiny smile appeared on her face. She felt safe in Clive’s arms, even in such a tumultuous time.
“I want you to be my boyfriend,” she said with certainty. She had toyed around with the idea ever since their first “date” but it never seemed like a true possibility. Now, as she said the words out loud, it felt real. It felt right.
He wrapped his arms around her and she squeezed him tight. Her world was about to go up in flames, but she savored the moments she had with Clive.
“Angela?” he asked softly. “What do you think about staying the night with me tonight? I don’t feel like being alone.”
“Me neither,” she admitted. “I’ll stay, but just this once.”
“We’ll see about that,” he muttered to himself as he lifted her up and carried her to his bedroom.
Chapter 14
Clive insisted that Angela take one of his cars into work, but she refused. The moment she started taking favors from him, it was all over. She couldn’t get too comfortable with the fact that he had unlimited amounts of money and resources that he was more than willing to spend on her. If she wanted to be his girlfriend, she would have to hold onto her independence.
That was one of the conditions of dating her that Angela made very clear as they talked before bed. She would not do anything that could cause someone to later accuse her of being a gold-digger for. She would always keep her career and only attend social functions when it was absolutely necessary. She would buy her own clothes and continue to pay rent at her rundown apartment.
Clive protested, so she allowed him to make a few exceptions. He could pay for dates and had no budget when it came to gift-giving holidays such as Christmas or her birthday. Other than that, they’d keep their finances separate.
So, instead of riding in a town car, Angela opted for the train, nervously biting her nails the whole way. With twelve hours before Daniel’s deadline, Clive sent his brother a strongly worded email giving him his decision—he was not going to back out on the business deal that was about to take place in his company.
The night before, Clive tried to reassure Angela that everything was going to be okay. While he wasn’t always well received by the press, he did have a lot of connections and was willing to help her if things went sour. In fact, it was his company’s PR team that helped set up the interview in the first place. Plus, their paper was receiving a large chunk of cash to print it.
And when she thought about it, what were the chances a well-respected newspaper would care about something printed in a trashy tabloid magazine? Those types of publications were the antithesis of a reputable paper. If anyone at work saw it, they’d probably just take pity on Angela.
She didn’t take more than five steps into the office before the stares began. Angela reasoned that people were just looking to see who was entering the office. She believed it until she saw the looks continue as she made her way to her desk.
Her butt hardly touched the chair when she heard her editor call her name. She knew she was in deep shit.
Constance was stone-faced as Angela sat down across from her. There was another man in the room and she recognized him as the kind HR employee that helped her out on her first day. This could not lead to anything good.
“Do you know why I called you in here?” Constance asked. Angela felt like she was in the principal’s office.
“I have a guess,” she said.
Constance turned her computer monitor around so Angela could see it. There, on the front page of the National Enquirer was a slightly blurry security camera photo of her sexual exploits with Clive Davis.
“Do you understand why this is an issue for us?” Constance asked. “It’s a huge conflict of interest. How do you expect to write without bias when you’re engaged in a sexual relationship with the subject? That is you, isn’t it?”
Angela nodded sheepishly. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. I promise it didn’t affect my work in any way.”
“That’s beyond the point, I think. That’s just not how we do things around here. I understand that he’s a difficult subject. I think I know why you had no trouble getting personal information from him. I admire the effort you put into it, and the work is excellent. But unfortunately, we can’t keep anyone on who can’t be trusted as an ethical employee. If anyone else knew that it was you in that photo, we would be getting phone calls. You’re lucky that whoever sent that in left you unnamed.”
Angela took a closer look at the article. Constance was right; there was no mention of her name in it. After all, Daniel said that she was just collateral damage, not the main target. At least she could keep some dignity, so long as no one recognized her on the street.
“Are you firing me?” she asked.
“Unfortunately, we must let you go,” the HR guy chimed in.
“We wish we could keep you on, but we can’t trust a writer that uses unsavory interview methods.”
“It’s not like that at all,” Angela argued. “What happened in that picture occurred after I finished interviewing him. He wasn’t coerced into telling me anything. He can’t be coerced into telling me anything. If anything, it’s because he liked me as a reporter and that’s not a bad skill to have. He likes me because I don’t take shit from anyone, especially difficult people.”
“I’m sorry,” Constance said. “There’s not much else to say.”
“But we’re in a committed relationship now,” Angela said. “That happened after I finished writing the articles. How can you fire me for having a boyfriend? What was I supposed to do, put my love life on hold forever because I once wrote a tiny series about him? What could I have done differently?”
“Perhaps you should have done the interviews with his staff around him. Maybe that’s why he keeps them close, to prevent him from doing anything regrettable.”
Angela was livid. “Are you saying dating someone like me is regrettable?”
The HR guy nervously looked between Angela and Constance.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that no matter what the circumstances are, it’s just a bad look for the paper. Frankly, it’s a lot easier to let a new staff writer off than one of our big feature writers. I’m not saying you’re a bad writer, either. If you want me to, I’m willing to write you a letter of recommendation. There are thousands of publications in this city. I just don’t know if you’re the right fit for this one.”
Angela felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart. When it came down to it, there was only one paper that she had her eye set on since she arrived in New York, and she was there. If she left, there was no telling how long it would take to get something just as good. She would maybe even have to leave the city and go somewhere else. Her life, her home, her boyfriend all would be
lost in transit.
She wasn’t about to let it go this easily. Angela knew she had to fight for what she wanted. While she wasn’t proud of how everything went down, she knew that deep down, she didn’t do anything seriously wrong. She worked hard to give the paper the articles they wanted and just happened to fall for her interview subject along the way.
“I don’t think it’s in your best interest to let me go,” she said.
“Really?” Constance asked. “Why is that?”
Angela took a deep breath. It was all or nothing.
“You haven’t printed the last of my articles yet.”
“I have the draft,” Constance said. “You signed a contract, so we’re allowed to use whatever you give us.
“But I have the finished file on my flash drive. I showed it to you, but I don’t believe there are any more copies of it.”
“What we have is good enough. We’ll run that.”
“What if I go to the press first?” Angela tried. “I’m sure the papers that printed the picture of Clive and me would love an exclusive tell-all with the girl in the photograph. I can tell them that you’re so worried about what will happen to your paper if I stay on.”
“Can she do that?” Constance muttered to the HR guy.
“I don’t see why not,” he responded.
“Also,” Angela continued, “I’m currently in a relationship with Clive Davis. As I recall, his company is also in a contract with you. If they don’t like what is being printed, they can ask for revisions, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And because there’s still one story that hasn’t been printed, they can just call off the whole thing. They’ll still have to pay the fee, but that’s not an issue. You’ll be left with an unfinished series when you’ve promised a grand finale of a final article. That doesn’t look very professional.”
Constance frowned. Apparently, she hadn’t thought about Clive’s influence on the whole story.
One Night With The Tycoon (Billionaire's One Night #1) Page 9
