Discovered by Her Billionaire

by Sophia Summers

  “Like what? I have a hard time finding much else.” Jack smirked, throwing it back in her face. Maggie knew neither one of them wanted to admit how much they liked each other, and perhaps even loved each other. Well, Maggie had no intention of being the first one to say it, particularly now that her father had warned her about Jack’s possible relationship with Meredith. He didn’t seem to have any qualms. He was either free or a major slimeball, and that didn’t add up from what she knew about him so far.

  “Okay, fine. Let’s just change the conversation for now.” Maggie gave him a knowing look.

  Jack leaned forward, taking her hand and looking into her eyes. “This is more than just kissing magic, Maggie, and you know it.” Jose came in and cleared the table for them. Maggie’s heart was racing as she pulled her hand away.

  “Thank you, Jose, this was amazing!” Maggie handed him her dessert plate, which once held what was the best flan she had ever had.

  She looked over at Jack as she stood to leave. “I’m exhausted. I think I’ll turn in. We should arrive in about eight hours, right? It’s so wonderful that we can go to bed. I almost hate to ask, but does this plane have a shower?”

  Jack laughed as he stood up as well. “Of course. We each have a shower. Just open the closet door, and you will find a cozy little bathroom with a shower.”

  “I love traveling with you, Jack Sellers. You have spoiled me for future air travel. It will never be the same.” Jack took her in his arms and pulled her close. He then kissed the top of her head and opened her compartment door for her.

  Chapter 6

  Jack was up a couple of hours before Maggie. He was in his office when she found him. “Hey, the shower was great, and it looks like we’ll be landing in half an hour. I have been looking down on what I believe is the Amazon forest; it goes on forever.”

  Jack stood up and walked over to Maggie. “Good morning. I’ve been getting some business accomplished for my meeting today.” He touched her shoulder. “Let’s have breakfast. I’m starved.” They walked to the front of the plane and sat facing each other. Jose brought out a tray of choices for breakfast. Jack took the eggs, ham, and potatoes, and Maggie was thrilled to see a much lighter breakfast choice. Maggie looked up and smiled at Jose. She took plain yogurt with a raspberry jam, along with a bran muffin and fresh fruit. They both drank a large glass of orange juice. “We’re going to want to drink more than usual while here. When you step off of the plane and the heat and humidity hits, you will understand why.” He chuckled and looked over a news release Jose handed him.

  Jack had not slept well at all the previous night. Choices that needed to be made were crowding in on him. He knew this was the week he had to decide if Maggie was the one or not. The only problem was, would she be willing to make a life with him?

  The captain announced over the speaker that they needed to buckle up for landing. Maggie looked so fresh and excited. Jack knew it was going to be great seeing Rio with her. They were flying into the Santos Dumont Airport, which provided a spectacular view of all of Rio. He smiled as Maggie looked out the window. “I can see Corcovado!” The Christ Statue was the largest in the world that Maggie knew of. It stood at the top of a mountain as a sentinel over the city in white marble. “The whole city is beautiful along the ocean.” She looked over and touched his hand. “Look, Jack, its Sugar Loaf.” Sugar Loaf was busy with a gondola continuously taking people up and down from the large rock island. Biking trails lined the roads along the beaches. She looked down and saw Copacabana and Ipanema further south. They both looked like a half-moon inlet facing islands farther out into the ocean. “I would love to bike along those beaches if we can find the time.”

  “I’ll have plenty of time. All my meetings are today, and then we have the rest of the week to explore.” He moved over to look out his window. “Let’s try to see Raelyn tomorrow.”

  “Okay, that’s a good idea. I am anxious to meet her and see if she will cooperate with our plans. Then we can explore.” Jack felt his business life was a mess at present. He had to convince the board to bring in the CEO position. This idea would require some politicking with the board. He wanted to keep his hands in the business, but not as the CEO. What he wanted was Carson’s life with Maggie and a family. He had opportunities now to reach his goals, but it was dicey. One wrong move and it could all go away.

  After the plane landed and taxied into the hangar, the doors opened, and both Maggie and Jack gasped as they felt the shock of hot hyper humidity. Maggie wiped her upper lip. “You weren’t kidding. I feel like I could drown with all this water in the air.”

  Jack placed his hand around Maggie’s waist and walked her to the car. He had hired a driver for the whole week. “We are staying at the Caesar Park hotel on Ipanema beach. On the way, could you drive by the international school? We’d like to see where it is.”

  “What time is your meeting today?” Maggie was checking her phone.

  “I am going in at ten this morning. I’ll take a cab so that you can have the driver.”

  “I can meet with Dr. Woodbury this afternoon. He flew in yesterday and is visiting family. Are you sure you don’t need the car?” Jack noticed Maggie was all business now. So this is her professional side. He was impressed. He couldn’t help comparing her to Meredith, who was one of the most impressive businesswomen he knew, and what he found was they were very similar. Meredith was an accomplished businesswoman. She could hold her own in the oil and gas business world as he had witnessed many times. Seeing Maggie like this only made the differences between the two women grow smaller. Meredith would be perfect for his brother, and he hoped she and Maggie would become friends.

  “You seem far away, Jack. Are you sorry you got yourself into this plan of ours?”

  Jack looked out the window as their driver zipped in and out of lanes, driving down Avenue Viera Souto toward the hotel. The avenue was graced with an island in the middle full of greenery. There were palm trees and smaller bushes. Often, one would see someone snuggled under those bushes, sleeping for the night. The beaches were busy even at this time of the morning. One of his Brazilian associates told him everyone begins their evening at eleven and parties till three or four in the morning. Then they move out to the beach and sleep until noon or later. “No, I’m happy you are here with me. I was thinking of the differences in culture between my life and those of the Brasileiros. They take the time to live their lives each day. My meeting today is a perfect example. I’m here to talk business, but that will never happen until we all have an amazing meal where we enjoy each other’s company. I admire their lifestyle.”

  “Well, Jack, I think you’re in a position to do whatever you want with your life.” Maggie reached over and touched his arm.

  “You are right, Miss Colby. You’re absolutely right.”

  The driver drove them up to the doorman, who opened their door, and the bellhops gathered their luggage. They stepped out and went to the front desk. “We have two rooms for Sellers.”

  “Oh, yes, sir. We have you in the ocean view suites next to each other. Will that do?”

  “Thank you. That will be fine. What time does the restaurant open?” Jack looked over at Maggie. “Would you like to eat here tonight and plan our activities for the week? They have a great restaurant overlooking the ocean.”

  “That sounds great.” Maggie walked to the elevator with Jack. Their luggage was already on its way. Maggie took Jack’s hand in the elevator. “I am so excited. This trip has the potential to bring a lot of happiness to my father.” Jack nodded, thinking it had the same potential for him if all went well.

  They walked down the hall to their rooms. “Maggie, I’m running a little late. I’ll leave you here and see you tonight at dinner at about six?” Jack handed her the room key.

  “That sounds perfect.” Maggie reached up and kissed his cheek. “Have a great day!” She opened her door, and Jack walked down to his room. The room was lovely. She walked over to the ocean view and steppe
d out onto the terrace. This was wonderful. An ocean breeze brushed against her hair, blowing it back behind her shoulder. She sat down on one of the chairs and just sighed at the beauty before her. The islands were beckoning to her, and the beach was busy with men walking along with coolers, selling foods of every kind. People were stretched out on towels or sitting in chairs under umbrellas. The avenue bordered a bike trail next to a walking trail, which bordered the sand and palm trees. Ipanema beach was a half-moon inlet with a point at each end of the beach. Copacabana was around the point going north, and Gavea was around the point going south. The Sheraton sat at the point between Gavea and Ipanema, going south where they had tennis courts and a sports center; the bellhop notified her.

  As she looked down, she could see a beach volleyball court, and it was busy now. She looked down to watch and noticed two women were playing four men, and they were creaming them. What in the world? Those women were good. Maggie picked up the phone and ordered lunch to be brought up. After she ordered, she asked, “I can see two women playing volleyball on the beach, can you tell me anything about them?”

  “Well, that explains it.” She laughed. Those women were the Brazilian gold medalists in the past Olympics. Maggie decided to have lunch on the terrace and watch their game. When else would she have another opportunity to do that? It was obvious they were practicing, but the moves were remarkable, and those men were not unremarkable players either. Maggie finished lunch and called the driver. “I’ll be down in an hour. Thanks.”

  Maggie put on a business suit and brushed her hair into a French twist. After touching up her makeup which was melting off of her face in this heat, she decided less was more and grabbed her laptop as she walked out the suite door. To meet with someone who had interests in her exact area of research was thrilling for Maggie.

  Two Brazilian men stopped talking and took an appreciative look as Maggie walked by. It made her feel self-conscious. At least most of the American men were sly about their looks. These Brazilian men seemed brazen. She was almost afraid to notice. One man was following her. She found she needed to keep her eyes to the front and on where she was going because one look in their direction was an invitation to approach her.

  The driver was waiting just outside the door, and she gladly got into the back seat and away from the men walking after her. “Good grief!”

  The driver smiled knowingly and shut her door, turning around to give the man a disparaging look.

  The driver turned to look at her. “You must not mind the Brazilian men. “ He smiled and asked. “Where to miss?” Maggie handed him a slip of paper with the address of the university office building here in Rio. The drive through the city was amazing. She found her heart in her throat a few times. It seemed no one used cruise control here. They accelerated until they had to slam on the brakes. Even the bus drivers used this method of driving. It reminded her a little of driving in New York, but at least everyone there used their designated lanes. Here, three lanes became five. It was a relief when they drove up to the building and stopped.

  As the driver helped her out of the car, she smiled at him and raised her eyebrows. She wondered if he would give any explanation at all about his driving skills, but it seemed he didn’t think there was anything unusual about her near-death experiences. “I’m not sure how long I will be here, can you just wait?”

  “Of course, I will be here. Just phone when you are ready.” The driver smiled and winked. Did she dare get into that automobile again? She wasn’t sure.

  Dr. Woodbury was waiting for her in the lobby. “Dr. Colby, what a pleasure. We finally meet.”

  Maggie was thrilled at the kind greeting, and it was the first time she’d heard herself referred to as Dr. Colby. She couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s so kind of you to arrange your schedule to meet with me.”

  “I have been so anxious to talk with you since Dr. Brickson told me you had collaborated with him on your thesis.”

  Maggie stopped walking, shocked, and looked to Dr. Woodbury. “Dr. Woodbury, there has been a misrepresentation here. I did not collaborate with Dr. Brickson. He merely scanned the final thesis paper when I turned it in. Up until that point, he knew nothing of my research.”

  “I am sorry to hear that. He is a leader in the field and so well-known. This would have been a feather in your cap.”

  Maggie felt sick and wondered what else Dr. Brickson may have said. How could he do this? He flat-out lied. Maggie wondered which other researcher had his name tagged to their work. “I collaborated more with you and Dr. Henderson on my paper than anyone else.”

  “Let’s sit down to some refreshments and share our research.” He entered the elevator, and Maggie followed, totally on edge.

  As they entered what looked like a lounge, Dr. Woodbury headed to a table and chairs in the corner set up with a workspace and a rolling table loaded with all kinds of delicious snacks. Wow, this is snacking Brazilian style. There were cuts of cheese and meats, crackers and dips, pies and flan, and drinks to order. She was starting to feel a little better as she ordered mango slush.

  “I met with Dr. Brickson last week. Can you please relate to me what he said? Perhaps there has been a misunderstanding that can easily be cleared up.”

  Dr. Woodbury sighed and took some soda. “It’s hard for a woman to break into this field of study, and Dr. Brickson was most likely doing you a favor by adding his name and recognition to your work.” Maggie was starting to feel hot under the collar; of all the nerve. I don’t need his name or his recognition under the circumstances. She didn’t want to ruin this opportunity to meet, but it was hard holding her tongue. Just what was Dr. Brickson up to?

  Dr. Woodbury continued, “It just so happens we may be fortunate enough to have Dr. Brickson join our staff at the oceanography institute in Sao Paulo. Having a man of such stature will boost our opportunities for grants, and you know how important that is.”

  “Yes, grants for research are very important for the work to progress.” Now, what was she going to do? Dr. Woodbury knew nothing about the trouble Dr. Brickson was having in Texas and the loss of grants there.

  “He has many opportunities competing for his time. If we move fast and offer him tenure, he said he would find it convenient to work with us.”

  Brickson was trying to get established here before the news of his problems in the States got out. And frankly, the Brazilian culture turned a blind eye to such things.

  “We will have the final say in two days.”

  “I wish you the best of luck, Dr. Woodbury. What did you think about the platform research I did? I understand you ran some research in South America with the oil platforms as well.” They got off the Brickson topic, thank heavens, and spent another hour sharing research. Maggie left feeling ill at ease after their meeting. She was invited to a party the next evening with the staff. She left, not sure she wanted to attend but left it open, wanting to see what Jack had planned first.

  Once inside the car, she asked the driver if they could take a route back to the hotel along the beaches so she could enjoy the views, thinking he would surely get the hint she wanted to drive leisurely along enjoying the beaches and perhaps survive. Maggie smiled contentedly as her ploy was working. Thinking about the Brickson problem, Maggie didn’t want to mention it to Jack. She didn’t want to think about it now and ruin her trip.

  Jack was anxious to finish with the Petrobras meetings and get back to Maggie. As he listened to the Brazilian men talk about their families, Jack had an even stronger conviction that he wanted Maggie for his wife. “Jack, a wife takes your life from the mundane and raises it to the heavens.”

  Another man around the table spoke up. “You come home to your own kingdom on earth. No matter what happens at work, at home, you are the king.”

  But the one man that Jack really was impressed with said he felt like home was where the peace of his life existed. He was ready and needed a life similar to the men around him. This would be a change for Jack, but it wa
s now or never with Maggie, and he knew it. She was worth it. He sat kicking his foot impatiently for the meeting to end. They had spent two hours at the Churrascaria, eating a huge meal, and now finally the meeting was going forward. They all signed the new contracts, and Jack got up to leave, thanking them profusely for the wonderful meal and company. They asked him if he could meet with them in the late evening for some nightlife, but he smiled and told them he had a special friend here with him, and all the men raised their eyebrows, commenting in Portuguese with smiles and winks. He couldn’t wait to approach Maggie with his new attitude toward his future. He hoped she would be amiable to the idea.

  His taxi drove up to the hotel, and Jack jumped out and was about to race upstairs to his room. He was fairly sure he was back before Maggie and wanted to make their dinner together special. He stopped at the front desk. “Can I have some flowers delivered to Miss Colby’s suite? Maybe a box of chocolates as well?” The clerk nodded excitedly and showed him a brochure of a variety of flower arrangements.

  “I would recommend the Brazilian chocolates. They are truly the best. Our cocoa is shipped to Italy, where the chocolates are made. It’s marvelous.”

  Jack nodded and chose the largest arrangement of flowers he could find. He was whistling as he stepped into the elevator. When he got to his room, the door was slightly opened. He burst into the room, thinking it was Maggie, but to his shock, Meredith stood there smiling. “Surprise!” She walked over and put her arms around him, giving him a peck on the cheek.

  To his horror, he heard Maggie’s voice. She was standing just inside the door, which was still opened. Maggie looked like she felt awkward and out of place. He looked into her searching eyes as she said, “Oh, I’m very sorry for interrupting. We can talk about our plans later, I’m sure.”

  Jack turned and grabbed Maggie’s hand before she could walk out. “May I introduce you to Meredith Perkins? She is a friend I work with.” Meredith reached her hand toward Maggie, and they shook hands.