Discovered by Her Billionaire

by Sophia Summers

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Meredith. Jack is helping me with a plan to reunite my father with an old flame. He was kind enough to let me tag along on his business trip, which also provided a means for me to meet with some colleagues in the oceanography department here in Rio.”

  Maggie looked at Meredith. “I’ll leave you two alone. I’m sorry to have interrupted, but the door was opened.”

  Jack was desperate. How in the world did this happen and what gave Meredith the idea to come down here? “Perhaps the three of us could have dinner at six on the roof here tonight?”

  “No, I’m tired after my meetings, but you two go ahead.” Maggie turned and walked to her room. Jack sighed. I’ve lost her.

  The door shut, and Jack felt his heart drop with the sound. “So, Meredith, this is a surprise.”

  She laughed. “Yes, I see. I didn’t want to wait to see what new ideas you had for Bill. You really can’t tell a woman you have some great ideas and then make her wait to hear them, Jack. Besides, why should you be the one who gets to go to Rio?” Meredith laughed. “What is it that you are thinking about your brother?” She reached for some fruit on the platter. “Your secretary reads the rumor rags, and she assumed you were planning to surprise me, which I have to say you have.” Meredith raised her eyebrows as she sat down and got a drink of bottled water from the bar.

  Jack smiled and sat down with her. Meredith was steady and didn’t miss much where he was concerned. “I have found the one for me.”

  “I can see that Jack, but now, what are you going to do about it?” She picked a few grapes from the stems and ate them. “On another subject, Bill was helpful with Jim. He took over, and Jim is in line again.”

  “What do you think about Bill as CEO? I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.” Jack got up and walked over to the bar where he had computer access. “He’d be amazing. He loves this business. Would you support him?” Jack was getting excited now. How this disaster turned into a good business meeting was just another one of Meredith’s good qualities.

  “Of course, I love Bill. He’s great, and his excitement for the business is catchy. I think the board would be thrilled with the change. What would you do then?” Meredith stood up and walked around the room, thinking.

  “I would take a position on the board and be available for any help he needed. I would keep a watchful eye on things from my ranch.” Jack smiled and raised his eyebrows. “Let’s see what he thinks. Jack opened his laptop and got on face-to-face with Bill.

  “Hey, Bill, I hear you have Jim in control again. Thanks for that.” Jack started pacing.

  Meredith put her hand on his arm. “Sit down, Jack. He can’t see us if you keep pacing.”

  “I hear Meredith. How’s it going?”

  Meredith smiled and sat next to Jack so she could see him. Jack noticed her eyes light up. How long has she felt like this about his brother?

  “Bill, if you agree, I am going to suggest you for CEO at the next board meeting.” Jack laughed as he saw the look on Bill’s face.

  “What are you thinking? I can’t do that.” Bill shook his head.

  “Meredith believes you would be perfect, and so do I. You know I’m not happy where I am, and you love it. Just do it as a favor to your brother. You know you’ve been taking over for me for years as I traveled the world.”

  “Okay, okay, if Meredith agrees then I’ll think about it. I have some ideas I’ve wanted to try. What are you going to do then?”

  “I’ll take a position on the board and help out when you need me. Other than that, I am heading to one of my ranches to start enjoying life. I’ve found someone, and if I haven’t blown it completely, I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

  “What about Meredith?” Jack took the phone and walked into the other room with Meredith protesting. He shut the door.

  “Bill, you can’t believe those rumor mill rags. I happen to know Meredith has someone in mind. She wants you, Bill, and if you don’t blow it, you may be able to win her.”

  “Jack, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, give the phone to Meredith.”

  As Jack was leaving the room, he heard them planning how to get the members of the board in agreement. They were perfect for each other.

  He walked down the hall and knocked on Maggie’s door. “Maggie, this is all a misunderstanding.” He waited, and no one answered. He then took out his spare key and unlocked the door, thinking she might be in there. “Maggie, it’s me, Jack.” As he peeked his head in the door, all he saw was a room full of flowers and no Maggie. Jack sighed and shut the door, walking slowly to the elevator. When he arrived at the lobby, he walked across the street to the beach. He needed some outdoor time. One of the beach guards walked over, offering a chair and umbrella for a fee. Jack nodded and sat down to enjoy the view. How was he going to reach Maggie? This looked very bad.

  At least he was fixing things with his work and with his brother. As he watched the waves, a calm started working its way into his heart.

  He smiled. Bill would take over, and his grandfather’s mistake would be rectified. He sighed miserably. Well, if things don’t work out with Maggie, I can always go to the ranch alone and mope. Maybe I can enlist her father to help me. He chuckled. That would go over well.

  He picked up his phone and tried to call her room. “Maggie, I am so sorry, but what you saw was not what you saw, if that makes any sense. Please give me a chance to explain.”

  Maggie picked up. “Jack, I need a day to think, if you don’t mind. Let’s get together the day after tomorrow. We can go see Raelyn and do some sightseeing.”

  “Well, if you promise you will see me then and let me explain, I’ll give you the time. But just know we are in Rio and wasting some good sightseeing opportunities.”

  “Jack, thanks. The flowers are beautiful, and the chocolate is truly decadent.” She hung up then.

  Jack called Meredith. She was still talking to Bill. He decided to take her to dinner and hear their business plans. He smiled. At least life was going well for them.

  Chapter 7

  Seeing Jack kissing another woman, even though it was just a peck, was the worst. For some reason, she had begun to think those lips were only for her. She felt so awful, and she was angry at Jack for putting her in that position. She felt like the “other” woman. It was humiliating trying to explain to Meredith how everything was perfectly fine; that she was only there to visit her oceanography people. As if she fell for that. It was plain as day Meredith saw the whole situation for what it was. However, it was odd. She didn’t seem to be upset at all. She seemed to be seeing some humor in the situation. Well, Maggie didn’t see the humor of it; just major embarrassment. When she got into her room, she found it full of flowers from Jack. Just what kind of a game was he playing here? The only good thing about the whole affair was the chocolates. They were divine. She opened another one and plopped it in her mouth. Now what?

  She would see Jack again. They still had their plan with Raelyn, and it would be nice to do some sightseeing. Would Meredith be coming along? Truly things were a mess. Her phone rang. She assumed it was Jack again, and she wasn’t going to answer, but she looked at the number, and it was her father. He always had such perfect timing. Sometimes she wondered if he had some kind of emotion detector on her person. “Hi, Dad, what’s up?”

  “Hey, Missy. I’m just checking in. How is Rio treating you?” Her father sounded worried.

  “Dad, when you call me just checking in and sound worried that usually means something horrific is about to happen. What’s going on?” Maggie knew her father, and this wasn’t normal.

  “I don’t know, Maggie. I have a feeling, so be extra careful. You might want to check in with my friend there.”

  “Okay, Dad, we were planning to go visit her day after tomorrow. I visited with Dr. Woodbury, and he seemed excited about my research. I was able to help him with some of the more in-depth work I did. So that was gratifying.” Maggie sig
hed. “But Dad, the fact that I’m a woman in this field is unusual here in Brazil. So I’m dealing with that. “

  “Stacy misses you. She keeps hanging around the stable waiting for you to return.” Her father never treated her without the utmost respect and regard and often praised her accomplishments, but even so, he felt he had a right to interfere with her private life and who she spent her time with. This bugged her, but she knew he loved her, and that smoothed everything over a bit.

  “I miss you too, Dad, and Stacy. I love you, thanks for calling. I’ll be careful.” Maggie was reluctant to speak to her father about the Dr. Brickson episode. Her father, having spent his life in the clandestine areas of the government, had a more direct way of dealing with problems. She was a little hesitant to tell him about problems with people because of that. She and Jack would solve that problem once they got back to the States.

  Jack had left a message on her phone to join him and Meredith on the roof for dinner, but she really didn’t want to do that. Even if there was nothing to the relationship, she didn’t like it. She wasn’t sure yet what the relationship was.

  Maggie was exhausted and went to bed early with a book. She didn’t even want to think about Jack and Meredith on the roof, having dinner. For some reason, she felt no jealousy about her. She liked her. Maggie ate another chocolate and drifted off to sleep.

  The next day, Maggie showered and was out on the beach very early. She loved walking along the water’s edge as the waves plummeted the shore. She was surprised to see so many other early risers walking the beach as well. It was refreshing and much cooler. As she rounded the point separating Ipanema beach from Copacabana, she started jogging. The stress of the previous day melted away. Just as she was about to turn around, she looked up to see Meredith jogging toward her. Meredith looked up and stopped running and walked toward her.

  Maggie smiled. “Good morning, Meredith.”

  Meredith wiped her forehead with a small towel she had in her pocket. “Hey, good morning. Let’s stop over there and get an Agua de Coco.”

  “That sounds great.” Both women walked over to the beach kiosk and sat at one of the tables. The wind came up, blowing chairs over at the kiosk.

  Meredith drank all of her drink and ordered another one. “Maggie, I’ve read some of your papers as I was looking for ways the oil industry can be less intrusive. It’s very interesting work. I think there is much oil companies can do to minimize danger to all of the ocean’s wildlife.”

  Maggie agreed and added, “I think it’s great that some of the oil companies really do feel strongly about conservation.”

  “It’s something we continually work on. Unfortunately, not all countries abide by the rules. Bill and I feel strongly about it but convincing the board to lessen profits in order to save wildlife is a bit tricky.” Meredith smiled and twisted the towel she was holding. “Can you keep a secret? Bill and I became engaged last evening. Jack set it up, I believe. I’ve had a crush on Bill for years.”

  “I thought you and Jack were dating! At least, that’s what the rumors say. Well, congratulations!” Maggie ordered another drink. So, Jack isn’t two-timing. That’s a relief. Maggie looked over at the blowing palm trees, thinking. Maybe she could give Jack a chance.

  Maggie relaxed and enjoyed talking with Meredith. She found herself talking about this trip, and Dr. Woodbury’s rude insinuations and the horrible Dr. Brickson. Meredith shared how hard it had been as a woman in the business world, and how she had to prove herself for years to be taken seriously.

  They both walked back to the hotel together, laughing and talking as if they had been friends for years. As the porter opened the door for them, they ran into Jack, who was walking outside dressed in his swimming suit. He stood, looking at them with his mouth opened. They both laughed, and Meredith hugged Maggie as she left toward the elevators.

  “Good morning, Jack!” Maggie thought he looked pretty good in his swim gear. “I was hoping we could do some sightseeing today.”

  “Yes, that would be great. Do you want to take a swim first?”

  “No, you go ahead. I will head up to shower and can meet you for breakfast in the café in an hour.” Maggie turned and walked toward the elevators as Jack agreed.

  Maggie was so happy to have talked with Meredith. She was a great woman and now a good friend. How lovely to know for sure that Jack isn’t attached at all. Maggie planned to take advantage of the time she had in Rio with him. She smiled as she entered her hotel room. She had one last meeting with Dr. Woodbury this evening, and then she would be free to enjoy Rio with the man she knew she loved. Maggie smiled and stretched as she stepped into the shower, wondering what cute new outfit she would wear today. In the back of her mind, there was still that little worry her father had planted in her head with his call earlier. He was not often wrong, so maybe they should see Raelyn tomorrow and not wait an extra day.

  Jack showed up at breakfast, looking fantastic. He really could be a native with the great tan he had. He walked over to the table and sat down across from her. “You look great and ready to see Rio.” He was smiling so big she started to blush at his obvious happiness to see her. Things were turning out perfectly.

  “I love how Rio is sitting at the edge of these mountains right up next to the ocean,” Maggie said, while she sipped on some water.

  “We can drive up into the mountains today if you want. There is a little town called Itaipava. They make pottery there.”

  “I’m in the mood to do something here in Rio before we venture out into the countryside.” Maggie pushed her hair away from her face.

  The waiter came over to get their orders. “I think I will do the buffet this morning; everything looks so good.”

  Jack looked over. “Make that two.” They both walked over to the buffet. “So, what would you like to do first?”

  “I want to see as much as I can today. I have a meeting tonight with Dr. Woodbury and some of his staff, and I think I would like to go see Raelyn tomorrow.” Maggie loaded her plate with mango, papaya, Maracuja, and an omelet. “This all looks so good.”

  Jack smiled. “You must be hungry this morning after running on the beach.” Jack chose a typical American breakfast with eggs, bacon, and French toast. “I was surprised to see you with Meredith.”

  “Oh, we had agua de coco at a kiosk on the beach. It’s amazing how you can bond with someone so quickly. We are going to be great friends, I am sure. We have so much in common, and I’m not talking about you, Jack.” Maggie laughed.

  Jack nodded. “I’m glad. She is a wonderful woman and a vital member of the board. We managed to get some major changes accomplished within the company, which makes me very happy and frees up my life immensely.”

  “That’s wonderful. My business meetings so far have not gone nearly as well, but I hope I can nail down some potential problems tonight, and then I will be free the rest of the week.”

  “What happened with Dr. Woodbury?” Jack leaned closer.

  “Well, the first thing he said was that Dr. Brickson had told him he collaborated with me on my thesis, which was a lie.” Maggie wrinkled her brow. “Then when I told him it was not true, he acted like I should pretend it was because, as a woman, I needed the clout of a man like him to push my research.”

  “That’s not true, of course. This shows that Dr. Woodbury has been in contact with Dr. Brickson, why?” Jack ate some of his bacon.

  “That is the worst part, Jack. He is planning to hire Brickson without knowing why he was pushed out of his last job.” Maggie pursed her lips and looked at him.

  “I think we should have a talk with Dr. Woodbury together.” Jack took Maggie’s hand.

  Maggie shook her head in agreement. “Okay, so what are we planning for today?”

  Jack looked excited. “Let’s start by checking out the feita. They have wonderful fruits and assortments of vegetables and beautiful flowers. We can walk, it’s only a couple of blocks from the hotel, back in the park.”


  “The hotel clerk was telling me that on Sundays the artisans come to the park. You can find everything from hammocks to emeralds. I would love to see that as well.” Maggie drank the rest of her fresh juice and stood to leave.

  Jack stood and took her hand as they walked out of the hotel. They walked back into Ipanema, and little children, some of them crippled, were begging on the corners to cars and people who came by. “Jack, look at those poor children. Can we give them anything?”

  “Yes, of course, we can, but look over there on that far corner. See that guy standing there? He is like their pimp and takes everything they get.” A beautiful small girl walked up to them with her hands out. Maggie reached into her purse and handed her some bills and a power bar she had brought with her. The little girl was thrilled with the food and put the money into her pocket. There was something about her pleading eyes that touched Maggie. She felt drawn to help her in a bigger way if possible.

  Jack pulled her along. “It’s hard to see this. Step over here into this shop. Now, watch that man.” As they looked out the shop window, a grungy-looking man walked over to the little girl and took her money. She reluctantly handed him her power bar, which she had taken a bite of, and he sneered and threw it down on the sidewalk. After he walked away, the girl ran over to pick up the bar.

  “Did you see that — what a slimeball. I have a mind to say something. Can’t the police do something about this?”

  If looks could kill, Jack’s expression as he watched the man saunter back to his corner would have done some damage. “We are going to see a lot of this here. Let’s enjoy our day and talk about what we might do to help later.” Maggie looked up at Jack and felt some peace. At least he was going to try to do something, and she had some ideas of her own to think about as well.

  They purchased a bag of tropical fruits and walked to the beach to sit and eat most of it. Benji, the beach guard, rented beach chairs and an umbrella to them and also came over with some napkins for the mess they were making with the juicy fruit. Maggie smiled at the man. He was very short and dark-skinned, with a happy smile. She wondered if he staked out this area of the beach for his rental all the time. “So, Jack, does Benji own the business on this section of the beach or does he have to get here early every day and claim it?”