Royally Flushed: Tech Billionaires

by Ainsley St Claire

  Waking up with Jackson was way too comfortable. It took all of my willpower not to jump him this morning. His not-so-little friend wanted to play, but things are already awkward enough.

  My cell phone pings.

  Gabby: Hey. Where are you?

  Me: At work. Where are you?

  Gabby: I’m at work. Are you OK? Where have you been? I went by your place last night, and the police were there. I called and texted, but I didn’t hear back.

  Me: I’m sorry. I started to text you and got pulled away.

  Gabby: What happened?

  Me: Someone broke into my apartment and completely trashed it.

  Gabby: OMG!!! Are you OK?

  Me: Yes. But everything was destroyed. Every dish broken, glass shattered, and clothes, beds, couches all slashed.

  Gabby: Are you fucking with me?

  Me: I wish I were. The asswipe spray-painted the walls with crap, much like the note from the box last Wednesday.

  Gabby: Do the police think it’s related?

  Me: Yes, and Jackson and the security team won’t let me go home.

  Gabby: Where are you staying? Are you going to be OK?

  I’m not going to tell her I’m staying at Jackson’s. She’ll have a fit at first, then talk me into sleeping with him, and I don’t need any nudges in that direction. My body is already on board with that idea.

  Me: Yes, I’ll be fine. I’m just disappointed about the damage. Jackson has some business in Maui, and he’s insisting I join him, so we’re leaving for Maui tomorrow.

  Gabby: What? Is his business naked twister with his latest?

  I laugh out loud. Thankfully Jackson’s latest isn’t coming, but it is a good reminder that while he’s flirty, he has a long line of women.

  Me: He’s surprisingly protective. He even called my dad to give him an update and assure him he’s looking out for me.

  Gabby: Can you meet for drinks tonight?

  Me: Sorry, I can’t. Late night here, and we’re leaving tomorrow. Gotta run. Phone ringing.

  I quickly answer the office phone. “Jackson Graham’s office.”

  “Hello, my name is Tiffany Newton, and I’m calling with Nordstrom. I’m looking for Corrine Woods.”

  “Speaking. How may I help you?”

  “Mr. Graham has asked that I put together some clothes for you. He mentioned you were heading out on a business trip. He suggested you come to the store today. Are you available at three?”

  “Ohhhh… I appreciate your help, but as much as I’m sure everything you pick would be amazing, in all honesty, I’m his admin, and I couldn’t afford it.” I have three hundred and forty-seven dollars in my checking account, and a ten-thousand-dollar Visa bill doesn’t sound appealing at all.

  “He warned me you’d try to refuse,” she says, and I can hear her smile. “He’s paying for everything. He’s outlined what you need for your upcoming business trip. I can send a car for you, or do you already have one?”

  “Let me get back to you.” We hang up, and I look up and stare at the white, square ceiling tiles. How will I ever pay him back? When I left my father’s house, I was determined I’d never let any man control me with money again.

  I need to talk to Jackson and explain. I see the red light on my phone, which indicates he’s on the phone. I watch, waiting for it to go black as I formulate my plan.

  Twenty minutes later, I have notes on what I want to say, and I’m ready to confront him now that he’s off the phone.

  I knock and enter. “Mr. Graham?”

  As I approach his desk, he smiles and sits back. “I’m guessing you spoke with Tiffany and you’re refusing the offer of a wardrobe.”

  I stop short. “How did you—”

  He holds up his hands to stop me. “Look, I get it. You’d rather buy it all yourself.”

  I nod, a bit dumbfounded.

  “We’re going to Maui for possibly a week. It depends on when Hydro will meet with me and if the police need you back sooner. Every piece of clothing you own was destroyed. To replace that will cost you thousands of dollars.”

  “I understand, but—”

  “Hold on. I’m not done.” He takes a breath. “You don’t even borrow from your father, who I gather is somewhat wealthy.”

  I nod.

  “You know how much money is in my personal accounts. You’ve seen my investment portfolio. You know I can afford for you to buy anything at Nordstrom without issue. We have things to do while we’re in Maui, and you need some business clothes, a bathing suit, and other things to wear. I’m certainly fine if you choose to go naked, but I get the impression that isn’t your style. Please accept the wardrobe as a gift. Not a loan.”

  I know he’s right, but this is a lot. And even gifts can come with strings attached. He and I have entered The Twilight Zone these past few days, and I still have no idea what to make of it.

  “What if you consider it your bonus this year?” He crosses his heart and holds up three fingers.

  I take a deep breath and channel my grandmother. “Okay. Thank you for your generosity.” Lord knows I do deserve a bonus.

  “That was really hard to say, wasn’t it?” He’s grinning because he knows he’s won.

  “You have no idea. I guess I’m going to Nordstrom at three. You have an interview at two that I suspect won’t be over by then, unless it’s a dud.”

  “I know her. Her name is Cheryl Wedgwood. If she commits to working for us, we’ll be in great shape.”

  “My fingers are crossed, and I’ll do a secret dance for your success.” His eyes gravitate to my hips, and his eyes turn dark with lust. Why did I just say that?

  “Enjoy shopping. Promise me you won’t look at price tags. I’ll see you at the apartment tonight.”

  “Thank you.” The apartment. He says that so casually. Working for him and living in his house is complicated—not to mention flying three thousand miles away. It’s not the work, and it’s not him specifically; it’s me and the fact that my body wants him and is talking a lot louder than my mind.

  ***

  Two and a half hours of shopping is absolutely exhausting. I’m out of practice. I used to be able to do that all day. And, shopping with a personal shopper is a little different. Once Tiffany had my sizes, she figured out my style and came up with everything, finding dozens of outfits for me to try on. And because Jackson had warned her that I would be price-conscious, she removed every price tag, so I knew nothing other than these were beautifully made clothes that looked incredibly nice on me.

  In the end, she set me up with ten business outfits, several changes of casual clothes for Maui, and a tankini. She also insisted on some very racy lingerie. When I explained I had no one to wear it for, she said, “Never wear something for a man, and certainly never for another woman. Always wear your clothes for you.” I also left the store with jewelry, shoes, more handbags than I could count, and cosmetics.

  It’s more than I need, but I can return what I don’t wear and credit his credit card. I don’t want him to think I’m taking advantage.

  Tiffany said she would wrap things up and send the packages to me. She sent me home with just a small bag.

  When I finally get back to Jackson’s apartment, I immediately lie down and put my feet up. I can’t believe how tired I am.

  My phone pings.

  Jackson: How did it go at Nordstrom?

  Me: I bought one of everything. I hope you’re happy.

  Jackson: Can’t wait to see it. Any interest in dinner tonight?

  Me: I was just thinking about some takeout. Any preference?

  Jackson: There’s a great Thai place that delivers.

  Me: Sounds perfect. I can order. What would you like?

  Jackson: I got it. I promised to take care of you, remember? Do you want the pad Thai noodles with shrimp, tofu, and chicken?

  That’s what I always order. I’m stunned he’s paid attention. Stunned.

  Me: Yes, please.

  The doo
rbell rings, and Brian begins to bring all the shopping bags back to my room. There are so many, it’s embarrassing.

  I follow him and begin to open the packages of clothes. Tiffany even included a suitcase and an overnight bag. As I unwrap, I feel like it’s Christmas morning.

  It also feels like a big project. This is a lot of clothing. I’ve never bought this much at once ever. This might actually be a bigger wardrobe than I owned before my apartment was destroyed. I set about hanging things up, making piles, and filling the drawers in the room. That feels a little too much like I’m moving in—which I’m not—but I don’t know what else to do.

  Finally, I come up for air and am pleased with the order I’ve imposed on the chaos. I open the small bag Tiffany sent home with me and hold up a bikini I didn’t pick out. There isn’t much to it.

  Jackson sticks his head in. His eyes immediately go to the thin fabric. “Can’t wait to see you in that.”

  I drop it and immediately feel my blush. “I didn’t pick it out. She included it with a note.” I stuff it back in the shopping bag.

  “What did she say?”

  I reluctantly pick it up. Why did I tell him she sent a note?

  Corrine,

  Thank you for spending the afternoon with me. I hope to see you again soon. A small token from me. This will look fantastic on you. Take a chance and wear it.

  Tiffany

  Jackson smiles. “Tiffany knows what she’s talking about. Dinner’s here. Come on out.” He disappears down the hallway.

  Oh my God, I can’t wear this with Jackson. I might as well walk around naked. I take a few breaths and attempt to collect myself.

  “Are you coming?” he yells.

  I take one more deep breath. “Yes, I’m coming.”

  Jackson has set the table and actually plated our food. I’m impressed.

  “I have a nice bottle of pinot gris. Would you care for a glass with your dinner?”

  “Sure.”

  He places a glass of golden wine in front of me and sits down.

  I take my first bite, and it’s outstanding. “How did the interview with Cheryl go?” I sip my wine and wait for him to tell me.

  “I think she’s going to take the CFO position. Emerson Healy at SHN was clear with her about why the position was open, and she shared some thoughts about completing an audit if she’s hired. She’s worked in alternative energy before. But she’s asking for some serious options in the new venture.”

  “How many options and what percentage of ownership would she hold? Can you give her what you got back from Jeremy?”

  “That’s my hope. I need the lawyer at SHN to officially verify. That would make it easier. She’s looking at twenty percent, which is more than Jeremy had, so I’d have to give her some of mine. If he keeps his shares because of the contract, together they would own thirty percent, and I can’t let that happen.”

  “Makes sense. What are your concerns about her?”

  He sits back in his chair and studies me a moment. “That’s a great question. Without a doubt, she knows her stuff. I guess she reminds me of my mom a little bit, and I worry I’ll subconsciously treat her like I do my mom.”

  This is a surprising statement. He dotes on his mom. “I’ve never seen you treat your mom poorly.”

  “When she gets too bossy, I tend to tune her out, and I ignore her even if I know she’s right.”

  I sit back and laugh. “You do that to me sometimes, too.”

  “I do not.” His hand goes to his hip, and the noodles from his dish dangle from his chopsticks.

  “Sure, you do. Remember when I told you Marilyn in the user interface group needed help? You ignored me, and she went out on stress leave.”

  “I did that once, and not because I was ignoring you. I just didn’t want to hire anyone that might threaten Marilyn.”

  I have many examples, mostly because it’s something that drives me crazy. “Okay, then what about when engineering wanted Mr. Pibb in the employee fridge?”

  “What’s wrong with Dr. Pepper?”

  “It’s not the same. You ignored me, and it cost us two days of work over some silly drinks.”

  “Fine. I do it to all the women in my life.”

  “No, you don’t. You don’t do it to the women you date,” I remind him.

  “Of course I do.”

  “What about the one who talked you into taking her to Vegas with you? It was evident to me you didn’t want her to go.”

  He holds up his hand to stop me. “Okay, you’re right. I took her, and while she was there, she hit on the owner of the casino, so I dumped her.”

  I’m giggling. “She must be pissed to know you won a beautiful place in Maui, and she’ll never see it.”

  He smiles back at me. “No, she won’t. She’s never even seen this place.”

  He mentioned before that none of his girlfriends ever come to his apartment. I need to explore that further, but not tonight.

  “All I ask is that you try to listen. If you don’t like what a strong woman tells you, politely tell her you’ll think about it. Then you don’t look like an ass when you realize she’s right.”

  “Great advice. Are you always right?”

  I snort. “God, no. One small reminder: Bobby Sanders?”

  Jackson rolls his eyes. “He’s an ass. But it’s his loss, certainly not yours.”

  We have a lovely dinner. Jackson is fun and self-deprecating. He underplays his intelligence, and I love the twinkle in his eyes. When we’re finished, I look at the clock and realize we drank an entire bottle of wine.

  “I need to pack for tomorrow,” I tell him. “Hawaii is typically casual. What should I be prepared for?”

  “Pack a dress, as we may meet the guys from Hydro, so I want us to be ready. But otherwise you’re right. Shorts and bathing suits are all you need.”

  “Shirts are optional?” I tease.

  “I’m good with that if you are.” He grins wide and looks down at my chest.

  He wouldn’t know what to do with my natural breasts. Ha!

  Holy cow. My panties are soaking wet.

  ***

  The next morning my office line rings before I can even take my coat off and put our coffee orders down. “Hi, this is Matt Bird, your pilot. The airport in Maui is having some runway work done. It’ll be closed from 8:00 p.m. until six o’clock the next morning. So, if you want to arrive today, we need to take off by 4:00 p.m. Otherwise we can’t leave until after 3:00 a.m.”

  I thank the pilot and promise to get back to him shortly. When I go in to alert Jackson, he just looks at me.

  “We can sleep on the plane,” I offer. The idea of sleeping on the flight doesn’t exactly sound restful, but it is Maui. “It’s up to you. We can work or sleep.”

  He looks down at his desk and taps his pen.

  “What does my schedule look like this afternoon?” He studies me carefully.

  “Phone calls.”

  “What’s on your calendar?” he asks.

  “Fielding date and marriage proposals for you,” I quip.

  “That’s so weird, isn’t it?” He quirks his face in confusion and disgust.

  “No comment.” I think it’s psychotic, but he doesn’t need to know that.

  “You know, if we leave before four, we can work on the flight and land in time for dinner. Can you alert the house staff we’ll be in for dinner?”

  “Sounds good to me.” I feel like skipping out of the room.

  Chapter 11

  Corrine

  No surprise here, but we’ve finished lunch, and instead of getting ready to go, Jackson’s on the phone. Brian and Ben patiently wait in the chairs outside his office, across from me. We’re running twenty minutes late.

  I call the pilot. “We haven’t left yet. What’s the window?”

  “We’ve got some time. The headwinds aren’t too bad,” he assures me.

  I hang up with my stomach in knots. I know we can go later, but when I spoke to th
e majordomo, Jason Crier, and the cook, Leilani Palakiko, they were excited we were coming, and Leilani was planning a big feast. I’m already hungry.

  I have about two dozen projects I could work on, but I know if I start on any of them, Jackson will walk out, and all of that work will be for nothing. Maybe if we need to go, I should do just that.

  I open a file on my computer and begin balancing some account receipts for his expenses and try to ignore the passing time.

  The light indicating he’s on the phone is still bright red. And we’re coming up on an hour past the time we needed to leave. I call the pilot again.

  “We’re still good,” he stresses.

  “We still have thirty minutes in clear traffic,” I explain. “We aren’t just across the street. And the longer we wait, the worse the traffic’s going to be.”

  “Let me know when you leave, and I’ll file the flight plan.”

  I sigh as I hang up. If he’s not stressed, I’m going to follow his lead.

  Finally, Jackson’s light goes off, and relief floods me. I begin to save the file and gather up the receipts when dammit if the light doesn’t go on again.

  This man is going to kill me. How does he get here at the same time every day, yet once he gets here, I have to herd him around with his schedule.

  We’re getting close to an hour and a half delay. I scribble a note to hand Jackson.

  We’re nearing the close of our window to arrive before they shut down the runway. You’re so busy, why don’t we wait and go in the morning?

  I knock softly and enter his office. He looks up at me. “Emerson, that’s fantastic news. Great. I’ll give her a call.”