The Billionaire's Bluff

by Nella Tyler

  As I showered, I tried to imagine myself in the same position as Luke suddenly found himself in. He was already in a totally different environment, I got that, but did that make it right? He was in a tenuous situation at best. Would I have gone to the police? Would I have been able to report my own father or anyone else I knew for the same actions? I realized that some situations were not just black and white, but filled with shades of gray and to varying degrees. From what Luke had told me, he was trying to extricate himself from this untenable situation, but it was taking time.

  My concern was that it wouldn't happen soon enough and that someone, somewhere, would figure out what was happening and report him. Then it would all be over. Would that change my opinion of Luke? As a man? No, I didn't think so. After all, it wasn't money that had attracted me to him in the first place. No, first it had been his good looks. Then, I guess I had felt a bit of pity for him. He was a fish out of water due to the fact that he inherited so much money after not having grown up with it.

  Still, was that all there was to our relationship? Sex and pity? No, I didn't pity him anymore. In fact, the more I got to know him, the more I realized that there was a lot more to him that I had ever imagined. I was just beginning to explore this dynamic in our relationship when the discovery had happened.

  I regretted snooping. I really did, but how long would I have gone on blissfully unaware and ignorant of his business dealings? How long would he have kept it a secret from me? That thought disturbed me, as well. I turned off the shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around me. I continue to get ready for work, my thoughts jumbled and still more confused than ever. Would he ever have told me the truth?

  I wanted complete honesty in my relationships. The fact that several of my relationships had failed due to lack of honesty didn't bode well for the future. Was Luke just the same as other guys I had dated? Keeping secrets? Playing me for the fool?

  For now, maybe putting a little bit of emotional distance between Luke and I was a good idea. I would do my job. I was a maid. I did not want to be defined as Luke's lover, mistress, or plaything – that much I knew for sure. I certainly didn't want to be classified as an accessory to any mysterious wheeling and dealings in the financial world. That wouldn't go over well, not with my friends, my father, nor me. In fact, even being associated with someone who was believed to be, let alone accused of, insider trading could have serious repercussions for my father's business contacts and endeavors – and in turn, my own future.

  I knew that within the next couple of days, I had to talk to my dad. I had to find out what was going on. For now, I would continue to go to work. I had to do this for myself. I felt confident that I could do a good job no matter what I did for a living, but one thing was certain. I couldn't work with – didn’t want to work for – someone that I couldn't get along with. Strained relationships, whether in the workplace or in the home, were not conducive to a high quality of anything, let alone life.

  I decided that for now, I would give Luke the benefit of the doubt in order to keep the peace between us. I'm sure that we would talk more about the situation later, but for now, I think we both needed time to think about what was going on, what had been discussed, and perhaps come up with some solutions to get him out of this mess as soon as possible.

  Then what? Pretend it never happened? How could such dealings be hidden forever? Too many people knew about it – not only his father's old cronies, but possibly my father, as well.

  By the time I got into my car and made my way to Luke's estate, I didn't feel much better mentally than I had the night before when I left. Still, I resolved that what I wanted was to be with Luke, to continue growing our relationship and see where it led. It wasn't as if I was going to ignore everything that had happened because that was impossible. But for now, I would put it on a back burner and let Luke try to take care of things on his own. For my part, I would work as hard as I could to do the job I was being paid to do. The job I had been hired to do.

  By the time I arrived at his house, the chef was already in the kitchen preparing the meals for the day. He nodded a pleasant greeting and I did the same. Then, gathering my supplies, I went about my tasks. I felt pretty good for most of the day and even found myself humming on occasion. I didn't see Luke at all, but I was sure that he had his own work to do. The office door, as usual, was closed. I didn't even bother knocking or testing the lock. If Luke wanted to see me, he would ask for me.

  By quitting time, I felt good about the hard day’s work I had put in. I had worked through my lunch hour, trying to catch up on my scheduled tasks that had gotten behind due to all of the stuff that had been going on. After putting away all my supplies, I moved to the cabinet where I kept my purse and my sweater and, bidding a polite goodbye to the chef, I walked down the hallway toward the front door. I reached for the door handle, but just as I turned it, I heard footsteps on the stairs.

  "Molly, wait a minute, will you?"

  I turned to see Luke. He wore a pair of khaki shorts and an old, beat up T-shirt. He didn't have anything on his feet. I smiled up at him. I was feeling pretty good about today. No major catastrophes, no drama, no arguments.

  "I'm sorry didn't get a chance to talk with you today. I've been busy on the phone most of the day."

  "No problem, Luke," I said, meaning it. "We both had a lot to catch up on."

  "I have a question."

  I waited, but he said nothing. "Okay, what is it?" I prompted.

  "Would you like to go out with me on Saturday? There's a fair coming to town over the weekend and I thought it might be fun."

  I thought about it for a moment and then decided that a fair might be a good place for us to just spend some time together without worrying about finances, fathers, insider trading, or any other negative aspects that had tangled my emotions so drastically all week. "That sounds like fun," I nodded. "I'd love to go."

  He nodded and smiled, then leaned forward as if he was going to kiss me. We both heard the clatter of a pan in the kitchen. He decided against the kiss, and I smiled. Then, with a brief goodbye, I turned and left the house, feeling better than I had for several days.

  Maybe there was a chance that Luke and I could actually develop a relationship outside of the bed. Not that the bed was bad, but I wanted to see what else Luke had to offer besides his excellent lovemaking skills. I had seen a little bit of his true self at the beach, and maybe a day at the fair would enlighten me still further. As I walked to my car, I began to hum again. Saturday couldn't come soon enough as far as I was concerned.

  Chapter 4

  The rest of the week went smoothly. I didn't see too much of Luke, but that was okay. I kept busy with my tasks and felt I was doing an excellent job. I had gotten my first paycheck yesterday, and today we'd be going to the fair. I was actually looking forward to it. I couldn’t remember how many years it had been since I had been to a fair. When I was little, my parents took me a couple of times, but it seemed as though my dad never had the patience for it.

  I liked the excitement, the cotton candy, the crowds, the noise, and the sounds of all the arcade games. I liked to ride the merry-go-round and the Ferris wheel, but not much else because I always ended up getting sick. Maybe that's why my parents quit taking me. When the fair came to town as I grew up, they usually had something else planned that they offered me instead: sleepovers with my classmates, parties, a weekend trip to the ocean side, anything to keep me distracted from the fact the fair was back in town.

  Since Luke knew who I was now, I supposed it didn't make sense for me to keep hiding where I lived. While I was a little anxious, I was certainly wasn’t going to be embarrassed about it. He arrived at my condo at ten o’clock sharp. Actually, I didn't meet him at the door, but at my car, parked close by. I had gone out to the car looking for my sweater when Luke had pulled into the gated community. I had given him my code for the gate, and as my condo was situated not far from the front gate, he found me easily.

  He
was just stepping out of his car when I waved at him, locked my car door and made my way over toward him, slinging the sweater over my shoulder before sliding the keys into my purse. It was warm out now, but I knew that as evening came on, it would probably get a little cooler. I opened the passenger side door of Luke's Jeep and climbed in with a smile.

  "I've been looking forward to this all week," I said. He grinned in response.

  "Me, too."

  We both wore casual clothes. I wore a pair of jeans, a button-down, three-quarter sleeved top, and tennis shoes. Luke wore cargo style khaki shorts and a dark blue polo, unbuttoned at the neck, with loafers, no socks.

  "I haven't been to a fair since I was a little girl," I commented. "Actually, I think the last time I went I was about ten years old. My parents usually took me." I laughed. "I remember the last time I went. I had brought my best friend along. Although I knew better, she talked me into riding the Tilt-a-Whirl. Big mistake. For the rest of the evening, I felt like I was going to throw up."

  He laughed. "I know what you mean. I like roller coasters, but not the crazy ones that go upside down or a hundred miles an hour. In fact, I don't like any rides that spin around really fast. Actually, I'm a pretty big baby when it comes to the rides. I much prefer playing the arcade games, just strolling around, enjoying the food, watching the people, checking out the animals, and the food for sale."

  "Perfect!" I smiled.

  We made our way through Raleigh toward the county fairgrounds in the southwest portion of the city. I knew it was going to be crowded, especially on a Saturday, but I didn't mind. It would be fun to just be outside, exploring the venues, the booths set up where people sold homemade products, foods, and other goods, as well as maybe even enjoy the petting zoo and viewing some of the livestock.

  "I always went to the State Fair with my dad back home,” Luke commented. “He never did much with me, but that was something that we shared, no matter how busy he was. He always made sure that we could go."

  I thought it was nice that Luke and his dad had been able to share something special, something just for them. "Tell me more about your dad."

  Luke shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "Not much to tell. He was driven by money. That was basically it."

  I frowned in confusion. "I thought you weren't raised around money-"

  He glanced at me. "And what gave you that idea?"

  Busted. I swallowed and tried for honesty. "Well, before I went to work for you, I did try to do a bit of a Google search on you," I admitted. I wasn't sure how he would take that. His response surprised me.

  He laughed. "My grandfather was the one that made all the money. To tell you the truth, Molly, he gave my father what you might call a monthly allowance that was subtracted from his trust fund every month."

  I lifted my eyebrows. That was unusual, especially for someone that was so old.

  "You see,” Luke began to explain, “My father had slippery fingers. He liked money and liked to buy whatever he wanted with it, whether it benefited the rest of the family or not. He was a selfish old bastard, but he wasn't a bad guy. He was just…different."

  I watched Luke's expression change and after several moments, a definite frown appeared between his eyebrows. “My grandfather caught on after a short while and pulled on the reins of the funds. He set up trust funds for various family members – all with stipulations. When it came to my dad, he put a small portion of his estate into a trust fund that he set up to release a certain amount to him every month.”

  "You mean he-"

  "What I mean to say is that my father had a lot of crazy ideas. He never researched any of them. He had several failed businesses, mainly because he was too lazy to put the effort into them to succeed." He glanced at Molly. "Like I said, when my grandfather saw his lack of business sense, he set up the monthly allowances. It was enough to provide a good roof over our heads, and I can't say that I ever wanted for anything, but it wasn't like my dad was showering me with cars, clothes, and other stuff."

  I said nothing, rather surprised. While I had no idea regarding the amount of that monthly allowance that had been allotted to Luke's father, due to the fact that Luke had inherited literally millions, if not billions of dollars, I felt a little confused.

  "Let me put it this way, Molly," Luke said as he drove. "While my father had slippery fingers when it came to money and himself, you might say that he was rather tightfisted when it came to his family." He paused for several moments. "While he did buy me a used car when I was sixteen, he told me it would be the only one I could expect from him. When it broke down my first semester at college, I had to purchase a new one. I worked two jobs to save up for it. It was used, but it got me through. I paid most of my own way through college, too. I got a scholarship for part of it, and with a lot of grumbling and mumbling, my dad did pay for one semester of tuition – I paid for the rest."

  That must have been annoying, I thought. "So you pretty much had to make your own way, knowing all the while that your dad, or your grandfather rather, had millions of dollars tucked away?"

  "Yeah," he said, shrugging. "I didn't know anything different. It was the way I grew up. It was just the way things were. After college, well, I decided that it would be best not to even count on anything and to make my own way in life. I know my father loved me in his own way, but after my mother died, he just distanced himself completely from anyone in the family."

  "I'm so sorry to hear that," I said. I was fortunate to have had the kind of relationship I had with her parents. Money or not, they had done their best for me. Perhaps I could've worked a little harder to earn some of the things that had been given to me, but I was doing it now, wasn't I? Better late than never?

  "I can understand why you want to be independent," he said. "I never really had anything handed to me until my father passed away a few years ago. Then I found out that my grandfather had left the bulk of his inheritance to me. My dad had gone through several million dollars after my grandfather passed away, before he himself died, but my grandfather was a smart man. He had given my father free reign of what he did with his monthly allowances until the trust ran out of funds, which it did just a month before he died. The rest of my grandfather’s estate was cashed out and then invested."

  I didn't want to go there. This was where Luke's father had obviously tried to make the most of what had been left to him. I didn't understand. "But if your father was only given a certain amount of money out of your grandfather's estate, how come his…his…informants get involved in what you inherited from your grandfather?"

  Luke was quiet for several moments. I realized we were nearly at the fairgrounds, and he followed the signs to a large and barren cornfield where the cars were parked. "It's complicated," he said.

  As he drove up and down through the rows of cars looking for an empty space, he glanced at me.

  "Let's forget about all that for a little while and just have fun, okay? I don't want to think about any of it for a few hours. For the rest of the day, I want the focus of my attention only on you. Okay?"

  Although I had a million questions, I realized he was right. There was time enough for questions. Today, I just wanted to enjoy our time together. "Okay," I agreed, nodding.

  I turned to look out the window, a smile on my face as I watched dozens of people making their way from the parking lot toward the fairgrounds. It was going to be super crowded. Nevertheless, I felt excitement surge through my veins. I already smelled the popcorn, funnel cakes, and roasting hotdogs. For a while, I would put my troubles and my concerns behind me and just enjoy the day with Luke.

  *

  The hours passed in a blur. I was having a wonderful time, and I would venture to say that Luke was also. He seemed so relaxed, and as we made our way down the arcades and explored the booths and tried a lot of food, we both shared childhood memories. As the day progressed and we enjoyed our time together, I finally acquiesced to go on a couple of the rides. Even though I felt a little sill
y, I climbed onto the Merry-Go-Round and sat on one of the horses, while Luke did the same. Some of the kids looked at us kind of funny, but as soon as the platform began to circle and music played, they forgot all about us and giggled with glee as the horses went up and down.

  I had forgotten what it was like to be so carefree. I think I wore a smile plastered to my face during the entire ride. Several times I caught Luke glancing at me, his eyes shining with pleasure. He seemed to enjoy my pleasure as much as his own. In the late afternoon, after the Merry-Go-Round and a stick of cotton candy we shared, we ventured toward the Ferris wheel. It looked massive! Something about it niggled in my memory.

  We stepped into one of the slightly swinging baskets, the buggy making a small squeaking sound as its rust hinges creaked back and forth. I made Luke promise that he wouldn't start making it swing as we went around. He promised, agreeing that he hated it when people did that. Now, at the top of the wheel and with the ride paused a moment, I gazed around in wonder. I looked out at the fairgrounds, the hundreds of people below, and then into the distance toward Raleigh. It was then that I realized that this was the fair that I had come to when I was a little girl – the State Fair.

  I smiled at the memory, enjoying the sights, the sounds, the colors, and the smells. I couldn’t remember the last time I had such a wonderful time, and I had Luke to thank for it. This is what two people did on a date. Regular people. Not rich people, but people. Rich or poor, regardless of position in life, whether or not I was a maid and he was a billionaire. Well, I guess I was rich, too, but I didn't have that kind of money in my control. Maybe someday, but at that moment, I realized that it didn't really matter.

  Sure, I wanted to be able to get through life and not have to worry how I was going to pay the next bill or keep a roof over my head. What mattered to me most at this moment was to live life to the fullest. To experience everything that life had to offer. I counted my blessings that I had been so fortunate in my life so far.