The Billionaire's Bluff

by Nella Tyler

  "A penny for your thoughts."

  Still at the top of the Ferris wheel, gazing down at everything going on around us, I smiled and turned to Luke. "I was just thinking what a wonderful time I was having. This is the fair I used to come to when I was a little girl. It just made me think that there's so much more to life that I want to experience."

  He nodded, as if he understood where I was coming from. In this moment, I had no doubt that he did. Just then, the ride started again, and down we went. It was an exhilarating feeling. I hadn't felt so happy-go-lucky in years. What a shame that I had forgotten some of the simplest things in life, such as riding a Ferris wheel, enjoying the way cotton candy melted in my mouth, the taste of charred hotdogs, and playing silly arcade games.

  By the time it grew dark and the lights came on, I felt as if we had been transported into a different world. Luke and I held hands and strolled around the booths. I laughed as he played a game with a water pistol and won me a stuffed animal. I was having a blast.

  I didn't want the day to end, but I knew that it would, as it should. I had decided that even if Luke invited me to stay the night with him, I would go home to my own condo. I didn't want to rush things. I also didn't want to overdo it. After all, I did want to learn more about him, and I didn't want every interaction between us to end in sex, no matter how good that sex was.

  By eight o'clock that evening, my feet were so tired, I had to sit down on a bench and rest a minute. Luke sat beside me, holding my hand, quietly contemplating the people walking by, obviously enjoying himself as much as I was. He turned to me with a question in his eyes.

  "Did you have a good time?"

  I laughed, nodding. "I had forgotten how much fun it was to go to the State Fair," I commented. "What a treat this has been. Thank you, Luke, for thinking of it."

  "I thought you might enjoy it." He said nothing for a moment, watching the people walking by, some with children, young couples or elderly pairs or groups enjoying everything going on around them. "Would you like to come home with me?"

  I knew he would ask the question and smiled gently as I glanced at him and shook my head. "Can I take a rain check?" I wasn't sure how he was going to respond, but he merely smiled at me and nodded.

  "Sure," he said. "I'm so tired I think I could fall asleep the minute I get back home."

  I laughed. "Me, too. My feet haven't been so sore since I went trick-or-treating as a kid."

  He chuckled at that. "Seems as if we’re both taking trips down memory lane today, aren't we?"

  I nodded. "Indeed we are. It's been nice."

  After resting for several minutes, we both rose and slowly made our way back to the parking lot. It was only half filled now and wasn't difficult to get out. By the time he dropped me off at my condo, I was pleasantly exhausted. I turned to him and before I could thank him again for the wonderful evening, he had leaned forward, pressing his lips against mine. He gave me a sweet, gentle kiss, no tongue, and I kept mine to myself, as well. I knew that it would only take just a little nudge to make me change my mind and fall into bed with him.

  Slowly, he broke off the kiss, staring at me quietly. I wondered what he was thinking.

  "I had a wonderful time with you today, Molly," he said. "It was really nice."

  "I had a nice time with you, too, Luke," I said, reaching for the door handle with one hand, the other cradling the stuffed elephant he had won for me. "I'll see you Monday morning."

  He nodded as I got out of the car and closed the door. He waited at the curb until he saw me unlock my front door and disappear inside and shut the door. I peeked through the sheer curtain beside the door, gave him a wave, and only then did he start his car and back out of the driveway I shared with my neighbor. He made his way slowly down the street toward the gated entrance, which I could see from my window. I watched until the gates closed behind him, and then turned away, made sure the front door was locked and a bolted, and then slowly made my way to my bedroom.

  Too tired to even take a shower, I disrobed and donned an oversized T-shirt to sleep in, my usual. I felt so relaxed and tired when I climbed between the sheets that in a matter of minutes, I drifted into a restful, calm, and deep sleep, my dreams filled with Ferris wheels, the sound of arcade bells and jingles, and most wonderful of all, Luke's smiles uppermost in my thoughts.

  Chapter 5

  I arrived at Luke's estate bright and early on Monday morning, roughly twenty minutes before I was scheduled to start. I hadn't talked to him since he kissed me goodnight on Saturday evening, and I wasn't sure why he hadn't called. Then again, I could've called him, just as well. Being that it was Sunday, though, I decided that we both needed to have some time alone. Saturday had been wonderful, and no matter what happened, I knew that I would always look back on the day with fond memories.

  I was amazed at the difference I have seen in Luke's demeanor and attitude on Saturday. I could well imagine him as a carefree little boy, eyes lit up with excitement, darting from one arcade game to the next, his excitement and enthusiasm palpable. It'd been nice to just forget the woes and worries of being an adult, even for a day, enjoying the fair as much as I had when I was a child.

  Yesterday, probably because of my memories evoked from the fair, I had toyed with the idea of calling my father, but then decided against it. I didn't want to shatter my good mood by talking about things that would likely end up in an argument. I already knew, through Luke, how my dad felt about me dating him. I was also more than a little concerned as to the specific reason my dad didn't want me seeing him. If he knew about the insider trading, or even heard rumors that it might be possible, Luke already had two strikes against him.

  Even more than that, though, I knew that if I talked to my dad, I would want to know what kind of business ventures he was involved in with Luke and I knew it was none of my business. I had never gotten involved into my dad's business dealings before and I wasn't about to start now.

  Instead, I had spent the day catching up on chores, laundry, and just lounging around. I had called Samantha, told her about the wonderful time we had at the fair, and laughed over old times.

  Now, as I took the steps up to Luke's front door, I was ready and looking forward to a full day's work. I had begun to believe that I really would be able to enjoy the best of both worlds: being with Luke privately and working for him.

  When I entered and headed toward the kitchen to stow my personal belongings, the chef was already there. I was surprised because he usually didn't come so early. When I asked him about it, he replied that Luke was going to be gone all day for meetings, but that he expected company in the evening and wanted something special prepared.

  I kept my expression blank as I gathered my supplies. I decided I’d better do an extra good job in the downstairs dining room and living room. After that, I would venture upstairs to do the regular cleaning. Maybe I'd get a chance to clean his office since he wasn't around. I hadn't been in his office since I started, and I was sure it could use a good dusting.

  I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't likely see Luke today, as I usually left around four o’clock, but that was okay. Absence did make the heart grow fonder, didn't it? I spent the first couple of hours working hard to make sure that the dining room and living areas were literally spotless. I dusted, polished, vacuumed, and mopped. The other rooms downstairs didn't receive quite such detailed attention, although I did make sure the bathroom was well stocked and cleaned, and the den was orderly and dusted.

  After a quick lunch that the chef was kind enough to prepare for me, I headed upstairs with my cleaning supplies. I tackled the guest bedroom and the bathroom, and vacuumed the hallway, watered the flowers at the far end on the table in front of the window overlooking the backyard. I focused on his bedroom next, stripping the sheets off the bed, replacing them with fresh ones, vacuumed and dusted that room, then made sure his bathroom was clean and well stocked with fresh towels, as well.

  It wasn't until midafternoo
n that I had finished every room upstairs except for his office. At first I hesitated, thinking that maybe he wouldn't want me in there, but then I shrugged. I was a maid. I hadn't received specific orders not to clean his office, and the door was slightly ajar, so it wasn't as if he had locked up behind him to keep me out.

  Not thinking anything of it, I stepped inside, eyed his messy desk, and then decided to start dusting the bookcases first. Then I vacuumed, and then began to polish what exposed woodwork I could find. I really wanted to do a good job and thought that maybe he would appreciate it if I straightened up his desk, gave it a good layer of polish.

  I began to straighten up the papers, not really paying too much attention; my intention was to at least organize them by separate piles as I found them. The least I could do was line up the edges so it didn't look so sloppy. I wouldn’t put the papers anywhere else or put them into any kind of order – merely align the edges to leave neat, orderly stacks.

  If I could just clear enough away to do some polishing, I would consider it good enough. Determined not to snoop this time, I deliberately didn't focus on any of the writing or numbers on any of the papers I worked on straightening. Not until I got to the last stack, at the bottom left side of his desk. The papers in this pile were placed every which way, corners hanging out. One edge stuck out, slightly folded under. I reached for it.

  Thinking to gather all the papers in my hand like a ream of notebook paper, I began to maneuver the corners back into place so that all the pages were lined up. Satisfied, I placed the stack down again, but then saw that one paper was sticking stubbornly out from near the bottom of the stack. I pulled a chunk of papers off the top of it, and then straightened the page, prepared to place the handful of papers I clutched in my right hand back on top of it, everything neat and tidy. Then, taking a second glance and yet knowing I shouldn't, I stared.

  What the hell? I glanced at the heading, and then at the columns of figures, the notations next to them, and realized I recognized some of the vernacular on the document. I also saw some scribbled writing that was odd in itself because I knew it wasn't Luke's writing. I had seen his style of writing before – he tended to write in caps. Still, I couldn't quite place the author of the notes on the paper. However, the comments, the abbreviations, the notations, and some of the language I did understand perfectly well. My heart sank.

  My mouth grew dry and my heart began to pound when I realized, after glancing more carefully at the paper, that not only had Luke been strengthening his dealings and relationships with his father's old contacts, but he was also making a few new ones, if the notations and dates next to some of the potential plans and negotiations were accurate.

  I felt cold inside as I carefully placed the paper back in the stack, prepared to bury it underneath the sheaf of papers I still held clutched in my right hand. Then, I halted, my hand frozen in place as I stood with indecision. Why should I hide it? In fact, I didn't want to. Luke had lied to me. Again. He had deceived me! I felt crushed.

  I had fallen for Luke's erstwhile declarations of trying to make an honest man of himself. I had bought it hook, line, and sinker. I didn't know who I was angrier with at this moment: Luke for deceiving me or myself for believing it. I shook my head. Why couldn't he just be honest? Why couldn't he just tell the truth? Didn't he realize all I wanted from him was honesty? That if our relationship was going to work, he had to be honest and open with me?

  I stood with the incriminating paper in my left hand, a stack of other papers in my right, frozen in indecision. Had everything been a lie? Was all he wanted a good lay in bed? Sex? That didn't make sense. He could get sex anywhere he wanted, even that skanky lady he’d been hanging around with that I’d seen when I initially Googled him. He didn't have to get it from is maid. I wanted to believe that he was fond of me and that he really did want a relationship with me; but what made him think he could get away with lying to me? I wasn't stupid.

  I sighed, blinking back tears of disappointment. How many times was this going to happen? How many times was he going to disappoint me? How many times would I forgive him for it? He'd given me a good story about how his father had gotten into it with some less than stellar characters. Luke had told me that he had gotten rid of all but two of them, and I had believed it. I double-checked the dates on the paper. No, these dates were all fairly recent. He had indicated that he had spent some time in getting rid of those old contacts, but from what I could see, these notes defined fresh communication up until the last couple of weeks. Not only that, but some new contacts had been noted as of last week.

  I didn't believe for a second that he'd cut ties with these informants as he had told me. And I had believed him because I’d wanted to. Because I liked him. But at the same time, I was right back where I started from when I had first taken a peek at his phone. If Luke was involved with illegal dealings in activity, I wanted nothing to do with him. I didn't care how much I liked him. I didn't need that kind of trouble in my life, and I certainly wasn't going to give my heart to someone who was dishonest. Besides, being associated in any way with insider trading might very well ruin any chances I had of being hired by any school district!

  Just then, I heard the door slam downstairs and the sound of Luke calling out the chef's name. I continued to stand in his office in indecision, not knowing exactly what I should do. My heart pounded. Put the papers back? Pretend I hadn't seen them? No. Not this time. I continued to stand where I was by his desk. Several moments later, I heard Luke laugh, and then he was making his way up the stairs. I thought he would come into the office, but he breezed right by it on his way to his bedroom.

  I sighed and, clutching the paper in my hand, left his office and followed him. I stood in his bedroom doorway, watching, as back turned to me, he began to shrug out of his short-sleeved button-down collared shirt. He peeled it off, and despite my anger and disappointment with him, my nipples tightened and I felt the tingling of desire low in in my belly when the shirt fell to the floor and I was graced with a view of his naked torso. He reached his right hand into his second dresser drawer, probably reaching for an undershirt. I might've made a sound, I don’t know, but suddenly, Luke turned and saw me standing in the doorway.

  He grinned at me. I stared, my gaze quickly passing over his broad chest, the thin line of hair that threaded its way down toward his hips, and then abruptly jerked my gaze back up to his face. I wasn't smiling. Trying to calm myself, to prevent the tears from brimming in my eyes and to keep my voice from shaking, I spoke in a low tone, although my voice carried a measure of my pain.

  "How many times are you going to lie to me, Luke?"

  He frowned at me with an expression of surprise as he retrieved the expected undershirt from the drawer. When he recognized my serious expression, he froze and shook his head.

  "Molly? What are you talking about?"

  His voice was just as soft as mine and I knew it wasn't just to keep the chef downstairs from hearing us. It was as if he sensed danger, and was stepping on eggshells, not sure what was going on. He glanced down at the paper I clutched in my hand. As an afterthought, I lifted it.

  "You lied to me. You told me that you had gotten rid of all those old contacts of your father’s…that you only had a couple left. You told me-"

  "Molly, I didn't lie to you. I have cut off contact with most of them-"

  I continued to hold the paper extended toward him, and then pointed to one of the notations with my right finger. "This notation has yesterday's date on it, Luke."

  He acted as if I were mistaken, took a step toward me, and extended his hand, reaching for the paper. He took it, glanced at it, and then tried to shrug it off. "Molly, that notation isn’t what you think it is-"

  "How stupid do you think I am, Luke?" I hissed. I blinked back the burning tears in my eyes. "How many times are you going to lie to me and expect me to believe you?"

  He glanced from the paper then back to me. "Molly, this isn’t-"

  "I grew up arou
nd the stock market, Luke, enough to know what those figures and notations mean. I know what most of those abbreviations mean as well as those stock designations."

  "Molly-"

  "And I also happen to know that it's all false information. Do you think everyone around you is stupid? Do you think that just because I'm a maid or a rich man's daughter, that I wouldn't be interested in reading the business section of the newspaper? Do you think that I'm not aware of negotiations between some of the biggest companies in the United States and around the world?"

  He said nothing, but continued to stare at me.

  "I happen to know more than you think about the financial district, the workings of Wall Street, indexes, and everything involved in trading," I said, striving to keep my voice calm. I began to shake. I was so angry with him right now; I didn't know what to do. The only thought that kept ramming through my brain was that once again, he had lied to me. He had betrayed my trust. I shook my head. "You lied to me, Luke. You looked me in the eye and lied to me!"

  He continued to stare at me, speechless, and then heaved a heavy sigh. He brushed his hand through his hair and extended his arms out to his sides. "Okay, Molly, you win."

  "I win? I win?" I emphasize the word, disbelieving. "I don't want to win, Luke. I want to trust you, and every time I turn around, you're lying to me!"

  "You're right, you're right," he said.

  He took another step toward me as if he was going to reach for me. I pointed my finger at him now, clearly indicating that he was not come one step closer. "I can't believe this. I gave you a chance the other night to come clean, and you swore to me up and down that you were trying to do the right thing. What the hell is going on, Luke? What do you think you're doing?"

  "It's true, Molly," he sighed, his voice heavy with regret. "I did lie. My father got in deep, and I'm in pretty deep, too. It's just about impossible to extricate myself and right now, I'm smack dab in the middle of a major insider trading ring."