“Do you remember when I told you Jonny Houston had asked me out on a date and I said no? The email I got back from you made it obvious exactly what you thought of that. I made the decision I was going to see how things went, but I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do. Joe and I talked about it before, and he thinks I need to go for it, so I don’t know if I really am worrying about things for no reason.” She shook her head. “Jonny and I get on. I like him. I like being able to spend time with him. I just… it’s not as though we really know each other, is it? He’s also a billionaire, who just happens to have taken over his father’s property empire, and the thought of all that money… it’s terrifying, as stupid as that probably sounds. I know there are going to be people who think I’m only after him for his money, when that’s not the case at all. I know there are people who are going to talk about us, because we’ll be an interracial couple, and there are still so many issues with that.
“I wish I could talk to you about this. I wish you were awake and able to tell me if I’m being an idiot or not. I don’t think I am. I think worrying about these things is the right thing to do, but I can’t let those worries get in the way of having a chance of true happiness. Does that even exist though?”
“Mom and Dad are happy.” Gregory’s voice cracked. “Can you get me a glass of water, Mon? I feel like I haven’t had a drink in days.”
“That’s probably because you haven’t.” Monica stood and walked to the door to Gregory’s room. When she saw a nurse she smiled. “He’s awake and dying of thirst, apparently.”
“We’ll get him some water and a doctor.”
***
“Talking to him helped.” Monica looked down at her plate. “I’m glad you suggested it.”
“Good.” Jonny sounded like he was smiling. “Then I guess I’ll be heading back and you’ll be staying here.”
She shook her head. “I have a contract to fulfil.”
“You have a brother who needs you.”
“I promised you enough time to find someone else, Jonny, and I meant it.”
“Things change.”
“They do, but, for now, I’m coming back with you. When you find someone else then I’ll go.”
“What makes you think I’m looking for someone else?”
“It’s the sensible thing to do.” She looked up at him. “You’re a very busy man and having someone there to help you deal with that something you need.”
“Honestly, Monica, I don’t think anyone could take your place now.” He shrugged. “Working with someone like you has shown me what I need from someone who is going to be by my side throughout this, and I don’t think that person should be a personal assistant.” Their eyes met. “I want to be with someone who can help me with the business as well as be my lover.”
“Mixing business and pleasure is often a very bad idea.”
“I know, but it’s a family business. Mom used to be involved, before she became ill, but she and Dad never actually worked together. The two of them thought it was for the best. To be honest I don’t think I should work with whoever I’m with - I just want them to feel as enthused by the whole thing as I do. You were.”
“Property has always fascinated me.”
“This state is one we’ve been thinking of moving into. Dad and I used to talk a lot about how to expand the business, although he never mentioned hotels, and this state was one of the many on his list. Coming here has given me a chance to look around. It would be easy enough to set up a base of operations here. I’ve already found a possible place. There are plenty of properties on the market that look fascinating and land we can use to build on.” He smiled. “We could live here, in the future, so you can be close to your family.”
“You’re doing that thing again. I agreed to a date. Everything you say seems so focused on the future…” She sighed. “Do we have one? Do we have anything more than this?”
“Be truthful Why did you make the decision to walk away instead of give me a chance?”
“It was the safest thing to do. I’ve seen other P.A.s get into a relationship with their employers and it’s always gone wrong. From the beginning I promised myself I wouldn’t make that mistake and I never have. You were the most tempting, though. I wasn’t attracted to any of my other employers, which is what made this far harder, and walking away seemed like the only thing I could do.”
***
“Good morning, Mr. Houston.” Monica had no idea how she managed to sound professional when the call had woken her up, but she did. It was one of those skills she’d picked up over the years. “What did you need?”
“Jonny told me what had happened to your brother, and I wanted to say I was very sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you.” She could hear the uncertainty in her own voice. She had so many questions going through her mind. Why would Jonny have said anything to his dad about her brother? “He seems to be a little better than we thought he was going to be. Last night he spoke to the police. From what he’s said it seems like his attackers thought he was dead.”
“I’m not surprised by that. Did he say it was racially motivated?”
“Unfortunately, yes. It’s unusual for this area, but from what Greg said it seems like they were from out of town, so it’s possible they’ll never be arrested for doing what they did.”
“Don’t worry about that, Miss Banks. We’ll make certain they will, if they can be found, because you’re one of us.”
“Not for much longer.”
Mr. Houston laughed. “My son is not the sort of person to give up when he’s made his mind up about something and he definitely seems to have made his mind up about you.”
“What do you mean?”
“The two of us have always been close, even before he took over the business. We talk about a lot of things and he’s mentioned his feelings for you to me a couple of times before. I think it was, at least partly, so he could get some idea of how I was going to react to it, because he’s never thought seriously about having a relationship with anyone before. He’s never thought seriously about being in a relationship with someone like you.”
“Someone like me?”
“We both know there are a lot of things that could mean. I’m doing my best not to insult you, because I don’t want my words to have an effect on the choice you make when it comes to Jonny, but I want you to know, if you were to make a go of it, I wouldn’t have a problem with it, and neither would my wife. We don’t view you as being less than my son due to the colour of your skin, or the fact you’ve worked as a P.A. almost you entire life, or that your parents don’t have a lot of money. You, from what I can tell, aren’t the sort of person to have a relationship with someone unless they meant something to you.”
“No, I’m not.” She couldn’t help smiling. “Did you call me to tell me that?”
“Normally I don’t meddle, but I just… he sounds so happy when he talks about you and I know he’s scared of losing you. I just wanted you to know we’d have your back.”
***
When Monica walked into the restaurant for breakfast Jonny was on the phone. From the looks of things it seemed likely he was talking to his dad. After collecting a mug of coffee she made her way over to him, trying not to laugh when she heard the exasperation in his voice. “You’d better not have made things any harder, Dad.” He shook his head. “I was getting somewhere, slowly, and now I’m probably going to have to start all over again.” He noticed her. “I’ll call you later.” Their eyes met. “I’m so sorry.”
She shook her head. “It’s not a problem. He was just being supportive.” She sat down opposite him, putting her coffee on the table. “He wanted me to know he liked me, I think, and I don’t have a problem with that.”
“Most people do have a problem with parents meddling in things they really shouldn’t get involved with.”
“I’m not most people, Jonny, and I get why he did what he did. We’re here due to a racially motivated attack on
my brother, so he wanted me to know he didn’t have a problem with who I am or what I am. Unlike some of the parents I’ve come across in my career I don’t think he was meddling. I think he was trying to support us both, in the only way he could, and I do actually appreciate that. He’s a good man. I like that he cared enough to talk to me.”
“You have taken this far better than I thought you could.” He smiled. “I really do appreciate you being so kind about this, because there are a lot of women who wouldn’t be, especially as we haven’t really known each other that long.”
“From what he said it seems like you’re very certain about the two of us having a relationship.”
“The last thing I want to do is push you into something, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I honestly do feel like a teenager in love for the first time… and it’s not something I was expecting. Working together was never really going to work, not when I feel like this, because I made myself a promise that I was never going to date an employee. Things like that can always go wrong.”
“Yeah, they can, but maybe the time has come for both of us to make an exception to the rules. We both like each other, my brothers have both told me I should take a chance occasionally, and I don’t want to walk away when this is something that might work out better than either of us could ever have imagine.”
“I still feel guilty for taking you away from your family right now.”
“For the moment Gregory needs to stay in hospital and he thinks I’m making a mistake by giving up everything I’ve worked for to come home.”
“You need to do what’s right for you. Whatever you decide we can make things work, if you really want to give me a chance.”
***
As Monica stared out of the window at the town she’d once called home she tried to work out what it was she did want to do. For the first time she allowed herself to think of Jonny as something more than her employer, and she still wasn’t certain what the best decision she could make was. There was a time when she might have thrown herself into a relationship, but that time was long past, so she needed to be certain. He was attractive. The second she set eyes on him she’d been attracted to him and her younger self probably would have chatted him up if the two of them had met in a bar. Of course her younger self was new to a big city and loving every moment of it. Time had changed her, made her into someone she never thought she’d be, and she couldn’t be certain if that was a good thing or not. She’d dated white guys in the past. She’d dated black guys too. She’d never had a type when it came to looks, but Jonny was her type when it came to personality. It was why she’d suggested the probation period in the first place, even though she hadn’t wanted to admit it to herself.
There was a knock on the door to her room. Monica looked at the door. She knew who it was going to be. After a moment of debate with herself she went over to answer it. “I’m overthinking this, aren’t I?”
“Probably, but then you wouldn’t be you if you weren’t.” Jonny smiled at her. “You can have as much time as you need to make this decision. I’m not going to push you. We can talk things through as often as you like, if you think that might help.”
“How will talking help? We can talk things over as much as we like, but it isn’t going to change the fact I have no idea if this is going to work or not, and I think that’s the thing I’m most scared of. I don’t want to come to rely on you, only to lose you for whatever reason.”
“Neither of us know what the future might hold, Monica, and there is a chance we won’t last. All relationships are the same.” His smile faded as he studied her. “You will, if you agree to this, be my girlfriend. I’m not going to pretend you’re anything less than you are.” He shook his head. “I know why this is a problem. I get that you’ve seen friends in relationship with their employers and it hasn’t worked out, but I’m not like them. I never have been and I never will be. You are the person I want to be with and I can’t imagine my life without you now. I think I love you, Monica, and I want this more than I’ve ever wanted anything before.”
***
“He told me he thinks he loves me.” Monica’s eyes met with Gregory’s. “We barely know each other.”
“Love at first sight isn’t an impossibility, Mon.” He smiled. “You’ve already made the decision you’re happy to go on a date with him, because you’ve realised how much you’ve been putting off, and all you need to do is go from there. He drove you all the way here without knowing why you were coming here in the first place. He seems like a good man to me and the best thing you can do is give him a chance.”
“You don’t know him.”
“No, I don’t, but I’m sure I’ll get to know him if things do work out. If I was in your position I’d be going for it.”
“Maybe.” She sighed. “I guess I’ve just seen too much. No matter how much has changed there are things that are still the same. We’re still miles away from equality and that may always be the case.” She shook her head. “That’s not a reason to stop myself from going on a date with someone like Jonny. It’s obvious he doesn’t care what colour my skin is and yet I can’t help worrying about what effect it might have on the people he’s planning on working with.”
“Joe said you were worried about that and I’m going to echo his advice. If a business acquaintance of his is going to be looking down on you for your colour then he shouldn’t be working with them in the first place. You know that as well as I do.”
“When I first started working for him he got me to talk to the developers he was planning on working with, to see how they treated me, because he thought it was important they treated me right. I was just his P.A. back then, too.”
“Then he’s got his head screwed on right, little sister. He sees the same thing you do and does what he can to make the world a better place. If I were you I’d grab hold of him and never let him go, but, in the end, that has to be your decision. Life ain’t easy, but you can do something good for yourself to make it a little easier than it would be otherwise. Again I said he’s a good man. Give him a real chance.”
“A cowboy billionaire…” She laughed. “I never thought he’d get to me the way he has, Greg. I never thought things could possibly work out this way and yet I think there was a part of me hoping it would.” She brushed a hand through her hair. “Growing up out here at least taught me one important lesson.”
“What’s that?”
“Never underestimate a cowboy.”
Gregory laughed. “Don’t do that. It hurts to laugh.”
“I’m sorry.” She smiled. “How are you doing?”
“Fine, apart from the nightmares.” He shrugged. “They’ll fade, with time, or so the doctor says.”
***
“You can stay here. I’m sure I can make things work without you, if you want to stay with your brother.”
Monica shook her head. “We talked about this before, Jonny. I’m going to work out the rest of my notice period.” Their eyes met. “We can use the time to go on a couple of dates, and see if things are going to work out between us, because I want to do that.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am. I’ve thought about it a lot, much more than I should have done, so I could be as certain as possible this was the right choice to make. Maybe we won’t work out, but I want to give us a chance. I don’t want to keep being too scared of things falling apart for me to do something I want to do.” She slipped into the driver’s side of her car. “You did drive me all the way here and I really appreciate the fact you cared enough about me to do that.”
“If something like that happened to someone in my family I’d hope you’d care enough to help me through it.”
“I do.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t let you go through that sort of pain alone.” Their eyes met, just for a moment, before she focused on the road in front of her. “You’ve done more for me than most people would have done, though.”
“I managed to get some work done whil
e I was here, so it was a good trip. I wish we hadn’t come here for the reason we did, but I think it’s been good for both of us, although in different ways. You seem different to how you were when I first met you.”
“When I walked into your office I knew I had to leave the employer I was working for and I didn’t want to find myself in the same difficult position I had been far too many times before.” She put the car into reverse, to get out of the parking spot they were in. “Obviously I did, but this is so very different. I actually like you. You’re not like the others. They were entitled. They believed that working for them meant I’d do anything in order to keep my job, only I’ve never been that sort of person. I think it’s possible they had people working for them before who would have done what I chose not to… and I hope they didn’t get as rough a deal as the P.A.s I saw who made the decision to get into a sexual relationship with their employer. Far too many times emotions became involved and when that happened the employer in question would take several steps back, to return to a professional relationship. Sadly it didn’t often work out and a couple of people I knew were very good P.A.s made the decision to walk away from the job for good.”
“I never wanted to put you in that sort of position, and I’m sorry I did.”
“You didn’t. You told me how you were feeling, not what you wanted from me. It’s entirely different.”
***
Home didn’t feel like home any longer. Her studio was too quiet. Monica looked around, thinking about what her life had been like before she left home, and it was obvious to her for the first time she’d never appreciated that as much as she should have done. Back then she’d been a very different person - but she hadn’t realised how different. The longer she was away from her family the more she wanted to go back to them. Being without them hurt more than it had done when she was younger. Leaving them was one of the hardest things she’d had to do in a long time and at least part of it was due to how old her parents seemed. Every time she went home again they seemed to have a few more grey hairs, a few more wrinkles, and she knew she needed to make the most of them being alive, before she lost them for good.
The Alpha Billionaire's Unexpected Baby: A Billionaire BWWM Pregnancy Romance Page 32
