by Hope Stone
“That’s not always a good thing,” he muttered, followed by an awkward laugh.
Perhaps he wasn’t as dry as I thought he was. Maybe he just wasn’t a people person. Not everyone was excellent at socializing. But I didn’t understand how he was going to handle the event we were on our way to if he wasn’t comfortable with small talk.
We walked the short distance to the cocktail meet and greet. As soon as we stepped into the room, something in him switched. He was smiling in a relaxed manner, greeting people willingly and making small talk like a professional. He introduced me as his temporary assistant and prompted me to hand out his business card when he felt like it was appropriate. He was surprisingly charming and he hadn’t even had a drink yet.
I offered to fetch him a drink from the bar, but he insisted on going. “Don’t worry about it. That’s not part of your job description.” I felt bad; he had no idea what my job description was.
The cocktail meet and greet lasted an hour and a half. Once people started filtering out, he put down the drink he’d slowly been sipping on. “How long do we have before dinner?”
“We have an hour. Is there anything I can get you in the meantime?”
He smiled. “How about a real drink? I hate cocktails. I’m way more of a whiskey man, myself. Is there a bar on this private paradise?”
“Yes.” I smiled. “And I’m pretty sure there won’t be too many people there right now.” I knew that the bar set up for the staff wasn’t exactly what he was expecting, but I knew that there would be very few people there and the view of the ocean was stunning.
“I’m not really supposed to be here, am I?” he asked as we arrived at the small ocean-facing bar filled with pool tables and a jukebox.
“No, but I figured you’d want somewhere that’s a little less busy than the bar for the guests.”
He laughed. “I feel like you’re starting to understand me quite quickly.”
I ordered two neat whiskies and took them out to a table that still had some sun shining on it.
Chapter 7
Finley
“You know, I can do it. I can schmooze all I need to when it’s necessary. You don’t build a billion-dollar tech empire with zero social skills. I’m just more of an introvert. People don’t understand that. They think I have to behave one way all the time.” Even though I was only three sips in, I could feel the effect of the whiskey.
“Yeah, I get that as well. Being an introvert just means that you get your energy from being alone or with someone one-on-one rather than with a large group of people. I’m kind of the same, except maybe a little more trained to be social.” She giggled lightly.
“You know, when I was just starting out, people treated me differently. They weren’t as eager to speak to me. It was my job to simply get things done. But once they realized that I was going places, everyone wanted to be a friend. It was exhausting. And completely fake. For a while, I enjoyed the attention. But then I realized that none of it meant anything real. I’d rather be alone than spend time with people who only want to be around me to get something out of it.”
I don’t know what it was, but something about Ally made me feel like I could really talk to her. She didn’t seem to have any preconceived ideas of who I should be or how I should act. Or maybe it was because she was quite beautiful. Perhaps it was just the whiskey, but I didn’t think so.
She simply nodded her head in understanding. Maybe I was talking too much about myself. So I asked her about her life and what had lead to her working here.
“Well, I majored in journalism at Northwestern. It was pretty amazing. For a year, I interned at the Washington Post and they offered me a full-time position. But, unfortunately, my dad got sick and I decided to move back to New York to spend time with him and take care of him. It was difficult finding a job with only an internship as experience and I needed to make a little more money so I could help pay the medical bills. That’s when I answered an ad from Mr. Henders. He pays well and after this week… well, I’ll have more than I would after working in journalism for a year.”
She seemed a little awkward as she was finishing her story. Maybe talking about money with a man who had too much made her uncomfortable. I understood that. But I hadn’t always been rich. There was a time when I’d had to struggle as well. So it made sense to me… doing what you needed to do in order to survive and help your family.
“I think what you’re doing is amazing. Looking after your dad ahead of yourself and your dreams. I really do. But don’t give up on your dreams completely. Do what you need to do to earn the money you need, but don’t let the harsh reality of life take away what you want to do with your life. I know that may seem like a lot of BS coming from someone like me… but I wasn’t always in the position I’m in now.”
She smiled at my advice. “I don’t plan on giving up. I still write, but it’s just for me right now and not for anybody else. Sometimes it’s okay to simply do something for yourself and it doesn’t have to mean anything to anyone else.”
It was a genuine smile, one that shone through her eyes. It was magnetic, that look on her face. I caught myself staring and made a point of looking away, indicating to a waiter that I could do with another drink.
“I think that’s advice I could take,” I laughed. “I find myself getting too involved in the business sometimes, I let it take over my life. I have great people in leadership positions, but I tend to check in on them more than I should. I just have this weird feeling that someone is going to try to take it all away or destroy what I’ve built.”
Ally was quiet for a bit. I could tell there was quite a bit going through her head. I liked that it was visible on her face when she was thinking deeply, but there was no way I could ever figure out what it was exactly that she was thinking. I liked that about her. It was calming to be around someone who also spent a lot of time inside their own head. It took away the pressure and let the conversation happen organically.
Chapter 8
Ally
I was enjoying the conversation with Finley Joseph quite a bit. In fact, I may have been enjoying talking to him a little too much. I needed to put some space between us. I didn’t usually get too comfortable with people this easily. I mean, I could carry on a conversation pretty well, but I always kept it light. I’d known this man for a few hours and I’d already told him about my father and even let slip that I was earning a lot more for this job than a regular temporary assistant would ever earn.
I looked at my watch and almost let out a sigh of relief. We had to get to the dinner at Mr. Henders’ house. I knew that if I had sat there any longer, I would have shared too much. I’d misjudged Finley. He wasn’t as uptight as I’d thought. He was simply an introverted man who preferred to converse one on one. Or maybe it was me. One of my gifts was being able to bring out the truth when talking to someone. That’s why I’d wanted to be a journalist. However, I found with Finley, I wanted to talk truthfully myself.
We arrived at dinner exactly on time. Even though I was officially on Mr. Henders’ payroll and only an assistant, I was invited to sit at the table alongside Finley. I knew why that was. I was supposed to build up a relationship of trust with him. It must have seemed strange to the other personal assistants. But nobody ever questioned the actions of eccentric billionaires.
I listened intently as the guest speakers of the conference talked about the tech industry and how it was changing. It was interesting how most of them spoke to be heard and not to actually have a conversation. Some of them just produced soundbites that I would bet were written by their communications team. Finley, on the other hand, actually listened to what people were saying and responded… until he seemed to realize that he was better off just letting them enjoy the sound of their own voices.
After the starters had been served, Mr. Henders asked me to come through to the kitchen to check on the main course with him. It was a weak cover, but once again, no one questions eccentric billionaires.
“Not yet. I’ve only had a few hours. But I have his phone and he seems to be getting quite comfortable with me.” I said, knowing I sounded defensive.
“Well, I’m paying you a lot of money to get as close as possible. I want to know what the weaknesses of his business are, what they’re working on, anything that I can exploit. Okay? You have one week.”
Back at the dinner table, Finley smiled at me as I took my seat next to him. A few of the other guests were trying to speak over one another and all saying the same thing, while he sat back. At one point, as voices were getting louder and louder, he muttered to me, “It’s like you’ve got four TVs on and they’re all playing press conferences.” I laughed and we shared a glance. Mr. Henders wanted me to get close, so I was technically just doing my job.
Chapter 9
Finley
I could handle my booze, but by the time we got back to the guest house, I was feeling a little tipsy. I liked Ally’s company. I really did. I’d only known her for a few hours, but something about her made me feel completely comfortable. I wanted to stay up and have another drink with her, but we would be having a busy day the following day and I knew that I needed sleep.
I went into my room and got changed into a pair of sweatpants and thought I’d try to get to sleep without needing a sleeping pill. I lay down and closed my eyes, thinking that the drinks I’d had would help me fall asleep. But I was wrong. My mind was still racing. Eventually, I got up to get a glass of water so I could take a pill to help knock me out. I thought that Ally had gone to sleep a while ago, so I didn’t bother putting a shirt on.
As soon as I opened my door, I heard a rhythmic tapping sound coming from the kitchen. It was Ally typing away on her laptop. It was one of mine, an early model made by my company. I tried not to startle her, but she had earphones in and jumped up as soon as she saw me.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to give you a fright. I just need a glass of water. What are you writing?”
“I don’t know. Honestly, I have no idea what I’m writing. It’s just a collection of thoughts, really.” She laughed self-consciously. I could pinpoint the moment she noticed that I wasn’t wearing anything but a pair of sweatpants. She immediately looked away and blushed. I took it as a compliment.
As for her, she was covering about as much as me in tiny sleep shorts and a T-shirt. When she was in the sitting position, I could see part of her ass and I couldn’t help but stare a little too long. Her curves were magnificent. Luckily, she didn’t notice me looking.
I got my glass of water and walked out. I felt like if I’d stayed, I might do something I shouldn’t. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable and she was clearly enjoying writing. It was nice to see someone doing something they loved. When people are enjoying being productive, no matter what it is, they get this glow on their faces. Her face was definitely glowing, but it might have been all the blushing.
I went to bed and waited for the pill to hit. It happened pretty quickly and I entered a deep sleep. It was one of those dreamless nights and when I woke up, I immediately panicked, thinking I’d overslept. But luckily my alarm hadn’t even had a chance to ring yet. It was set for 6 am.
I got up and made coffee. I didn’t think it was fair to expect Ally to be awake. But shortly after I’d switched on the coffee machine, she came in. She was rubbing her eyes, clearly not fully awake yet. She was still wearing those shorts.
“How do you like your coffee?” I asked, taking out two mugs.
“Isn’t that my job?” she asked, fully opening her eyes for the first time.
“You know, and this is a secret so please keep it quiet, but I’m actually able to make my own coffee. Now, how do you like it?”
She smiled that genuine smile again, the one that shone through her eyes. “Milk and one sugar, please.”
I poured the coffee and handed her a mug. “Is there any food in this kitchen? I’m starving and they only start serving breakfast at 8 am, which is far too late for me to wait.” I was looking through the fridge and cupboards.
“Unfortunately, there’s nothing but milk and bottled water in the fridge. I scoured the place last night. However, I still have a private stash of cookies that I’d be happy to share with you.” She raised an eyebrow and I happily accepted the offer.
“I didn’t think I had a sweet tooth until I tasted one of those cookies,” I said truthfully.
We ate our cookies and drank our coffee in a comfortable silence as we both let our minds and bodies fully wake up.
She ran through my itinerary for the day and I listened, occasionally sighing when I had to do something I didn’t want to do and she giggled in response.
Chapter 10
Ally
There is something about a gorgeous man in nothing but sweatpants that I’ve always loved. And Finley was definitely gorgeous. At least I didn’t have to feel self-conscious about still being in my pajamas. I tried not to stare at his muscular arms or his chiseled chest. I needed to remain semi-professional. So I went through his itinerary with him. But even while we were doing that, it felt like we were old friends who’d known each other for a while.
At 7 am, we both went to get dressed for the day. As if on cue, his cell phone rang just after I’d gotten out of the shower. It was someone from his office who just said his name was Steve. He left a message for Finley saying they were having trouble with the new smartwatch range and there were connectivity issues that created a security risk that left them open to hackers. I agreed to give him the message and get him to check his email for the details.
I felt a rush of guilt. I knew that I had to give Mr. Henders the information. It didn’t mean much to me, but to him, it would be gold. He was looking for any way to destroy Finley’s business. I didn’t understand it, wasn’t there enough of a market for both of them to be successful? Mr. Henders was already incredibly rich. Why did he need anything more?
But I knew what I was being paid for. And I needed the money. It would cover all of my father’s medical bills. It would give him a chance to get his life back without being in incredible amounts of debt. I had to do it… for my dad… even if it felt completely unethical and wrong.
I told Finley and he went to work on his laptop. He skipped breakfast so he could make phone calls and check algorithms. I told him I was going to get some food and met up with Mr. Henders. He seemed excited by the information. He even tipped me with three hundred dollar bills. I felt sick as I took the money and went back to escort Finley to the first talk of the day.
“Do we really need to do this? I would so much rather go for a walk on the beach,” he muttered as we left the guesthouse. I liked the way he said “we.” I didn’t want to like the way he spoke to me as if I was someone he’d known for years, but I did. I’d wished that he’d be an arrogant rich old guy with more money than manners, but that hadn’t happened.
The rest of the day was spent going to talks and presentations that all seemed a little too much about theatrics than actual content. Throughout them, Finley and I would forgo our seats in the front to sit in the back and whisper back and forth about what we were watching. Despite what I originally thought, he had a wicked sense of humor.
When the crowd began to give the speaker a round of applause after the last talk of the day, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I swear I was ready to buy his company to get him to shut up. I thought that would never end.” I laughed, starting to blush a little at the feeling of his breath against my neck and the subtle yet masculine scent of his cologne.
“Let’s get as far away from these people as possible,” he muttered as we left. We headed toward the staff bar. I thought it would be empty as it had been the night before, but it was filled with people. We stood at the entrance and looked at each other, knowing that neither of us wanted to be in the crowd.
“Give me a minute, stay here,” he said as he headed toward
s the bar. I watched as he quietly managed to ease past people to get to the bartender. He handed over some cash and the bartender handed him a bottle of whiskey from the top shelf with two glasses and a broad smile on his face.
“I thought we could go somewhere a little quieter, less… loud,” he said as he walked past me and lead me to the beach. It was pretty deserted. We didn’t have any towels or anything to sit on, but that didn’t seem to bother Finley as he sat down straight on the sand in his designer suit. He then removed his jacket and placed it on the ground next to him so I could sit on it.
We sat down and talked about our lives, friends and family. He told me all about how his brother-in-law had died in a car crash two years ago and he tried his best to be there for his niece and nephew. He knew that raising two kids on her own was hard on his sister and he was lucky that he could afford to support her so she didn’t have to work.
“We weren’t raised wealthy. My dad was an alcoholic and my mom left when we were young. We only have each other. I didn’t study after high school. I started working at a tech company as an assistant and then just sort of picked it up. I learned how to code from a coworker and just sort of became good at it. And then everything just started going right in my career. I couldn’t do anything wrong. And now, I’m just terrified of making a mistake and having it all taken away from me. My luck has to run out sometime…”
Chapter 11
Finley
It was so easy to talk to Ally. Something about her made me want to be as honest about myself and my life as I possibly could. I found myself admitting things to her that I didn’t even understand myself. But she took it all in and genuinely seemed to care and understand where I was coming from.
