Charming: A Cinderella Billionaire Story

by Sophie Brooks

  Listening to Cara and Ford bicker was pretty amusing. When they paused for a minute, I turned to look out the window at the fields we were passing. With a frown, I realized I hadn’t been paying attention as we’d left the city. Were we heading north? I wasn’t sure.

  “So, what’s the plan for today?” I asked.

  “It’s a surprise,” Ford said quickly.

  “Okay,” I said. “If you can’t tell us what we’re doing, how about telling us where we’ll be doing it?”

  “Well, I thought we’d have dinner near the theater before the show,” Ford said. He was being evasive, but I saw him glance ahead of us. Jason has his blinker on, and was smoothly steering off the highway onto a smaller road running east to west. I had no idea where we were, but I saw a sign with a familiar symbol. And we were headed that way.

  “Ford,” I said, registering that I was using the “big sister” voice I used when I thought Cara was up to something, “Why are we headed to an airport?”

  “Are we?” Ford’s voice was innocent, but I could tell he knew exactly where we were. He seemed to forget that I knew the nuances of his voice every bit as well as he knew mine.

  “You said we weren’t flying to New York to see Hamilton.”

  “We’re not,” he said, one corner of his mouth lifting in an involuntary grin.

  “Then where exactly are we going to see Hamilton?”

  He winked at me. “Chicago.”

  “Ford!”

  “What?” God, I wished I could wipe that smirk off his face. His infectious grin made me want to smile back, but I needed to be the voice of reason here.

  “You said you weren’t flying us somewhere to see Hamilton.”

  “I said I wasn’t flying us to New York to see Hamilton. I never said anything about Chicago.”

  Rolling my eyes, I glanced at Cara. She looked excited but not surprised.

  “You knew? You knew it was playing in Chicago?”

  “I’ve read every article ever written about the show. Of course I knew.”

  “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I thought you’d say we couldn’t go.” She stopped smiling and suddenly looked worried. “But we can, right? I mean, we’re here and everything.” And indeed, Jason was now driving down the outer road of the small airport heading toward one of the larger hangers.

  I looked back at Ford, who seemed ready to counteract any argument I had. Indeed, he spoke before I could. “It’s a quick trip. We’ll see the show and head back tomorrow. It’ll be fun.”

  The fun part was not the issue. The issue was him spending a great deal of money on us. But it was clear he had a great deal of money since Jason pulled up next to a medium-sized private plane just outside the hanger. “We don’t have any clothes for tomorrow,” I said, aware that it wasn’t the strongest argument ever.

  “Yes, we do,” Cara said, and I groaned as I remembered how long it had taken her to get ready this morning. Now I knew what was in her heavy bag.

  “It’s cold in Chicago. We don’t have coats,” I said, trying again.

  Ford deflected this easily. “I borrowed some winter coats from a woman at my office. She’s about your size, and she used to live in Minnesota.”

  Crap. I was out of excuses. Could we really just let him fly us halfway across the country? But we’d already parked next to the plane, and Jason was holding the door for Cara.

  When it was just the two of us, Ford reached over and took my hand. “I want this to be a special weekend. For all of us. But mostly for you. You deserve it, Autumn. If anyone in the world deserves to take a break and have a fun weekend, it’s you.”

  He looked around, but Cara and Jason were already out of sight. Tugging on my hand, he pulled me close, bringing his lips to mine. God, it felt good. I closed my eyes and melted into his arms. We didn’t come up for air until I heard Cara calling my name in the distance. Ford broke the kiss reluctantly, but then he turned his head, nuzzling his nose in my hair. “Okay?” he whispered huskily into my ear.

  “Okay,” I said back, just as quietly.

  He climbed out and I followed, staring in awe at the gleaming jet as we got closer. It was a far more amazing ride than a horse-drawn carriage, but part of me couldn’t help fearing that at some point, the clock would strike midnight and it would turn back into a pumpkin.

  Hopefully not while we were in midair.

  24

  Autumn

  “I can’t believe this place. It’s even nicer than the Plaza last week.” Cara twirled around on the plush, cream-colored carpet like Julie Andrews spinning around on a mountaintop. Actually, she may have been channeling a Von Trapp since she played Liesl in her high school’s production of The Sound of Music last year. “I could really get used to living in the lap of luxury.”

  “Don’t,” I said, taking our dresses out of the garment bag and hanging them in the walk-in closet.

  “Don’t twirl?”

  “Don’t get used to it.”

  “Oh, come on. You can’t say it’s not fun. We flew here on a private jet! We landed at a private airport! I didn’t even know there was such a thing. And we’re going to see Hamilton tonight. No one I know has ever seen it. This is the most amazing day of my life, Autumn. Please don’t be a grump.”

  “I’m not being a grump,” I said, a knee-jerk reaction to sister-related criticism. “I’m just saying, don’t get used to it. Because once it’s over, we have to go back to our tiny apartment. To work. To homework. To real life.”

  “This could be our real life.”

  “No, it can’t.”

  “Why not? Why are you so determined not to enjoy it?”

  How could I make her understand? I was enjoying it. Immensely. The view from the plane as we flew over the Rockies. The look in Cara’s eye when she spoke about seeing Hamilton tonight. The gleam in Ford’s eyes sometimes when he looked at me. It… it was all too good to be true. I needed to keep reminding myself and my sister that it would come to an end sooner or later. Probably sooner. Most good things did.

  But Cara didn’t know that. Despite losing her parents so young, she still didn’t know that. And that would make it all the more devastating when it ended. “I am enjoying it. It’s like a dream come true. But dreams don’t last,” I said. It was a feeble warning, but it was still my job as the older sister to say it.

  “Okay, so I won’t get used to it. But only if you promise to enjoy every moment.”

  I nodded, but that apparently wasn’t enough for her.

  “I’m serious. Ford’s doing everything he can to make this an amazing weekend. Don’t insult him by only pretending to have fun.”

  “I know he is.” Suddenly I thought of something and smiled. “He was even thoughtful enough to borrow winter coats for us. Two warm, fancy coats suitable for winter weather and a night at the theater. Two coats without a single scuff mark or stray piece of lint.”

  Cara giggled, too. “You might want to suggest that next time he remembers to have the price tags removed,” she said, gesturing to the navy coat she’d slung over a chair.

  I laughed, too. “Okay, so he’s generous, not stealthy.”

  “He’s generous and nice and totally into you. He wants you to have a wonderful weekend.”

  “He wants us to,” I said, but I knew what she meant. “And so we will. Starting now.”

  “Good,” Cara said, hugging me. “I’m telling you, we’ll still talk about Ford’s theater trip when we’re in our eighties. It’s going to be an amazing weekend.”

  “Ford’s theater trip? Ford’s Theater? You do know that this musical is about Alexander Hamilton, not Abraham Lincoln, right?”

  She rolled her eyes but smiled, too. “You know what I meant.”

  “But you said Ford’s Theater. As your big sister, it’s my responsibility to be a pain in your butt when you say something stupid.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you have this one since I so rarely say something stupid,” she said.
“And I’ve got to admit, you’re extremely good at your responsibilities as my sister.”

  “Thanks, sweetie.”

  “I’m going to take a quick shower, okay?” She gave me a dazzling smile before dashing off.

  “Okay,” I said, and she was already in the bathroom with the door locked before I realized I’d just been insulted.

  Sisters!

  Hours later, the three of us were sitting to the left of the stage, eagerly waiting for the curtain to rise. We were in box seats, something I’d never experienced before. I was beginning to figure out that with Ford, no luxury was too extravagant.

  I glanced over and exchanged a smile with him. He looked amazing in his black suit. He had on a slim tie, and he’d slicked his hair back. He looked every bit the confident young billionaire he was. And he looked hot, too. I’d seen at least a dozen women checking him out in the lobby before. Probably more that I didn’t notice. The woman who’d handed us our programs had stared so hard she forgot to let go of them. He’d had to gently tug the booklets out of her grasp.

  Cara’s and my outfits paled in comparison to Ford’s finery, but I thought we’d cleaned up nicely. I didn’t have an evening gown, but I’d found a black lacy top that my mother had sometimes worn on New Year’s Eve. The neckline was lower than I was used to, but Cara said it looked really good on me. I’d paired it with a floor-length slinky black skirt with a slit up the side and some strappy black heels. Cara had helped me sweep my hair into a loose updo. It’d taken us three tries to get it artfully arranged. She had her hair down and was wearing a simple knee-length dress, but it was emerald green, and it was a stunning color on her. Ford had complimented us both effusively when he’d met us for dinner.

  The lights dimmed, and the crowd hushed. Cara was on my left, and she grabbed my hand, clearly beyond excited that the musical was about to start. Feeling pretty damn excited myself, I reached my other hand to my right, catching Ford’s hand. Giving it a squeeze, I looked into his eyes, trying to show him how much this meant to us.

  Ford brought my hand to his mouth, kissing it. Even the brief touch of his lips to my skin made my pulse speed up. I knew exactly what he could do to me with those lips.

  He leaned toward me, whispering in my ear. “You look incredible.”

  “So do you,” I whispered back, but I’m not sure if he heard me. The lights dimmed, and the whole theater was soon enveloped in the amazing events that happened over two hundred years ago, all set to stunning music and dance.

  An hour and a half later, when the lights came on for intermission, Cara was leaning forward, her hands on the rail in front of her, as if trying to memorize all that she’d seen.

  But my hand was still firmly in Ford’s.

  25

  Ford

  The next morning, I took Autumn and Cara to what was probably my favorite breakfast place anywhere. I came to Chicago quite a bit for business so I knew the town well. I was looking forward to playing tour guide today. I strongly recommended the crepes, and Autumn tried a one with eggs and Gruyere cheese while Cara went with a strawberry one. Mine had sausage, scrambled eggs, and maple syrup and was every bit as good as I remembered.

  While we ate, the imagine of Autumn in her slinky black evening wear last night kept surfacing in my head. We’d been surrounded by women who had personal shoppers and endless budgets for clothing, yet Autumn had blown them all away. Her simple black lace blouse had accented her curves in a way that caught every man’s attention. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off her. And that slit in her skirt… she somehow managed to look wholesome and sexy at the same time. Every man’s fantasy, the sweet girl next door with a hint of a wild side. And with a hint of lust in her eyes when she looked at me last night.

  Not that we’d get much alone time on a weekend with her sister—though I’d already managed some. When Cara thanked me for the millionth time last night and disappeared into their room, I’d shut the door before Autumn could follow. Pinning her against the wall, I lost myself in our kiss. My body pressed against every inch of hers was somehow more erotic than anything I’d done in a long time. I wished that we could just fast forward to the point where I could show her everything my body—and hers as well—could do. But I’d be good today. Mostly.

  When I’d finished my crepe and called for more coffee, I said, “We’ve got the whole day, ladies. Anything special you’d like to see while we’re here? There’s Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium, and Millennium Park. Or we could hit the shops. Michigan Avenue or wherever you’d like.”

  “I’d like to go on an architecture tour,” Cara said before Autumn could get a word out.

  “That sounds like fun,” I said. “I’m sure Jason could contact someone from the University of Chicago to show us around.”

  “We don’t need to do that—there’s a boat tour that runs every hour,” she said, pulling out her phone. Clearly, she’d been doing some research.

  “A boat tour?” I’d been envisioning a personal guided tour from the back of a limousine, not a bunch of tourists floating along the river snapping pictures.

  Cara giggled as she studied me. “C’mon, Ford. Take a boat ride with the regular peasants. It’ll be fun.”

  “I’m a regular peasant,” I said, sending her into a fit of giggles. Autumn looked as if she was trying not to laugh. It made me happy to see the corners of her mouth twitch. Something had been bothering her on the plane yesterday, but she’d truly enjoyed the musical, and I was pretty damn sure she enjoyed our stolen kiss in the hallway afterward. “When is this boat tour?”

  “There’s one at three o’clock.” Cara said, consulting her phone. “What time is the flight back?”

  “At whatever time we want it to be.”

  “Wow,” Cara said, going temporarily silent.

  Mentally, I congratulated myself for stopping her giggles before I realized it wasn’t very sporting to win an argument with a sixteen-year-old. Especially one who’d probably never traveled anywhere before. But I’d never had any brothers or sisters, so this was the closest I’d ever come to sibling rivalry. It was kind of fun. “So, we’ll take the architecture tour with the masses at three. What about until then? What would you like to do, Autumn?”

  She glanced out the window for a moment before answering. “It’s a clear day. Maybe we could go up in one of the towers? The Sears Tower, though I know it’s not called that anymore, or the other one?”

  “The Willis Tower or the Hancock Center. Either one should have excellent views today. Cara? Does that sound good to you?”

  “Actually… I was thinking maybe you guys could do that, and I could go to the Art Institute.”

  “You want to spend the day in a boring old art museum? I didn’t know you were a middle-aged lady,” I teased.

  She rolled her eyes at me. “It’s not boring, it’s supposed to be a wonderful museum. And I’ve got this project for my history class about medieval times, and they have a collection of armor and artwork. I bet if I wrote about it, I’d get extra credit.” She looked at her sister. “You guys could drop me off and then come back and get me before the architecture tour.”

  Her plan sounded fine to me, but it wasn’t my place to say that. We both looked at Autumn. She seemed uneasy about letting her little sister go off on her own in such a big city. “How far is the art museum?”

  I jumped in. “Not far. It’s over on Michigan Avenue. The driver could take her there.” I’d hired a driver for the day. “And then we could meet up afterwards.”

  “Please, Autumn? I won’t go anywhere except the museum. I’ll be fine.” Cara’s face was a study in hope and longing. I wasn’t sure if it was in part due to her acting skills, but it looked sincere to me.

  “What about lunch?” Autumn said. “Won’t you have to leave the building for lunch?”

  “There’s a restaurant in the museum,” I said, and Cara nodded.

  “I won’t leave the building. Really, I’ll be careful. It’s one of the best art
museums in the US, not a dark alley.”

  Cara and I both recognized the slight adjustment in Autumn’s face that signaled she’d given in. Cara shot me a triumphant smile which I returned. “The restaurant’s a little fancy, but I’m sure you’ll find something there you like,” I said. I reached for my wallet, but with lightning fast reflexes, Autumn put her hand on my arm, before I’d even moved it all the way off the table.

  Instead, she reached for her purse and fished out her wallet. It killed me to see her take out thirty dollars. I had a fairly good idea of how much she made, and it wasn’t enough to support herself and her college-bound sister. Her first paycheck from Heidi wouldn't be coming for a least two weeks. The way Autumn angled her wallet away from me so that I couldn’t see the inside reaffirmed that she didn’t have much money to spare. But she was the parent-by-proxy or whatever you wanted to call it, not me.

  With a sideways glance, Autumn tilted her head toward me, and I shook mine subtly, answering her unspoken question. It wasn’t enough, not with the price of admission as well as lunch. Autumn quickly added another twenty and then handed the bills to Cara.

  “Thanks, Autumn,” Cara said, carefully putting the money in her purse.

  “The driver will meet you downstairs. How about we meet up again at 2:30 at the Bean, then?” I suggested.

  “Is that that big silvery thing?” Cara said. “Is it far from the Art Institute?”

  “It’s right next to it. One block north. You can’t miss it.”

  “I’ll see you then,” Cara said, standing up and slipping into her coat as I sent a quick text to the driver. “I hope you two have a really fun day.”

  She came around the table and gave Autumn a quick hug. To my surprise, she then moved between us, putting one hand on the back of my chair. She turned to me as the waiter came up to the table and started clearing our plates. “And I wanted to say again that last night was amazing.” She beamed at me.