Not The Billionaire

by Noorman, Krista

  “This is my sister, Rhonda.”

  “Ah, the chocolate hater.”

  Rhonda’s eyes narrowed at Genevieve. “You told him that?”

  Sebastian pointed to the empty seat between them. “May I?”

  Both girls nodded, and he turned the chair around and straddled it.

  “What brings you ladies out tonight?”

  “We’re celebrating!” Rhonda replied.

  “Is it your birthday?” he asked her.

  “My divorce was finalized today.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No apologies necessary. I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time.”

  “Well, then let me buy you a drink.” He signaled for a waitress. “What’ll you have?”

  “Sex on the Beach.”

  “Rhonda.” Genevieve gave her a look.

  “It’s a drink.”

  “I know that.” She didn’t. She wasn’t exactly in the habit of hanging out at places like this, but she was there for her sister.

  “And for you?” he asked Genevieve.

  “I’m fine.” She pointed at her Coke as she took a bite of a french fry.

  He ordered Rhonda’s drink and a beer for himself.

  “So, tell me, Rhonda. What is it about chocolate that repulses you so?”

  Rhonda laughed. “I’ve never cared for it. And believe me, I’ve tried to like it, but something about the flavor doesn’t sit right with me. If forced, I can handle a tiny bit of white chocolate, but that’s about it.”

  “Interesting. You’re the first person I’ve ever met who doesn’t like chocolate.”

  “I’m sure I won’t be the last.”

  “Seeing as chocolate is our life’s work, I hope you’re the one and only.”

  The waitress dropped their drinks off at the table then.

  “So, I never expected to see you in a place like this.” He shifted his attention to Genevieve as he spoke.

  “Why not?”

  “Just doesn’t seem like your style.”

  “Because you know me so well,” she said with a teasing smirk.

  “I like to think I’m pretty good at reading people.”

  “Is that so? Tell me more.”

  “Well, you’re a little too buttoned up for this place.” His gaze settled on her pink floral blouse, which was literally buttoned all the way to the top, before he turned his eyes on Rhonda. “Your sister, on the other hand, is properly dressed for a bar.”

  “Should I be offended by that?” Rhonda didn’t seem the least bit offended.

  He shook his head as he took in her gauzy spaghetti strap tank top and short jean skirt. “Not at all. You look hot.”

  Genevieve thought she saw a little blush spread over Rhonda’s cheeks, but she couldn’t be sure in the low light. She wasn’t sure how she felt about her boss flirting with her sister.

  “Okay, you may be right.” Genevieve interrupted the looks Sebastian and Rhonda were giving each other. “This isn’t exactly my idea of a good time, but I’m here to support my sister.”

  Rhonda smiled over at her, then looked at Sebastian again. “This divorce has been years in the making. My ex … wasn’t very nice to me.”

  “Did he hit you?” Sebastian asked with concern.

  “Nothing like that,” Rhonda replied.

  “He used his words rather than his fists,” Genevieve interjected, “but it was just as damaging.”

  Sebastian reached over and touched Rhonda’s hand. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

  “Thanks. But it’s over now, and I’m so ready to get back out there.” She lay a hand on top of his.

  “How about a dance?” he offered.

  “I’d love that.”

  “No!” Genevieve spoke over her.

  Two sets of eyes stared at her.

  “Why not?” her sister asked.

  She looked at Rhonda, then at Sebastian. “It’s weird. You’re my boss.”

  “It’s just one dance,” he said as he stood.

  “Yeah, Genny. It’s not like we’re running off together.” She stood and took Sebastian’s hand, then leaned in to his side flirtatiously. “Or are we?”

  He chuckled and bent down so Genevieve could hear him. “I’ll have her back in five minutes.”

  And with that, he led her sister to the crowd by the stage, where the two of them moved together in a way Genevieve had never danced with a man before. They were smiling and laughing, and she had to admit, she liked seeing Rhonda happy. But she still didn’t like her with Sebastian.

  When the song was over, she watched her sister head off toward the restroom. Surprisingly, Sebastian returned to their table rather than to his friends.

  “Your sister’s fun,” he said as he took his seat again.

  Genevieve nodded toward the group by the pool table. “Won’t your friends miss you?”

  He glanced at them and shrugged. “They don’t seem to.”

  “Doesn’t that bother you?”

  “Nah, we’re not that close.”

  “Look, I know Rhonda might seem like someone you could have a good time with, but she’s been through a lot. She thinks she’s ready to get out there and have some fun, but she’s not the kind of girl to casually hook up with guys.”

  “You wound me, Genevieve,” Sebastian said. “Do you really think so little of me?”

  Genevieve blushed. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to watch out for my sister.”

  “I was only trying to cheer her up with the dance.” He lay his hand on top of hers as he’d done at the restaurant earlier that day. “And so you know, I’m not the kind of guy who hooks up with random girls either. Not anymore.”

  Her eyebrow lifted. “Oh? What about the blonde?” She tilted her head toward the woman who’d been eyeing them since he’d left her behind.

  “I’m not above a little flirting once in a while.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  He laughed, then turned serious. “So, her ex was pretty bad, huh?”

  Genevieve nodded. “You know how alcoholics say they don’t need to drink, that they can quit whenever they want? That was Nolan.”

  “He’s an alcoholic?”

  “No. He’s a sociopath. He’d say horrendous things to her, insult her appearance and things she did, threaten to leave her just to get his way. He was a pathological liar and cheated on her all the time. Then when she’d confront him, he’d apologize over and over, beg her not to leave him, tell her he’d never do it again and he couldn’t live without her. The cycle went on and on for years.”

  “Oh, man, that’s awful.”

  “I’m not sure she would’ve left him if our dad hadn’t died. Nolan made some excuse for not coming to the funeral, when he was really with another woman. That was the absolute last straw for her.”

  “Good for her.”

  Genevieve shook her head. “I used to think maybe Nolan had some redeeming quality in him, but I don’t believe guys like him are capable of change. They’re just born losers.”

  Sebastian didn’t respond to that, and when she looked over at him, he was staring down at the beer bottle in his hands.

  “Was that too personal to share with my boss?” she asked nervously.

  He lifted his eyes to hers and gave her a weak smile. “Not at all. I’m sorry about your dad.”

  “Thank you.”

  He glanced back at his supposed friends. “I really should get back to them. Thank Rhonda for the dance for me.”

  “I will.”

  “Enjoy your night.”

  “You too, Sebastian.”

  She watched him walk away. Something about his demeanor had changed since he’d arrived at their table. She wondered if it was something she’d said.

  Rhonda arrived at the table a minute later. “Where’d he go?”

  “Back to his friends.”

  “Oh.” She shrugged her shoulders. “That was fun while it lasted. Is Kurtis as good looking as Sebasti
an is?”

  She smiled, thinking about those deep hazel eyes that had crinkled at the corners when he laughed. “Better.”

  “I don’t know if that’s even possible.”

  The girls laughed together and finished their fries and drinks before heading out for the night.

  “Are you going to the farm on Sunday?” Rhonda asked when they arrived back at Genevieve’s.

  “Yeah, I’ll be there. I haven’t been over there in a month. Mom probably wonders what happened to me.”

  “I was there last week. I think Charisma misses you.”

  “Oh, Charisma. I really need to get out there and ride her soon or she’ll forget me.”

  “She’ll never forget you.”

  She felt horrible for not having gone to the farm to see her horse lately. Luna, the neighbor girl, came by four days a week to take the horses out and make sure they had the proper exercise, and she was afraid Charisma would start to think Luna was her person. She missed riding. It was her time to think and enjoy the outdoors and bond with her horse, but she hadn’t ridden as much since Daddy passed away. Now that Charisma was getting up there in years, Genevieve knew she should be spending more time with her, not less. She hoped she’d have more opportunities to visit now that she had a job that wasn’t as demanding of every extra minute of her time.

  “I’ll have to take her out for a ride on Sunday.”

  “I think it’s supposed to rain.”

  Genevieve wrinkled her nose.

  “Don’t forget to bring a dessert.”

  “Mom will just make a comment about my weight.”

  “Well, it wouldn’t be Sunday dinner if Mom didn’t insult us for our choices, now would it?”

  “Insult me, you mean.”

  Rhonda rolled her eyes. “Thanks for tonight.”

  “Love you.” Genevieve hugged her sister tightly.

  “I love you too,” Rhonda said with a smile. “See you Sunday.”

  When her sister had gone and the apartment was quiet, she settled in on the couch and thought back over her day and her mind immediately settled on the exchanges with Kurtis. It was strange and foreign, this strong connection between them. A smile here. A look there. And she was positive it wasn’t one-sided. He seemed to like her as much as she liked him. She’d never looked forward to going to work more in her entire life.

  NINE

  It had been far too long since Sebastian had visited his parents. They usually had a meal together once a month after church, but he’d skipped it as well as church this month in favor of work. If someone were to ask him if he was religious, he’d describe himself as a man of faith, but he knew at times he didn’t act that way. Being away from church for long periods of time always affected him. Lying to Genevieve probably proved that point, and the more he thought about this charade, the more guilt started pushing its way in, making him think the whole pathetic situation made him unworthy of Genevieve in the first place.

  But when he thought about his family, he chose to ignore those feelings, because he wanted so much more out of life. He wanted what his parents had. Love. Marriage. Children.

  He knew his father, who grew up with little to nothing in the way of money, had built the company to make a better life for his family, but at times he wondered what life would have been like if the business hadn’t become as big as it was.

  Could anyone ever really get to know Sebastian outside of Schultz Chocolate—the ordinary, everyday guy, not the heir to a billion dollar company? He wanted that more than anything, and he knew it was why he’d kept his true identity from Genevieve. The Mercedes, yacht, private jet, family winery, beach house on Lake Michigan, and homes in Hawaii and California would surely make her see him differently.

  As he drove to his parents’ house, his mind was a mess, thinking about his good fortune meeting her that day, but waffling back and forth between coming clean and letting this play out. Being with his family would help. It was where he could always be himself. Not President of Schultz Chocolate. Just Sebastian.

  When he pulled through the wrought iron entrance gate and up the historic cobblestone driveway they’d had imported from Europe, he released a contented sigh. Just the sight of his childhood home made him relax. Coming home was always a good thing. He really needed to do it more often.

  Sebastian parked his Mercedes and walked past his sister’s Porsche on the way in, hoping she wouldn’t say anything about “Kurtis” around their parents. He entered the house to the sound of laughter from the kitchen and a smell he was all too familiar with. Excitement had him stepping more quickly through the wide open foyer, past the table with the giant floral arrangement in the center, and on into the expansive kitchen. Their eight-bedroom home was large by anyone’s standards, but his mother had always decorated in a way that felt cozy and welcoming.

  Harriet Schultz’s eyes lit up at the sight of her son. “You’re just in time.”

  He practically skipped across the kitchen and planted a kiss on his mother’s waiting cheek. “Hi, Mom.”

  She wrapped her arms around him, and he brought her in, holding her close.

  “I feel like I haven’t seen my baby boy in months.”

  Sebastian pulled back enough to look down into the hazel eyes his resembled. “I know. I’m sorry.” He hugged her again. “I missed you too.”

  His attention turned to Skylar, who was stirring a bowl filled with shaved premium Schultz Chocolate, heavy cream, and butter to make a silky ganache for truffles. Whenever truffles were made, he felt like a kid again. “Want me to start on the coating?”

  “Sure.” Skylar gave him a look, but said nothing more.

  He placed a block of chocolate on the cutting board and began shaving it down and chopping until it was fine so it would melt easily.

  “Where’s Gus?” he asked.

  “He had other plans.” Skylar looked disappointed.

  Dad walked in then and laid a tray on the counter, and Skylar placed the ganache in a pastry bag and began squeezing quarter sized rounds of chocolate onto the tray.

  Sebastian watched them, standing side by side. Skylar most resembled Dad with her deep brown eyes and tall, strong nose. There was no mistaking that she was Ephraim Schultz’s daughter. Sebastian’s dark brown hair came from their father, but he looked most like their mother’s side of the family, while Augustus was a little of both—Mom’s eye and hair color, but Dad’s defining facial features. He hadn’t thought about it when he’d started this ridiculous farce with Genevieve, but now he hoped the fact that he looked the least like a Schultz would work to his advantage.

  Mom put a pot of water on the stove to prepare for the next step. Coming together like this to make truffles on Granny Schultz’s birthday had become a tradition over the years. Sebastian’s heart ached because she was no longer around to be a part of it, but he knew she was still with them in spirit.

  As they focused on their tasks, Sebastian couldn’t help but want to share all of this with someone someday. He thought about how much Genevieve had liked Great Granny’s truffles and wondered if one day he’d get to stand in this kitchen and make them together, or better yet, in their own kitchen, teaching their kids how to make them.

  He shook his head. Okay, he was really losing it. He’d just met this girl, and he was getting way too far ahead of himself. They hadn’t even gone on a date yet, and he knew very little about her.

  Before he’d given up on dating, he’d been the romantic of the family. That part of him had lay dormant for a long time, but he could feel it starting to come alive again. With Genevieve, he felt hopeful that tomorrow might be the start of something special.

  When the water in the pan began to boil, Sebastian pushed the chocolate shavings from the cutting board into a large metal bowl and handed it to Mom, who set it over the pan of hot water to melt the chocolate. They could probably make this recipe in their sleep, they all knew it so well.

  He leaned back against the counter and watched as Mom s
tirred the melting chocolate for coating and Skylar put the pan of chocolate into the fridge to cool.

  “I didn’t know if you’d make it tonight or not, Bash,” Skylar said as she cleaned up the counter. She leaned closer and whispered, “Or is it Kurtis?”

  “You’re funny,” he replied, but gave her a pleading look.

  Dad laid a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, and he startled. “I’d like to talk to you about something if you have a moment or two.”

  “Sure, Dad.” He followed along from the kitchen and down the hallway to his father’s study.

  Dad sank into the comfy leather chair by the window and pulled out his pipe.

  Sebastian loved the smell of Dad’s pipe tobacco with its subtle cherry aroma. He didn’t care for it himself, but the scent felt like home.

  “Am I working you too hard, son?” Dad asked.

  “What? I love our company and my job. Why do you ask?” Sebastian took a seat in the leather wingback, separated from Dad’s chair by a small oval table that held a lamp.

  “Your mother and sister seem to think—and I tend to agree—that you spend far too much time working and not enough time living life.”

  He had no response, because it was true. He’d been more and more consumed with work as each year passed and had grown indifferent in the social areas of his life. Mostly due to fake friends and duplicitous women. He’d retreated into the comfort of work and family and trusted only old friends who had known him since childhood.

  “I built this company to provide for my family. It has grown to something I couldn’t have ever dreamed it would, and while I worked hard to get us here, I never let it take away from the time I spent with your mother or you kids. I loved my work, but I cherished the important things in life. And I made time for them. For family, for attending and serving at church, for giving back to our community. That’s why the Schultz Foundation means so much to me. I always wanted to be able to use the money I made to give back.”

  Sebastian nodded. He knew all of this about his father, but he wasn’t sure where Dad was going with it.

  “Your sister tells me this year’s charity event is going to be something special. I’d like you to be a part of it.”