Decoding the Billionaire

by Meg MacRose

  Elly had invaded his sleep every night. In this morning’s critical conference call with the executives of Austin Steel, he had stopped the call short as he just couldn’t concentrate. Instead of crunching numbers and aggressive take-over discussions, his mind had wandered to random questions like how was the inside of Elly’s terraced house decorated? Or what personal pursuits had she done in the last twelve years? Or who were her friends? And it wasn’t just his mind; his body hadn’t forgotten her either. Every morning, he woke up with a physical ache desperate for her scent and touch. Which also confused him as it wasn’t like he hadn’t shared his bed with many women over the years. He had no idea why he had this longing for her. It was like her very existence taunted and teased him. Cold showers were his best friend at the moment.

  “Enough of this.” He muttered under his breath. She consumed him, and he had to do something about it. Either she was interested in him, or not; and if not, then he had to move on and turn his interest somewhere else. He pushed himself up from his desk and moved away from long list of urgent unread messages, the legal documents that Austin Steel had sent through earlier in the morning that required his signature by noon, and any other administrative items that waited for his attention. He had no capacity to concentrate on any of this until he knew what she wanted to do. He and Elly had a chemistry like he had never experienced before, and he needed to know if it was going to go somewhere. He couldn’t take another day of denial.

  Alex ignored Helen’s watchful curious gaze, as he strode with purpose into the small office room across from Helen’s that Ivan and Elly worked from. He had requested Helen to make this room available for them so that Elly would work in very close proximity to his own office. But it hadn’t quite worked out as he’d planned. He didn’t get to see Elly any more than if she’d been on the other side of the building. She was always engaged in meetings with Ivan and Nina, or she would be busy as she typed some kind of code onto her computer, a big pair of bright purple headphones on her head that were as effective as if she had shut the door in his face.

  He pushed open the door and poked his head in. Ivan sat alone, engrossed in whatever it was that he typed.

  “Where’s Elly?” Alex knew that his question had come out with more force, more like a demand, than a casual question.

  Without even an upward glance, Ivan cursed before he replied in an almost inaudible grunt.

  “At uni, it’s her summer school session today.”

  Alex couldn’t ask for any further details without sounding desperate, and Ivan had already effectively ended his part of the conversation as he readjusted his own large metallic red headphones and returned his concentration back to his computer.

  What was it with techies? Did everyone use headphones to deflect conversation? If Alex hadn’t been so anxious to see Elly, he may have found the scene comical. But right at this moment, it wasn’t funny. Nothing was helping him on his quest to find Elly to talk with her.

  Alex stepped back out of the small office and passed Helen at her desk, who still looked at him in silence.

  “Apparently Elly’s at the university. Can you find out where it is?”

  Alex’s tone hinted at his impatience.

  “Someone has his knickers in a twist. It’s not like you to be agitated over a woman.” Helen gave him a funny look.

  Alex raised his eyebrows. Though, she had a point. It was always Alex who called the shots, and he was sure that over the years, she’d heard him be almost brutally short with some of his female companions. He often had her ring through and tell his female partners when and where they were to meet, or text through a cursory message to call off a relationship.

  “Sorry Helen. I didn’t mean to be short.”

  “Of course, you didn’t.” Helen responded in a level voice. “She’ll be back here just after eleven if you want me to send her through to you. The university is not far, it’s just the campus on Mill St, and I’m sure she said she’d cycle. Well the weather is just so-perfect for a bike ride at the moment, isn’t it?”

  “Ride a bike?” Alex repeated, just to be sure he’d heard right.

  Helen giggled. “It’s what some of us mere meagre beings do. We ride bikes! How long is it since you rode a bike?”

  Alex ignored her question. “How on earth did you already know all those details?” He didn’t even know that she owned a bicycle. How did he know so little about her and yet his assistant knew so much? But then, he’d always been able to trust Helen to know what went on around here.

  Helen shrugged. “We often arrive at the same time in the morning. I came on my scooter this week and Elly brought her bike.”

  With another small shrug, Helen returned her gaze to her computer screen, talking as she continued to enter the invoices.

  “Lovely girl, Elly is. I’m not just meaning she has the looks, and believe me she does, she’s a stunner. But she’s so interesting too. Not a lot gets passed her. We’ve had some interesting conversations. Oh, and did you know, she’s taking a fortnight off work?”

  Helen looked up from her screen, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’ve suggested she jump on one of those package cruise deals and enjoy a fortnight of sipping cocktails next to a pool. She works too hard, like you.” Alex couldn’t help but see a gleeful grin being suppressed as she spoke. No doubt this shrewd and efficient woman who had worked here as long as he, had noticed how Elly rattled him.

  “I’m going out. I’ll be back after lunch.” Alex headed to the doorway. He stopped suddenly and turned back to Helen. “Actually … no, if I can convince Elly, then we’re both taking the day off. I’ll let you know.”

  He strode off without another word and walked outside. The summer sun was warm on his back. His driver pulled in with immaculate timing. Alex waved him away. He needed time and space by himself before he saw Elly. He took a slow deep breath in. He was excited. Today, he was more alive, more positive than he had been in a long time. And for once, it wasn’t the thrill of an acquisition or an attempt to beat his father’s company. How many years had it been since he had gone out during business hours for a walk with the sun on his face? Probably never. There was always something else that needed to be done in the office. Whenever he did go out and about, his driver always waited on call. He turned to walk towards Mill Street. What was it, exactly, that Elly was doing at the university?

  He found his way to Mill Street with ease, but finding the room that Elly was in proved to be more difficult. After he was convinced that he’d walked around in circles, he at last found lecture room T3. The receptionist at the main entrance was adamant this was where Elly was lecturing. The pert, young receptionist had gotten on his nerves straight away. She had been most enthusiastic to help, but not the most capable of offering clear directions and he’d been reluctant to accept her offer of a guided tour. She’d been too busy as she fluttered her fake overstated eyelashes at him. If he hadn’t stumbled across a sign for the T Block, he was sure that he’d never have found the room.

  Without hesitation, Alex pushed opened the heavy door and slipped into the closest available vinyl clad seat in the auditorium. He grimaced as the seat creaked under his weight and the curious eyes of students seated in front swivelled around to see what had interrupted and distracted them. As Alex’s eyes adapted to the dim light, there were hundreds of students, bent over electronic notebooks, while others sat back mesmerised by the speaker on the front stage. Elly was up on stage, holding the audience captive. She looked oh-so confident and in control, dressed in her signature modest office suit that he had come to admire over the past couple of weeks. Thank goodness she hadn’t dressed in that suit that she’d worn on her first day at Hudson. Every male student here would have had a heart attack!

  How on earth could any of the male students focus on anything anyway other than her long shapely legs? Alex gave a wry smile. He couldn’t understand much of what Elly talked about, it was like a foreign language. Despite his own ignorance, students aro
und him clearly understood; they hung on her every word. He let out a breath of anticipation as it became evident that Elly had wrapped up her discussion in order to answer a barrage of questions from students. He watched her from his cold, uncomfortable seat at the back of the lecture room, completely fascinated by the way she handled the crowd. Elly was the consummate professional, as she answered every question, and afforded each student the same level of attention and respect. He’d never have guessed that the Elly twelve years ago could have commanded such an enthralled audience. In his quest to build his empire, he had never looked at his lovers as anything other than eye candy and being good in bed. But gosh, he had really underestimated Elly. She was one capable lady. Memories returned of other skills she had once exhibited in bed. He wanted to revisit those memories with the woman who was up on stage. The Elly who stood up right now also contradicted the Elly who had approached him in the Phoenix Nightclub. There were so many layers to who Elly was. Not for the first time, he pondered just how on earth Elly had blossomed into this sexy business queen.

  They just needed a chance to talk together, with no-one else, no other distractions. He already knew how compatible in bed they once had been. And the chemistry was still there. Her touch literally burned him. So why not continue? It wasn’t like he was after anything long-term. He’d always hated emotional entanglements. But he and Elly could have a lot of fun together. They’d already enjoyed six weeks of fun in Greece. Why shouldn’t they do it again? They were both adults. So long as she knew, he wasn’t after a forever after.

  An archaic callous view of relationships, his sister Julia often declared to him. But if he was to marry, and really, he just didn’t see the point of it, but if he should succumb for whatever reason, the only thing that ever made him even think seriously about getting married was the hope that he might one day have children to pass along his company to. Where else would all his wealth go if not to children? He wouldn’t be like his scrooge father and not pass it on.

  Or maybe if the bride-to-be came from an influential family where it would be beneficial to both sides to combine businesses. And she would have to have her own reasons for wanting to marry. Probably financial security and backing to follow her own ambitions, or maybe even the status of marrying a Hudson.

  But not because of some unhealthy dependency on him under the guise of ‘love’. He shook his head. Alex was not keen on forever-after relationships. He had seen first-hand from his own parents’ relationship that emotional entanglement was never enough to risk marriage. There had to be a mutual benefit for both sides. Ever since he was a child, he had known that relationships could only survive when there was more than an emotional dependency. Status and financial security could be traded for business and heir, that left emotions out of it. But it wasn’t that he was uncaring, he treated the women he dated very well, he just wasn’t didn’t believe in happily ever after.

  Anyway, he had enough on his plate with this upcoming acquisition without the complications of any long-term relationships. To rely on someone else, or simply share every day and night with just one woman simply wasn’t the kind of relationship that on his radar. There were lots of single and fun women out there, so there was no need to settle with just one for the rest of his life. Why not pursue a mutually fun relationship with someone like Elly, someone he knew could set him on fire? She was a practical kind of girl, and he was sure that she’d see the sense in a fun fling.

  The students started to pack away collect their devices and filed out the door. Alex weaved his way against the flow of students and made slow progress to the front. As he neared closer, he could hear Elly’s clear voice explain something quite technical to some star struck students. He stayed back in the shadows and watched as she drew a diagram for the student on an electronic notebook in front of her.

  “You’re very popular.” He stood up as the last of the students peeled away.

  She nodded, a look of surprise before she removed the hands-free microphone pack from her back.

  “It’s a popular topic, and besides it’s much more fun hearing about it from real experiences than just reading from a textbook. Anyway, technology is moving too fast, so the textbooks become outdated before the students even finish their degrees.” Elly handed her microphone to an assistant. “So, what brings you here? I’m going to assume that causal referencing in system interrogation is not your new hobby?”

  ###

  Alex’s grin gave her butterflies in her stomach. She hadn’t expected to see him here. His smooth and confident demeanour looked out of place in a room full of tech students.

  “No, and I don’t even pretend to have understood anything that you just said. I’m on a mission. Simon said that you’ve nearly wrapped up the preliminary analysis. I’ve not eaten, and I am ravenous. Besides, it’s a sunny day outside, and you and I need to talk together, away from the office.”

  She didn’t quite follow the link between his mission, the sunny day and food, but there was a vibe from Alex that excited her. And anyway, she’d managed to effectively avoid him while she’d worked at Hudson. But now their groundwork was almost completed, maybe it was time to letdown her guard, at least a little.

  “Oh, well okay,” Elly conceded. She smiled up at him. “There’s a great café just south of the river if you’re interested. Let me just get my shoes out. I’ll leave my bike here and collect it later.”

  She was very conscious of Alex’s hawk eyes as he watched her change out of her stilettoes back into her orange trainers that she’d used on her bike earlier in the day. She repeated a mantra in her head. Don’t wobble over and embarrass yourself. But she needn’t have worried as she managed to accomplish the switch of shoes like someone who did it all the time.

  ###

  “Excellent.” Alex had a new spring in his step. Her response to his invitation to share food gave him hope that he finally had her attention.

  Elly guided him through a maze of back lanes and small alleyways. Finally, they crossed a footbridge to get to the south side of the river.

  “Here we are, we’ve arrived.” She pointed over to an empty outdoor table with a crisp white tablecloth, that had the perfect view overlooking the Thames.

  They sat down on one of the chairs. Elly spotted the waiter and gave him a gleeful and familiar wave.

  Alex enjoyed this other side of Elly. Sure, she was still dressed in her killer business suit, albeit with orange trainers on, but she was visibly relaxed. She was in familiar territory around here, that was for sure.

  The menu was impressive, and Alex wondered what Elly would order. In Greece they had shared many dishes. She had been inquisitive about food. They had eaten together in some tiny little local alfresco cafes, shared platters of food and debated topics of interest while they soaked up the view. Those weeks in Greece remained one of the nicest memories he had.

  “Morning, darling.” The waiter chirped, as he offered Elly a large steaming cup.

  “Here’s your mandatory chai. What would you like?” The waiter’s dark inquisitive eyes looked Alex up and down before they settled on his face. Finally, the waiter asked for his order. Uncharacteristic thoughts entered his mind. Was he an ex-lover? Or maybe a current one?

  “Coffee, black,” Alex retorted in a measured even tone, as he met the waiter’s eyes with an unflinching gaze that challenged back.

  “We have Italian, Crete, or Turkish blends. Any take your fancy?” The waiter’s presence continued to irk Alex.

  With a twinkle in her eye, Elly answered for him.

  “Oh, make it your strongest Turkish coffee. And ignore his rudeness, he’s only hungry. Actually, we’re both ravenous. Whatever your lunchtime special is, we’ll have it.”

  He watched the waiter as he retrieved the menus with a flourish and returned inside. Part of him wanted to ask more about the waiter, and his relationship with Elly. But he decided to go with a safer question.

  “So, Helen tells me that you’re taking a fortnight off. A
ny plans?”

  Chapter 6

  Elly’s slim shoulders shrugged.

  “To be honest, I’ve not thought of it yet. Nina suggested it. No, suggested is not right. She scheduled it. There’s a gap between projects once Hudson’s is completed. We try and take time off when we can, as we often have more work than we have people available. So, any time there is a gap, it’s a good time to take some time out. We need to hire more people, but that is time consuming itself. So, for the moment we all plug away, working long days, and then take time off wherever we can fit it in.”

  He saw his opportunity, and before he could stop himself, he asked “I’ve also got some time off next week. Do you fancy joining me on my yacht for a few days?”

  He didn’t want to sound too desperate, but at the same time he really wanted to know what she thought. She was such an unknown, and he had no idea of what her answer would be. Her eyes widened then narrowed again. He had no idea what went through that pretty head of hers. Hell, why did this woman have to be so difficult? Most woman jumped at a chance to spend time with him. She’d clearly made the first move at the Phoenix, but she hadn’t sought anything further. He watched a number of expressions flit over her face. None of them quite distinguishable.

  His own palms were sweaty. He was suddenly reduced to nothing more than a teen who had invited the most popular girl out for a first date.

  “Umm, no thanks. Once I’m in the open sea, I get really bad motion sickness. Helen suggested I go on a cruise, but it’s not for me. Now, if you’d offered me a quiet cabin in the woods, or a hotel near somewhere of historic importance, that might get my attention.”

  Alex laughed, for the first time in a few weeks. The edginess that he’d carried around over the past few weeks dissipating fast.