“I could really go for… you know, this may sound crazy, but the pizza over at the Italian Restaurant sounds amazing right now.”
“You’re right. It’s so good. Would you like me to have it picked up, or do you want to try to go?”
“I’d like to go out, but I need a bit of rest.” I look at the clock and see it’s still early. “How about we plan on leaving close to seven?”
“That sounds perfect. I can get some work done. Would you like a blanket here, or would you prefer to lie down in your room?”
I’d like to lie down with her, but I’m so tired, it would be a waste of a come-on. “Here’s fine, and a blanket would be great.”
I wake naturally. My stomach growls, and I’m hungry. I see CeCe studying her computer. She looks up at me. “You’re awake.”
“I’m hungry, too.”
“Do you still want to go? I can have the pizza delivered.”
“No. I need to breathe some fresh air.”
“Let’s go, then.”
She walks over and helps me get out of the chair. I hate needing anyone. When I grew up, it was up to me to be strong. At the office, I’m the managing partner, and I’m the one who holds everyone up.
I manage things. I’m not managed.
We walk slowly to the car, and I’m a little out of breath, not feeling 100 percent, but I’m determined. I’m a man, and I’m not going to let anyone see me as weak. Plus, the thought of my favorite pizza sounds so much better than eating the congealed meals I would get at the hospital. Our security team helps to keep people back as we navigate to the restaurant and inside the restaurant so we’re able to enjoy a quiet evening together.
Once we're seated and we’ve ordered, I look across the table at CeCe. She’s positively beautiful. Her chocolate brown eyes, her dark brown hair I want to run my hands through, and her easy smile. Her beautiful, soft lips that I want to devour. My jeans are a little tighter than comfortable. I change the subject to distract myself. “Thank you so much for taking such good care of me and coming by the hospital every day.”
“Of course, you’re one of my best friends. I couldn’t imagine not being there for you. I’m just really sorry about what happened. Any news about Annabelle?”
“No. She grew up down in Orange County, and Jim and his team have gone looking for her there and at her brother’s and sister’s places. Nothing yet.”
“Have you tried calling them?”
“I don’t want this to sound as bad as it does, but I’ve never talked to anyone in her family. She grew up in a foster home and never shared much about it. I would ask, but she would always deflect. It was rough for her, but I admired her… gumption. I know that’s an old word, but she was determined not to let anything slow her down, and I liked that about her.”
“Do you miss her?”
“No, not really. I was thinking about this before I got sick. I know we got along well, but I also felt like she was using me as a stepping-stone for something better. I deserve someone who wants me and all my imperfections and doesn’t see me as her ticket to being invited to the right parties.”
“I feel the same way.”
“But you don’t have any imperfections.”
CeCe smiles. “You’re the sweetest thing. I would say the same about you. I’m really sorry that you got so sick.”
“What do you have to be sorry about? I feel confident we’ll find out who poisoned me. I can’t tell you how much I really appreciate you being with me and spending time with me. It really means a lot.”
“Mason, I wouldn’t have been anywhere else.” Her comment makes my heart soar. I want to get a little healthier before I proclaim my feelings, but I believe we’re heading in the same direction.
“Tell me more about what’s going on within Metro Composition. I want to know what you’re doing to capture your spy and how you’re going to survive this breach.”
She sits back and takes a large drink of her wine. “Corporate espionage happens. We aren’t the first in the beauty industry to face it. We’re not sure if the Chinese are behind it or if it’s just an upset employee. The White-Collar Crime division of the FBI, Jim and his team, and my executive team are looking at all angles.”
“It must be more common than people think if we’re both being hit.”
“I guess I thought we’d be immune. We’re a small company with hardly any real impact on the international stage.”
“I never thought we’d be dealing with a mole issue, either. I’ve been really surprised at how personal our mole has been. We’re close, though, and I feel like this is going to get wrapped up soon.” I take a drink of my water.
“Hard to believe that you’ve been dealing with this for five years.”
The waiter puts our pizza down in front of us, and my stomach is so happy. “This looks perfect.”
CeCe raises her glass. “To good friends and amazing pizza.”
Chapter six
CeCe
Walking into the kitchen, I see him sitting at the table. Angela’s spooning scrambled eggs onto a plate for him.
“Good morning,” he says.
“Good morning. You’re up early. How did you sleep last night?
“I slept better than I have in months,” he announces with a schoolboy all-teeth grin.
“That’s great. You look good this morning.” He’s dressed in his work uniform of khaki pants and a blue plaid button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair is wet, and he smells delicious—I swear I can smell lemon, green apple, a touch of vanilla, and cedarwood. I’ve worked in cosmetics for too long! “What’s your plan for today?”
“I plan on heading into the office,” he answers simply, as if of course that’s what he’s going to do.
I wait a few seconds before I respond. “That’s not what the doctor wanted. He mentioned you should be home for a couple of days. Angela’s here to keep you occupied and keep you out of trouble.”
Mason looks over at her, and I swear he just winked at her. “Don’t get me wrong, Angela, I adore you, but I’m not sure I can watch many telenovelas.”
She laughs. “No worry, Mr. Mason. You’re missing out, but I still like you.”
“Promise me you’ll take it slow today,” I beg.
“I promise. Dillon is coming back to work today, too. He’s going to swing by and pick me up. A shift change of bodyguards will be with me when I go in with him. They can bring me home if I don’t feel well,” Mason assures me.
He’s an adult, after all. I’ll keep an eye on him, of course, but I’m sure I slept better knowing he was here last night. I shrug. It isn’t worth an argument. “All right. I’ll check in on you in a little bit.”
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.” He winks at me and gives me the cheeky grin again. His edge of irritation is gone, which confirms he’s sleeping better. I know they had to check on him constantly in the hospital, so he’s had no such thing as uninterrupted sleep for weeks now.
“Goodbye.” I grab a piece of toast and walk toward the door, pausing to pet Misty on the way out, who gives me my morning kiss.
I have a big day today. I didn’t want to resort to this, but the FBI has left me no choice. They aren’t returning calls, and after our meeting, they pretty much blew me off. I pick up my phone and dial.
“US Attorney Walker Clifton’s office.”
“This is Caroline Arnault for Walker Clifton, please.”
I wait a few minutes before he comes to the phone. “Caroline! What can I do for you?” Always the consummate schmoozer.
“I just wanted to call my favorite US attorney and see if he might be free for lunch today. I have a little problem I’d like some advice on.”
“I’m always available to help such a generous supporter.” Of course he is. He suckered me into a big check before, and this will come with a price, too. “How does one o’clock sound over at Waterfront Café?”
It’s no surprise when he picks a place where everyone who�
��s anyone will be seen. I roll my eyes internally, but I need his help, and he’s out to garner some extra donations toward his next campaign, for which I’m sure I’ll be high on the donor contact list. “I’ll see you at the Waterfront Café at one o’clock.”
I put a call in to Jim Adelson, my security advisor. The last time we spoke, he told me he had someone going into the Chinese cosmetics company and is hoping to have some information for me shortly. I’m hoping he has an update for me.
Before I can even say hello or announce myself, Jim says, “Caroline, how are you this morning?”
“Hi, Jim. Any news?”
“I just got the report in. I haven’t fully translated it into English, but we can deduce that the Chinese company can’t explain how they made the decisions for your color palette or names of the colors. You worked for several months on this, didn’t you?”
“That’s correct. They told the FBI they’d been working on this for months.”
“I’m not sure that’s the case. The Chinese are famous for their subterfuge.”
“That’s a nice way of saying it,” I reply snarkily. “I’m having lunch with Walker Clifton today. I may not tell him all that you’ve learned, but I’m hoping we can light a fire under the FBI.”
“Walker Clifton should jump if you ask him nicely. You can be assured that we’re going through your team with a fine-tooth comb. If we don’t see any movement from our background check, we can get further involved and dig deeper. I expect we’ll have a few things to report to you shortly.”
Jim has this commanding way of letting you feel like he’ll take care of everything. I’m so grateful to have him on my side. “Sounds great. Call Christy when you’re ready, and she’ll make time for you on my calendar.”
“Thanks. How’s Mason doing?”
“He’s staying at my place since I have a live-in housekeeper and he can’t be left alone. Your team has bedrooms in the basement and are close by. If you can believe it, he went to work this morning. He hates being dependent on anyone.”
Jim chuckles. “Sounds like me. He’s lucky to have you.”
“He’s been a good friend for a long time.” I’m not sure he’ll tell me much, but I’ll ask as an advisor to SHN. “Have you guys located Annabelle?”
“We think so, but right now my guys are staking the location out. It’s odd that she’s completely gone off the radar. She’s had a pretty strict schedule for over three years and now this.”
“That is strange, but sometimes we do silly things when our heart is broken.”
We hang up, and I do a few things around the office before I need to meet Walker. As the time approaches, I gather up a few items, including the two cards the agents handed me, and stick them in my bag. I’m determined to get to the bottom of this.
As I leave my office, Evelyn walks up. “Where are you going?”
“To have lunch with a friend.”
“Would you like company?”
“It’s a personal lunch. I’m good. I spoke with Jim, and he may have something for us by the end of the week.”
“Oh, great! Enjoy yourself, and I’ll talk to you when you return. I’m still thinking over our options following this morning’s meeting.”
“I should be back by three.”
“Great. If there’s anything to report, just let me know.”
I wave as I walk out, my mind distracted by the Chinese competitor. It wouldn’t matter if I took Evelyn along, except that Walker may feel a little more comfortable talking to me alone. I just don’t want to waste anyone’s time.
When I arrive at the restaurant, Walker’s already here. I watch him work the room. That’s what happens with the late lunch crowd; it’s more of a networking event for the who’s who of San Francisco’s politics and technology. As I work my way to our empty table, a few people wave to me. I know he picked this location because having lunch with me brings him some credibility—although my being jilted by a prince for a porn star may be a detriment for him.
I see my dad and go over to his table. “Daddy!”
“Sunshine! So good to see you. I didn’t know you’d be here today.” My dad is sitting with several of his friends; they are the true power brokers of Silicon Valley. I’ll call him later and fill him in on what’s going on with Metro and my lunch with Clifton.
Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, asks, “How is Mason Sullivan doing?”
“Believe it or not, he went to work this morning.”
“That’s the dedication I like to see. I was just telling your father that I want one of SHN’s start-ups.”
“If I know the team over at SHN, they’ll listen to any reasonable offer,” I assure him.
“That’s what I’m counting on.”
“I’ll let Mason know I saw you today—that is, if you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. You can tell him I’ll call him next week,” Larry says.
My dad winks at me as I say my farewells to him and his friends and wave goodbye.
Walker’s watching me as I approach our table, where a beautiful blonde is standing next to him, and I spot his card in her hand. When I sit down, she looks at me sheepishly and says to him, “Talk to you soon, I hope.”
I whisper, “Walker, she’s a little young for you, don’t you think?
He smiles. “Well, I can’t get you to go out with me.”
“If I thought you’d like me for more than my money or my name, I might consider it.” I feel like I’m the bird and he’s the cat waiting for me to get just close enough to capture me.
“Quite the group your dad is meeting with.”
I look over at their table. No one in the restaurant dares to interrupt their lunch. They’re old Silicon Valley, and they’ve made a lot of people in this town millionaires and billionaires many times over. “They’ve been his friends for decades.”
He leans across the table and discreetly says, “You know, we’d make quite the power couple.”
The thought turns my stomach. I don’t want to be part of a power couple. I want to be loved and adored by someone who doesn’t care what I look like, the amount in my bank account, or what my last name is. “You’re probably right, but I’m interested in someone who loves me for me and not for the people I know.”
“Romance and soul mates are all things for romance novels. Think about it. We could do some amazing things. Maybe even live in the White House one day.”
I want to be rude, but I need him, so I must make nice. “Tempting, but right now, I have other plans. Should they change, I promise to let you know.”
After the server takes our lunch orders, he asks, “What can I do for you?”
I pull the agents’ business cards out of the pocket of my bag and place them in front of him. He looks at them, and I see his eyebrows rise in surprise which tells me he recognizes their names. “How do you know these two?”
“They stopped by my office a few weeks ago over an issue we’re having. Since then they’ve not returned one phone call or given me any updates.”
He studies the cards. “What’s the issue?”
I walk him through what happened, where we’re going, and what we’ve been doing. In addition, I share with him that Jim is doing a background check on my team and hint at what he’s prepared to do if the FBI isn’t interested in acting—even though he’s already done it.
“CeCe, this is pretty serious stuff. This kind of trade secret theft could put you out of business.”
Thank goodness someone understands. “My thoughts exactly, and it would absolutely affect the San Francisco economy. I employ over a thousand people in our management offices downtown and another four thousand down in South San Francisco in our manufacturing plant. Granted, I’m not the largest employer in San Francisco, but I am one of the larger single employers, and I feel like these two agents are discounting this theft because it’s makeup. I run a good high-quality, independent brand, and someone has put my business at risk. I need help to find them and
prosecute them.”
“I agree. I’ll talk to the head of the local FBI office and make some inquiries. I’ll let you know what I learn.”
“Thank you. That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”
“Good. So, let’s talk personal lives. Rumor has it that Mason Sullivan’s shacked up at your place. Is that why you won’t consider any kind of commitment with me?”
“Mason has been in the hospital for the last two and a half months. He lives alone, and the doctor wouldn’t release him without someone staying with him. I have a full-time housekeeper and assistant living in my home, so she’s there to help keep an eye on him. Mason went to work this morning, so it won’t be long before he’ll be moving to his own home.”
“The guy’s a billionaire. It’s not like he can’t afford a caregiver to stay at his own place.”
“True, but he’s one of my best friends, and I absolutely adore him. Why hire someone when I already have Angela, and she loves catering to him? Now, what about your personal life? I heard you were playing with Dara Holiday. That’s a big deal. Her grandfather owns half of Union Square.”
“Dara and I aren’t serious. She’s a date when I need a pretty girl on my arm. Is there something going on between you and Mason?”
“Why are you asking?”
“I’m incredibly attracted to you. It isn’t your money or your name. You’re a stunning woman, and I have real feelings for you.”
“Walker, please know that I adore you, and I promise to write you a very generous check for your reelection, but my heart belongs to someone else.”
He doesn’t even look disappointed. “Any chance you’ll go with me to a fundraiser this weekend? Lots of photographers there to show that prince you’ve moved on.”
While he may have a point, I don’t care if Frederic knows I’ve moved on. “I’m sorry, I really wish I could join you. Unfortunately, I already have plans.” Yes, I have plans. Mason may not know it, but I hope they’re with him. If not, it’s going to be with a container of Häagen-Dazs ice cream and popcorn, maybe watching something on television—anything other than adorning Walker’s arm while listening to boring politicians talk. “Sounds like a job for Dara Holiday.”
Fascination: (Billionaire Venture Capitalist #9): A Friends to Lovers Romance Page 5