I lowered my water glass. Ghana is a big country in Africa. I never thought to ask him if he’d ever met my grandfather. “I can’t believe it. My grandfather was the man who inspired you to start your charity?”
“That’s right.”
I ran my finger over the two, small beauty marks along his eye. “I believe it now…that this was fate.”
“I knew it from the moment you came into my office the first time.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner about my grandfather? You could have sold me on your whole fate theory much sooner!” I drank my water while letting Aiden’s hazel brown eyes connect with me. Like the plant given to me by Chuck, I could feel a new bud growing inside of me. I was alive for the first time in a long time.
THE END
Caring Billionaire
Chapter 1
JORDAN
It was a hot summer day in Dallas when we parked in front of the Henson Community Center. The dark tint on my windows shielded me from the glare of the bright sun. The air conditioner swirled cool air around in the roomy back seat of my stretch Navigator as I sipped wine from a long Champaign glass. It had only been a few weeks since I purchased the Henson Community Center and this area in North Dallas was desperately in need of something to liven it up.
I pressed the button on my left and lowered the window so I could speak to my driver. “Kurt, do you know if Alex has made it here yet?”
He locked eyes with me as he looked through the rearview. “I am not sure, Jordan. I can call him right now to see where he is at.”
“I’d appreciate that, Kurt. Thank you.”
I glanced to my right as we were parked near the curb. The Community Center was two stories high, and it took up 1/4th of the land that I had just purchased. The seller not only owned the land but the center that was positioned on it. The brick building was neatly kempt. The grass was freshly cut as vertical lines sat perfectly along the blades. A small crowd of children walked down the pathway with two adults leading the way.
The bushes were trimmed neatly along the edges as the gardeners used shears to put the finishing touches on their works of art. A part of me hated that I was going to have to bring this place down, but business is business. A community center wasn’t going to bring more money into my pocket, and after the council, we decided that it was the best choice. A strip mall with upscale stores and restaurants is exactly what this area needed to boost its appearance.
“Uh, sir,” Kurt said, breaking me from my imagination. “Alex said he is about fifteen minutes away. He said he ran into a patch of traffic on Highway 635.”
I swallowed my last bit of wine, swirling it around in my mouth before it slipped down my throat. “No worries. I’ll just head on inside and catch him up to speed with whatever we discuss.” I looked at my Movado watch with one, lone diamond shining at the twelve spot. “Besides, it is nearly 1 pm, and I don’t want to keep the director waiting longer than he has to.”
“Very well.”
I waited for the driver to come to my side of the vehicle and open my door. The sun beamed down on me from above like a spotlight as soon as I stepped outside. I removed the shades from my suitcoat pocket and slid them over my eyes to deflect as much of the glare as I could. Afterward, I headed down the winding path until I made it to the front door.
This was only the second time I had been inside the building since I purchased it. There was one staircase on my left and right as soon as I stepped inside. I removed my shades and slid them back into my pocket as children scurried past me, immersed in a game of tag. Their laughter bounced off the walls as they ran up the stairs, further away from me.
“Slow down!” I looked to my right and saw a young woman quickly walking in the direction they were headed. Once she got close to me, she relaxed her pace. “Hello. Can I help you with anything?” Her smile radiated from her face like the rays of sun I had just escaped.
“Um, yes. I am Jordan Hilton. I have a meeting with Travis Kepler at 1 pm.”
“Travis? Ok. I can show you to his office if you want.”
“Please?”
Her smile never left. “No problem. Right, this way.” I followed her up the stairs as she led me to the second floor and down a small hallway through a double set of doors. I could hear children’s laughter and toys smashing to the floor as we walked along. “I am sorry for the noise,” she said apologetically, “these children seem like they hold all of their energy in until they come here for daycare.”
I smiled as she walked beside me. “No apologies needed. Kids will be kids.”
Moments later, we arrived at a closed door. She knocked twice. “Mr. Kepler? There is Jordan Hilton here to see you.”
His voice was muffled on the other side until the door sprang open. He stood a few inches shorter than me, and he was balding on the top of his head. Hair gathered around the sides of his head like the top of a mushroom as he extended a firm handshake to me. “Mr. Hilton! I am glad you could make it! Please, come on in.”
As he ushered me inside, I looked towards the woman who escorted me up. She had long, blonde hair and a thin frame with light brown eyes. A pair of prescription glasses sat peacefully on the bridge of her nose as her rosy red cheeks appeared as though they were stained with pulchritude. “Thank you for bringing me here, miss…”
“Gloria,” she said bashfully. “Gloria Seeger.”
I smiled, then moments later, she headed back down the hallway in the direction we had come. I kept my eyes on her until she made it halfway down the corridor. “Mr. Hilton,” Travis said, regaining my attention. “Please?”
I was embarrassed to stare, but I couldn’t help it, and I hoped that Travis understood. “I am sorry, Mr. Kepler. Sometimes I can just get caught up in the beauty and lose track of where I am at.”
“I understand. She is definitely a sight for sore eyes, but, she is married.” He closed the door as I sat down in his office. “However, there is another young woman here. Her name is Harper and,” he laughed as he thought about what he was saying. “I am not trying to play a matchmaker or anything, especially in this situation, but she is single, from what I hear. Heck, if I was a year or twenty younger, I’d make a run at her myself!”
I sat down in a chair just in front of his desk, ruminating on his words as images of Gloria flashed in and out of my mind. “I see,” I humored him for that instant, and then immediately went into the business side of our meeting. “So, I understand that you will be leaving the community center later this week.”
He sat down behind his desk, “yes, unfortunately. I mean,” he sighed as he leaned back in his chair and looked around his room. His eyes danced around to each plaque that hung on his wall. Years of service as the community director on display for everyone to see. “It is sad that everything is coming to an end in another month. I haven’t told any of the workers yet, you know since it isn’t official. But, they’ve heard the rumors. I am sure they are privy to what is going to happen.”
I took a deep breath. “Yes, I understand, Mr. Kepler. I totally understand, but as we all know, this is business. Nothing personal at all. This area is growing, and one thing that will help growth exponentially is by funneling in more businesses.”
“I know, I know. I understand, but, it doesn’t make things easier, you know? But hey, you’re the boss. You’re the boss.”
I didn’t know if he was trying to swing me on a guilt trip and get me to change my mind or not, but it wasn’t going to work either way. I may look like the bad guy when it was all said and done, but I knew the community was going to thank me once this area livened up. I wasn’t in the business to make friends; I was in it to make money. That was the endgame for me, and I would have never gotten to this point in my life if I wasn’t willing to make the hard choices. The center was going down, and that was that.
Chapter 2
HARPER
“Well, there he is. Mr. Jackass,” Gloria said as we stoo
d on the balcony of the second floor of the building. Jordan was being escorted out with Mr. Kepler and another man who looked to be one of Jordan’s business partners. “I can’t believe he is going to tear this place down. He probably is just going to build a strip club or something like that. Pretty boy billionaires. Ugh, they make me sick.”
She folded her arms across her chest as I chuckled, watching Jordan close as he shook hands with Mr. Kepler. “Oh, please, Gloria. If you had the chance, I am sure you would let him do whatever he wanted to you.”
Her eyebrows wrinkled together like an accordion as she sent a death stare towards me. “Are you kidding me, Harper? Seriously? What do you think I am?”
“You are a woman in a struggling marriage, and you have a man with a little penis.”
Her mouth popped open as she pushed me on my arm, “Harper!” She said, looking around as if I spoke loud enough for everyone on the floor to hear. “I didn’t tell you that for you to blast it all around here with your foghorn of a mouth!”
I laughed out loud at her reaction, and our small commotion led the three men near the door to look our way. I stifled my laugh immediately as Gloria was ready to chew into me again. I cleared my throat and nodded my head towards the men, suggesting that she turn around to see that we were now the center of attention.
Her eyes shifted towards them and immediately, a smile appeared on her face as if nothing was wrong. “Um, we were just passing through, gentlemen,” she said loud enough for them to hear her. She looped her arm around mine and walked us through the double doors and down the hallway, just beyond Mr. Kepler’s office. She laughed to herself, “you are right, Harper. That man is gorgeous. I cannot lie!”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” I said, laughing. “I already knew what you were thinking.”
We stopped in front of my office. “Well, shoot, I guess I better get to my room and start finding another place to work.”
I leaned against the wall and exhaled. “Gloria, you don’t know for sure if he is going to demolish the building. I mean, just wait. Who knows? Right now, it is just a rumor. That’s it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, I would rather be safe than sorry. Besides that, Mr. Kepler is leaving next week,” she shifted her eyes to the corner of her face, “or wait, was it this week? Shoot, I don’t even remember. But like I said, that is the writing on the wall. Travis has been here for years, and I never imagined the day he would leave.”
I slid my key into the keyhole and twisted the lock open. “Yeah,” I said, somberly. “You are right about that.”
A mist of sadness sat between us like morning fog as we stood quietly for a few moments until she headed back down the hallway. “If you need me,” she said as she walked away, “just instant message me. Or text me or whatever. I’ll be updating my resume on Job Search.”
“Alright, girl.”
I went into my office and quietly closed the door. The latch clicked softly into its compartment as I strolled to my desk and took a seat. My fingernails tapped against the surface of my polished wood desk like a small, marching army. The mirror positioned to my left reflected the gloom buried beneath my mahogany complexion. I sighed as my pink, matte lipstick covered every inch of my buxom lips.
I wore a tightly fitted t-shirt to go along with my jeans so that I could keep up with the kids. The community center was not only a daycare for parents who had to go to work during the summer days, but it also provided resources like Wi-Fi, computer rooms, a small library and a fitness center for residents in the community. I thought about the first day I started working here just three years ago.
It was my first job out of College at Texas A&M University. I studied education and figured I was going to be a teacher, but once I got here, I realized that I wanted the coveted title of a community director. Mr. Kepler said that he would recommend me as soon as he stepped down. It was bittersweet that the time he finally decided to step down was because the center was being demolished. I exhaled and leaned back in my chair, my eyes glued to the white ceiling above me as if it had the ability to stare back. What are you going to do now, Harper? What are you going to do now?
Chapter 3
JORDAN
The week went by in a blur. I got a lot of business done, so by Friday; it was time to unwind. Alex called me earlier that day and suggested that we head down to the Glass Cactus, a premier party spot inside of the Gaylord Inn, one of the major attractions of Grapevine Texas.
I usually kept my hair cropped because I hated wasted time at the barber and as I looked in the mirror, I admired the precision of my haircut. The top three buttons on my white shirt were undone, exposing the deep crevices between my pectoral muscles. I took pride in working out at the gym and more importantly, I loved when women ran their fingers across the ripples on my chest and abdominals. It was just as gratifying for me as it was for them.
Gray slacks and black and gray Armani shoes to cap everything off with a diamond encrusted Rolex that I had specially ordered at Robbins Bros. Minutes later, my driver called me to let me know that he was downstairs and ready to go. “Alright, Kurt. I’ll be right down.” My loft was positioned on the outskirts of downtown Dallas. My place was on the top floor of the building, and from there, I could see the green Dallas skyline. I couldn’t count the number of times that I entertained guests in the jacuzzi while we caught a glimpse of the beautiful view.
I grabbed my keys from the table, then headed across the marble floor. The soles of my shoes clicked peacefully in the silence and echoed off the walls with each step. The elevator was filled with the hypnotizing scent of Gucci cologne. The scented cloud hoovered around me as I made my way through the lobby, and to the opened door of my Maybach. “You look very dapper tonight, Jordan.”
I smiled as I stepped into the vehicle, “thank you, Kurt. You don’t look too bad yourself.”
He laughed. “Yes, I have become accustomed to the chauffeur look. I like to think that I define the tuxedo instead of the opposite.” He closed the door as I crossed my leg over the other and waited for him to get into the driver’s seat. Once he settled in, he spoke, “so, are we still heading to the Glass Cactus?”
“Absolutely. Alex called me a few moments ago. He is already there.” I laughed to myself. “You know, it is funny that that guy always seems to make it to the lounge on time, but for some reason, he is always lagging behind for the meetings.”
Kurt chuckled as he put the car in drive. “Sir, that is your cousin, and I believe you know him best.”
I grabbed a bottle of pinot from the small compartment on the right and poured a glass. The liquid flowed effortlessly out of the bottle, and as Kurt moved along, I kept a steady hand.
Before I knew it, we were at the Glass Cactus. Kurt drove to the front door as patrons walked into the establishment. The front of the building was nothing but glass. You couldn’t see what was going on inside, but those who were inside could see everyone before they entered.
The glass structure was outlined with green lights, giving an explanation as to why it was called “The Glass Cactus.” Kurt opened the door, and as I stepped out, crowds of women headed to the building. I rolled my sleeves to the middle of my forearm, exposing the sleeved tattoos that covered my skin. A few women looked in my direction as I stood idle, admiring who was headed into the lounge. “Kurt,” I said, sliding a couple hundred dollar bills into his coat pocket. “Stay close, alright? Go ahead and get yourself a bite to eat or whatever you’d like. I think it is going to be a long night.”
He was gracious. “Very well, sir.” I winked at him, then headed to the front of the building. A line was forming to the right as I passed by the chatter of men and women who were waiting to go inside.
“Edwin, my man. How is it looking in there?” The security guard stood tall with his chest poked out as the line formed to his right.
“You know how it is, sir. So far, so good. We gotta keep the ratio leveled, though. We do
n’t want a sausage party, so you know, I gotta be selective with the guys tonight.”
“As always.” The base of the music thumped from inside the lounge, increasing my anxiety to step in. “Have you seen Alex?”
“Sir,” he looked to the right and motioned for a handful of women to step inside. “Go ahead, ladies. Enjoy yourselves tonight.” They smiled and winked as they walked in wearing short dresses and skirts that would make a religious man blush. His eyes followed the small group as he held the door open for them. “Damn,” he said, as he let the door close. “What was I saying?”
I laughed. “Alex.”
“Right, right. He is already on his fourth drink. You have a long way to go if you want to catch up with him. He was upstairs in VIP. Go ahead and go in there, though, Jordan. Have fun tonight. I let a few in that I knew were exactly your type.”
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