Billionaire by Design (A BWWM Romance)

by Tiana Cole

Seating them at their table, the hostess pleasantly informed them that their waiter would be with them shortly before disappearing back to her station by the restaurant’s entrance. Jenna was left sitting at a candlelit table across from a rich, handsome man she hardly knew but was undeniably attracted to.

  “What do you think?” Zane asked eagerly while studying Jenna’s face for a reaction.

  “This is too much,” she replied with an awestruck smile as she continued to soak in the restaurant’s decor. Their table was slightly recessed from the rest of the room, and she had a feeling he’d paid a lot of money to have it arranged that way. It was draped with a white tablecloth, and a small floral arrangement sat beside the tall, red candle. Although she couldn’t smell them over the restaurant’s savory aroma, she could tell the flowers were real.

  “I seriously can’t get over how beautiful you look,” he grinned as he looked her over.

  “I’m so underdressed,” she said with a quiet nervousness. “I feel like everybody’s looking at me.”

  “Oh, stop.” His smile widened and his mesmeric blue eyes lit up. “Seriously, you look amazing. Belle of the ball!”

  “I’m wearing all black,” she commented while looking down at her outfit. “I look like I’m going to a funeral. Why did I wear this? Ugh. Stupid.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” Zane teased. He’d placed a hand over his mouth, and his chest heaved as he silently laughed in amusement. “Hey, maybe this date will be the death of you!” he moved his hand to comically blurt.

  Jenna couldn’t help but giggle. He seemed to have a way of alleviating her anxiety. A few hours earlier, she’d been a nervous, self-conscious wreck around the man, but all of that had somehow changed, stemming from both his approval of her work and the flirtatious suggestion that he found her attractive.

  A friendly waiter scurried over to deliver a basket of fresh ciabatta bread and take their drink orders. In a gentlemanly fashion, Zane gestured for her to place her order first and looked at her curiously when she only asked for a water.

  He ordered a glass of red wine, and as the man hurried off to fetch their drinks, Jenna followed Zane’s lead and opened her menu. The selection was wonderful, but she couldn’t believe the prices she was seeing as she scanned the list with wide eyes.

  “Do you know what you want?” Zane asked as he scoured his menu as well.

  “Jesus, the prices are… And I thought the drinks were…” Jenna mumbled, trailing off as she realized the thoughts she’d been meaning to keep private had unintentionally come tumbling out of her mouth.

  “Wait, is that why you only ordered a water? Because you’re worried about the prices?” Zane questioned, his brow raised in worry.

  “Well, come on. A soda is, like, seven bucks—” she started, only to be interrupted by Zane’s deep voice.

  “You order whatever you want, okay? Don’t worry about price. Not tonight.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked. “I mean, you’ve already done so much for me today. That check was—”

  “You earned that check,” he interrupted again with his face suddenly serious, “and you’ve earned this dinner. So, please, order anything on the menu. I mean it.”

  “Okay,” she conceded apprehensively.

  “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll write the entire meal off as a tax deduction,” he joked, sensing her trepidation.

  “Doesn’t that only apply to business meetings?” she smiled as she turned her eyes back to the menu. She’d never been to a restaurant where the menus didn’t feature pictures of the food. This place was indeed fancy, she noted as she made her choice.

  “Well, since you mentioned it, I do have some business I’d like to discuss,” he announced as he adjusted his posture and folded his hands on the table in front of him.

  “Oh?” she asked with her brow raised in interest. “And what business is that?”

  “My unexpected stop at Family Burger made me realize we haven’t heard much from them over the last couple of years. They were doing well, then suddenly stopped expanding and halted their advertising campaigns,” he explained.

  “Go on,” Jenna prodded.

  “I’ve been in touch with Raul Lopez over the last few days. He and his wife started the chain together over twenty years ago.”

  Jenna nodded her understanding, listening attentively as he continued.

  “Turns out his wife got sick a few years back. Cancer. They sunk all their money into her treatment.”

  “So that’s why they stopped expanding,” Jenna pieced together. “My manager told me she was sick but didn’t give me many details.”

  “Exactly. It crippled them financially. They barely had the money to keep their existing stores open, let alone pay for marketing,” Zane replied as the waiter brought them their drinks. Insisting that Jenna enjoy the red wine with him, he asked the man to bring the entire bottle and an additional glass. He darted off to retrieve it as Zane went on.

  “They were keeping the severity of her illness fairly hush-hush. She’s gone into remission, thankfully, and things are looking well.”

  “That’s a relief,” Jenna agreed. Raul Lopez and his beautiful Dominican wife had visited her store on several occasions, and they both seemed like wonderful people. They treated their employees with the utmost respect, even taking the time to learn a little about their personal lives. It made the whole “Family Burger” title seem that much more fitting.

  “They want to begin advertising again, but they’re still recovering from the huge financial blow,” Zane told her. Always the gentleman, he refused to touch his wine until she had hers and waited patiently for their waiter to return.

  “So what are you going to do?” Jenna questioned, hanging on his every word.

  “I agreed to work with them at half the normal rate. We have a history together, so I figured it’s the least I can do.”

  “Didn’t you say they were one of your first clients?” Jenna asked.

  “That’s right,” Zane replied with a small smile, clearly shocked that she’d remembered this detail, “they were. They were willing to give a nobody like me a shot, and I owe them for that.”

  “That’s really sweet of you,” Jenna smiled affectionately.

  The waiter reappeared with the requested bottle of wine, pouring Jenna a glass and gently placing it in front of her. He set the bottle on the table and politely asked if they were ready to order. Once again, Zane motioned for Jenna to go first, and she stumbled as she attempted to pronounce the penne all'arrabbiata. Zane silently chuckled at how adorable this was, and even she had to giggle at her own fumble. He effortlessly ordered the pollo alla cacciatore, and their waiter departed with a smile.

  “Anyhow, this is where you come in,” Zane resumed after coaxing Jenna into trying the wine. She’d never been a huge wine drinker, or drinker in general for that matter, and its bitterness caught her off guard.

  “How so?” she asked as she forced the sip down.

  “I want your help with their campaign,” he said bluntly as he took a sip of wine, his eyes locked intently on hers.

  “My help? Why? I mean, you have an entire team and I wouldn’t even know where to begin!” Jenna spat, stunned by his proposal.

  “You’d be perfect,” he persisted. “You’ve been working with Family Burger for how long? You know their menu and how they operate inside and out.”

  “Well, that is true,” she conceded. “What are you suggesting?”

  “I’m not suggesting anything,” he smiled as he took another gulp of wine. “I’m telling you flat-out that I want you to join my firm.”

  “Zane…” she began. “That sounds wonderful, but between school and my job, there’s no way I’d have the time for that.” She nervously took another sip of wine, and this one went down much smoother.

  “No, no, you don’t seem to understand,” he countered as he leaned in closer. “I want you to leave Family Burger and work for me. I know you have school, but we can work ar
ound that. It’s not a problem.”

  “Jesus, this is so…”

  “Unexpected?” Zane finished for her. “I know, but I’m very impressed with your work, and the Family Burger account would be the perfect campaign to start you out on.”

  “I don’t know…” she replied hesitantly. “This is all so sudden.”

  “To be honest, I was going to offer you a job when you finished your schooling anyway,” Zane admitted. “I might as well bring you on board now, though. No sense in waiting, especially with the Family Burger account opening back up.”

  The waiter returned, briefly interrupting them to drop off an antipasto salad and two small plates. Zane nodded a thank you at him, and he raced off for the third time. Zane wasted no time returning to his offer.

  “You’d be working less hours than you are now, and with better pay. Plus you’d be doing something you love and are amazing at. Seems like a no-brainer to me,” he persuaded.

  She had to admit that his proposition sounded extremely enticing. She’d planned on searching for new employment in a few months anyhow, and definitely wouldn’t miss slinging greasy cheeseburgers. Juan, her manager, would be sad to see her go, and Michael would be as well, but they both knew she planned on leaving soon. This opportunity could launch her career, and working for Zane’s successful firm meant she’d be seeing the gorgeous entrepreneur on a regular basis. As much as she hated to admit it, that alone was incentive enough.

  “Okay, you’ve sold me on this idea,” she beamed. “I’ll have to talk to my manager and put in my two week notice.”

  “Already taken care of,” Zane smirked.

  “Wait, what?” she asked, puzzled.

  “I had a talk with Raul about you after we spoke on the phone earlier. I told him what a talented artist you are, and that I’d like you to help with their marketing since you’re so familiar with their brand. He agreed it was a great idea and also agreed to let you go without a two week notice. He just asks that you cover one last shift on Monday. After that, you’re all mine.”

  “Geez, you really thought of everything, huh?” Jenna joked as she picked at the salad. She hadn’t eaten anything since the early afternoon and was ravenous, but didn’t want to fill up before the main course arrived.

  “I’m always thinking two steps ahead,” Zane said with a devilish grin.

  “Well, I hope you’re making the right decision here,” she gulped as she washed her salad down with some more wine. “I don’t know much about marketing.”

  “You’ll learn,” he assured her. “Besides, the backbone of my company is art.”

  “Phil said he’s the backbone of your company,” she chuckled.

  “Did he really say that?” Zane laughed along with her. “Typical Phil. The guy’s kind of a schmuck, but he brings in business somehow.”

  “He seems quite… assertive,” Jenna replied, rolling her eyes.

  “That he is,” Zane agreed as he finished the rest of his wine.

  She was gearing up to ask about his relationship with Phil when he abruptly changed the subject.

  “That’s a pretty necklace.”

  “Oh, this?” she blushed as she instinctively touched the silver heart pendant. “Thank you.”

  “I noticed it back in my office,” he added as he poured himself another glass of wine and politely topped off hers as well.

  “Nothing gets by you, does it?” she quipped, taken aback at how observant he was. She hadn’t seen him so much as cast a glance at the necklace earlier, and her shirt had done a good job of concealing it anyhow.

  “I notice everything. Attention to detail’s the main reason I’ve been successful,” he pointed out.

  “My grandmother gave me a beautiful diamond necklace when I was sixteen,” she told him as her face turned sullen, “before she died. I was so broke when I moved here that I had to pawn it. Worst mistake ever. I would have worn it tonight.”

  Jenna wasn’t sure if it was his kind eyes or the wine that had prompted her to share this. She would have regretted it had he not looked at her with such compassion and understanding.

  “I’m really sorry to hear that,” he replied sympathetically. “Sounds like you did what you had to do to survive. I’m sure your grandmother would understand.”

  “She was a great woman,” Jenna swallowed as she worked hard to contain her emotions, “and I’d like to think you’re right.”

  “So who gave you that necklace?” he asked as he leaned closer to admire the heart pendant. “Boyfriend?”

  “Ha!” she laughed, louder than she’d intended to. She was definitely feeling the effects of the wine. “No, I bought this myself at Kohl’s for twenty bucks. Pathetic, right?”

  “Not pathetic at all,” he reassured her with a warm smile. “I’m just fishing for information on your love life.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes. I find it hard to believe a woman as enchanting as you is single,” he remarked.

  “Well, believe it. I’ve had my share of options,” she allowed herself to boast, “but I wanted to put school and career first. No distractions that way.”

  “Smart,” he agreed. “But don’t you get lonely?”

  “I’m too busy to get lonely,” she laughed, omitting the nights she’d wished she had a man to hold her. She turned the question around on him by asking, “What about you? How’s a handsome, successful man like you still on the market?”

  “Maybe I should do a better job advertising myself,” he joked. Jenna chuckled and sipped more of her wine. She was slowly warming up to its taste.

  “So you don’t have some wife or girlfriend stashed away somewhere?” she asked as she enjoyed more of the salad.

  “Nah. In all seriousness, I’ve been so focused on building my company, I kind of put dating on the back burner,” he explained. “I mean, I’ve dated here and there over the years, but nothing too serious. I guess I’m like you in that regard. You know, putting my goals first.”

  “That makes sense,” she said, and after a pause teased, “but you’re not getting any younger.”

  “I know, I know. Now you’re sounding like my mother,” he laughed.

  “I’m sure she’s quite proud of you,” Jenna smiled.

  “She is, but she also wants a grandchild,” he shook his head while rolling his blue eyes.

  Jenna used this opportunity to ask about his personal life. She’d been itching to know more about him, and this was the perfect chance.

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters? Earlier you said you were picking up your niece so I assume you do.”

  His face suddenly grew somber, his demeanor abruptly changing as a deep sadness seemed to overtake him. He took a swig from his glass while avoiding eye contact with her by looking around the room.

  “I had a younger brother, yes,” he began slowly, “but he passed away.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that,” Jenna consoled, tears welling in her eyes from the look of pain on his face.

  “IED over in Iraq, five years ago,” he expounded after taking yet another gulp of wine.

  “That’s terrible,” she replied, her hands instinctively covering her heart as she felt the agony of his loss.

  “Left me a gorgeous little niece, though,” he forced a chuckle in an attempt to lift the mood. “What about you? Brothers? Sisters?”

  “I have two brothers. Used to have three,” she answered softly as she broke eye contact by looking down at her plate.

  “You lost a brother, too?”

  “Yes. I didn’t exactly live in the best area…” she confessed as she finished her wine. “Gang life doesn’t seem to work out for anybody in the long run.”

  As intuitive as he was handsome, Zane was able to piece the story together from there.

  “I see,” he nodded understandingly.

  “Anyhow, enough about that,” she said as she cleared her throat and poured herself one more glass of wine.

  “Agreed,” he smiled. “I really
do want to know all about your life, though. I find you quite fascinating.”

  “Me?” she giggled, her head beginning to spin from the wine. “There’s nothing fascinating about me, I promise you that.”

  “Oh, I beg to differ. It’s not every day I meet a woman who’s as talented as she is beautiful.”

  “Why, thank you,” she blushed and returned the flirtation. “And I could say the same. It’s not every day I meet a handsome, creative man.”

  “I’m sure there are plenty of good looking artists at the University,” he said skeptically.

  “Eh, guys my age only want one thing,” she shrugged.

  “True. Us older men are where it’s at,” he winked with a grin. “But, seriously, tell me more about your life. In my office you gave me the broad strokes, but I want the fine details.”

  The combination of wine and his compassionate blue eyes had put her completely at ease. No longer worried about his judgment, she opened up about her childhood and the rough life she’d lived growing up in one of Brooklyn’s most notorious neighborhoods.

  She paused when their dinner arrived, and resumed while they enjoyed the incredible food. She felt like she was rambling, yet the look of interest on his face never waned. When she was done sharing, he reciprocated by opening up about his life as well. His father, hardened from his service in Vietnam, had been a strict disciplinarian with hopes of his sons becoming military men. He’d been disappointed when Zane chose to pursue marketing instead of a military career, and seeing that disappointment led to his brother joining the army where he was subsequently shipped overseas to fight a questionable war. His father had since passed, and his mother had retired four hours north in Sedona.

  They’d never been too close, but typically kept in touch once a month via phone. He helped out his brother’s widow whenever possible by helping her financially and taking his niece every other weekend to help alleviate some of her burden.

  He loved the little girl dearly, and cherished every second he spent with her. He beamed with pride as he scrolled through his phone, showing Jenna pictures of the little girl and his departed brother, whom he rightfully touted as a hero. Jenna felt honored that he would share such personal photos with her, and her heart throbbed at how his face lit up when he looked at them.