Billionaire by Design (A BWWM Romance)

by Tiana Cole

  Zane was slightly taken aback when Jenna refused her usual glass of wine, ordering a glass of milk in its place, but thankfully, he didn‘t question the change. Phil’s deceit was the topic of conversation throughout most of their meal, and Zane had barely finished his last bite when Jenna began playfully badgering him about the good news he’d been holding so close to his vest.

  “Okay, okay,” he laughed, “I’ve kept you waiting long enough.” He pushed his plate aside and leaned in close, a smirk spreading across his face as he unveiled his secret. “We’re setting up an office in New York City. The transition starts next week.”

  “Wow!” Jenna replied, trying her best to sound enthused but feeling as though she’d fallen short. “That’s… that’s… so soon!”

  “I know,” Zane glowed with pride. “I’ve been ironing out the details all week. The company’s doing great, so it’s time we finally expand to the East Coast.”

  “I’m so happy for you,” Jenna lied, her heart sinking as Zane continued on.

  “I found a way to make it all work, even with the missing money Phil stole. We’ll have to pinch some pennies, and things will be tight for a while, but we can do this. I’m sure of it.”

  “You weren‘t kidding when you said you had good news!” Jenna labored to smile, fighting hard to stay strong but quickly losing the battle and succumbing to her emotions. Her eyes began to well with tears of sorrow, but she was relieved when Zane mistook them for tears of joy.

  “I knew you’d be happy,” he beamed as Jenna dabbed her eyes with her napkin. “I managed to find some reasonable office space we can lease, and I’m flying to New York next week to check it out. If I don’t snatch it up, somebody else will, and I don’t want to pass it up. It’s finally happening!” he paused to clap his hands together in exuberance. “We’re joining the big boys on Madison Avenue!”

  “I’m… I’m thrilled,” she quietly sobbed while maintaining her strained smile. She knew he’d been wanting to launch a Northeast division, but hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. He was clearly elated by his announcement, grinning wide, his blue eyes alive with excitement, but she couldn’t match his enthusiasm. Inside she was devastated, her worst fear being realized at the dropping of this unexpected bombshell. There was no way she could tell him about her pregnancy now.

  Not when he was so pleased, and rightfully so, with his accomplishment. Word of a baby would undoubtedly crush his spirits. She knew he was such a good man that he’d postpone his plans to see her through the pregnancy, but that would mean he’d have to pass up the office space he’d found, and she feared he may resent her for delaying the growth of his firm.

  “I’ll have to bring some new faces on board, but it shouldn’t be hard finding people in New York City,” Zane explained as he finished his wine and poured himself another celebratory glass. “I’ll find somebody to take Phil’s place here, and I’ll have to oversee the Manhattan office for a few months.”

  “Oh, so you’ll be staying in New York, then?” Jenna asked as she blotted her eyes once more and regained her composure.

  “Well, I was hoping you’d come with me,” he grinned hopefully. “I mean, I know your mom and brother are there. I figured it would give you a chance to see them again. Plus I’d be honored if you’d introduce me to them.”

  “I’d love to see them again, but…” Jenna trailed off with a sigh.

  “You don’t have to see your old neighborhood, I promise,” Zane assured her as he reached across the table to hold her hand.

  “Thank you,” she smiled, this time with sincerity. Four years had passed since she’d seen her two remaining family members, and as much as she missed them, the thought of stepping back into the hardened area she’d worked so hard to escape from filled her with dread.

  “So, is that a yes?” he questioned optimistically as he sipped his glass of merlot. “You should be done with the BMW campaign by then, so it’ll be perfect timing.”

  He studied her face intently as she sat picking at her food in silent deliberation. One of her biggest fears had always been mothering a child too early in life.

  Fate, however, had dealt her a different hand and over the last few days, she’d come to terms with it surprisingly well. While she once recoiled at the thought, she now found a part of herself thrilled at the prospect of bringing this baby into the world. Unfortunately, it had just become painfully clear that it wasn’t going to happen. No, she would absolve Zane of any guilt, regret, or resentment by going through with the abortion.

  “I’d miss you too much if I didn’t go with you,” she finally answered with a small smile.

  “And I’d miss you too much if you didn’t come!” he fired back without skipping a beat.

  Jenna couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. Zane was normally so in tune with her, yet he didn’t seem to be picking up on her anguish. She ascribed it to his excitement regarding the expansion mixed with the wine he’d been indulging in since the beginning of the meal.

  “I have a little something for you,” he grinned as he reached into his suit jacket and pulled a small, black box from its inner pocket.

  “What’s this?” Jenna asked curiously as he slid it across the candlelit table to her.

  “Open it,” he insisted, his big, blue eyes basking in her look of puzzlement.

  “Zane, what did you do…” she blushed as she realized she was holding a jewelry box.

  “Just open it,” he chuckled as she held the small felt box in her trembling hands. She flashed him a nervous glance and cracked it open slowly.

  “Oh my God,” she gasped, a hand covering her agape mouth as she as took in the beauty of the exquisite necklace inside. “Oh my God,” she repeated, unable to take her eyes off the three large, round diamonds shimmering on the white gold drop pendant that hung from a matching white gold chain. Losing her ability to speak, she looked up at him with large, watery eyes, and he returned her gaze with one of satisfied relief.

  “I take it you like it,” he smiled wide as she admired the necklace again with a look of stunned disbelief.

  “Baby, it’s… it’s gorgeous!” she gushed. “It’s too much, though!”

  “Nonsense,” he waved dismissively. “You’re worth every penny, and a whole lot more.”

  “You need every penny for the East Coast office!” she reminded him with a look of concern.

  “Quiet, you,” he laughed as he rounded the table to help her with her new necklace. She’d been wearing her usual heart pendant, but quickly removed it and slipped it into her purse before holding her long hair up so he could clasp the breathtaking showpiece around her neck. His lips met hers for a heated kiss, and he returned to his seat to watch the diamonds sparkle in the table’s candlelight.

  “When did you have time to do this?” she asked in awe as she held the drop pendant between her fingers to admire it once more.

  “Let’s just say you’re not the only one who left work early today,” he winked.

  “Sweetie, you shouldn‘t have done this!” Jenna persisted as she gave him another look of concern.

  “Honestly, even with Phil’s financial blow, the company’s doing just fine. I have everything under control,” Zane reassured her. “Besides, this is long overdue. On our first date here, you told me about the necklace you had to pawn. That one your grandmother gave you?”

  “You remembered that?” Jenna asked in shock.

  “Of course I did, babe,” he smiled, and added sweetly, “I figured you needed something nice to hand down to your granddaughter, too.”

  His words reminded her of the baby she was carrying, and how it would never grow old enough to have a child of its own. The key to her becoming a grandmother was living inside of her, but only for a few more days. The heartbreaking thought flooded her with emotion and she burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably into her napkin in an attempt to hide her face in shame.

  “Hey, hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Zane rocketed out of his sea
t to wrap a strong arm around her heaving shoulders.

  “N-n-n-nothing,” she lied, rivulets of mascara running down her flushed cheeks.

  “It doesn’t look like nothing,” he worried as he rubbed her back soothingly. “What did I say?”

  “Seriously, nothing,” she sniffed, wiping her eyes and collecting herself with a deep breath. “This is just the sweetest thing anybody’s ever done for me,” she deflected. Internally, a deep conflict was beginning to tear her apart. She knew an abortion would be best for the immediate growth of Zane’s company, but she prided herself in her honesty and didn’t know if she had what it took to lie to him.

  “Well, you deserve it,” he told her as he brushed the hair from her face and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass us,” she replied meekly as she glanced around the restaurant and realized several of its affluent patrons had taken notice of her outburst.

  “You could never embarrass me,” he comforted her with a warm smile and equally warm eyes.

  “We can get out of here if you want,” she sniffled.

  “And miss out on dessert and your news?” he reminded her, satisfied that she’d regained herself and taking his seat again.

  “Oh, that,” she muttered, recalling the news she wouldn’t be sharing with him anymore.

  “It’s your turn to spill,” he began, “but we can wait until we order desert.”

  “It’s nothing compared to your news,” she dismissed with another lie, “I just wanted to tell you I finalized the art for the BMW campaign.”

  “Ah, that’s wonderful news!” Zane burst happily, raising his glass in a solitary salute and finishing the rest of his wine.

  A wave of guilt washed over Jenna as she looked across the table at the amazing man she was so blessed to have in her life. He treated her like a princess, appreciated both her body and her soul, showed her nothing but respect, even jump started her career… and she’d been withholding the truth from him all week. Worse, she planned on lying to him about the termination of their unborn baby.

  She was crazy about the guy and came to the sudden realization that concealing the abortion may be the be fastest way to lose him from her life. She’d always followed her heart and done what was right, and couldn’t bring herself to stray from her morality now. She’d have to tell Zane, even if it meant losing him.

  “I have some other news, too,” she confessed sullenly. “I should have told you sooner, and I’m sorry I didn’t.“

  “Oh?” Zane’s face grew uneasy at Jenna’s abrupt change of demeanor.

  “I know the timing is awful, and I really hope it doesn’t mess things up too badly, but I found out…” she hesitated as she mustered the courage to finish the sentence, “I found out I’m pr—”

  “Pow, pow!”

  The familiar voice sounded loudly through the restaurant, interrupting her admission at its most critical moment. Jenna instantly recognized the easily-identifiable catch phrase of the last person she ever wanted to see again, and followed Zane’s annoyed glare across the room to the full bar located on the other side.

  They weren’t the only patrons who’d turned to find the source of the disturbance, the cause revealing itself to be an extremely drunk Phil Miller who sat holding a raised shot glass while rambunctiously toasting nobody in particular. The bartender, a slender, middle-aged woman with short, blond hair, flashed him an irritated look, and members of the bustling wait staff even paused to scowl at his inappropriate behavior. He threw his head back and gulped down the libation, then slammed the empty glass down on the bar top while belting out another, “Pow, pow!”

  “Ugh,” Zane groaned as they watched the bartender lean in and whisper something in Phil’s ear. Phil looked apologetic, inferring the woman had asked him to keep his boisterous voice down.

  “Really?” Jenna grumbled in agitation. “Of all nights?”

  They’d seen Phil here before and knew he was a regular of the posh Italian eatery. He’d once intruded on their dinner by following them to their table and rudely inviting himself to eat with them. He insisted a waiter bring an extra chair and spent the meal oblivious to their frustration as he incessantly rambled on. He typically stuck to the bar, knowing it was the ideal place to schmooze with the city’s deepest pockets.

  They didn’t expect to see him here on the same day he’d been unceremoniously let go from the job he’d held so dear, and by the looks of things, he was attempting to drink his woes away. The bartender refilled his shot glass, and he downed this one without making a spectacle of himself.

  He was still wearing the same gray suit he’d been fired in, necktie now loosened and the top few buttons of his dress shirt undone, and he’d chosen to replace the unsightly medical gauze on his balding head with a smaller, flesh-colored bandage that was still quite noticeable.

  “Unbelievable,” an appalled Zane remarked.

  “Let’s just get out of here,” Jenna sighed, using a hand to shield her eyes from Phil. The sight of him had upset her sensitive stomach, and she was beginning to feel queasy.

  “The way he’s pounding ‘em back, I’m sure they’ll stop serving him soon, and he’ll find another place to drink,” Zane observed as Phil motioned for another shot. He swallowed this one down as quickly as the previous two and began to drunkenly sway on his bar stool.

  “I really don’t want to wait,” Jenna huffed. “Let’s just leave. We can do dessert when we get home.”

  “Okay, babe, we can do that. I’d rather not look at that clown anymore, either,” Zane conceded as he dug his wallet out of his back pocket and dropped a crisp one hundred dollar bill on the table.

  They’d spent nearly every day together for the last three months, yet his chivalry hadn’t faltered in the least. He politely helped her from her seat as she slung her purse strap over her shoulder, and she continued to shield her face from Phil while they quickly moved towards the restaurant’s exit. They’d made it halfway across the dining room floor when Phil’s unmistakable voice rang out loudly again.

  “Hey! Hey! Zane! Jenna!”

  Once more, several of the establishment’s socialites turned to sneer at the disheveled drunk with the loud mouth, but Zane and Jenna pretended not to hear his calls. They ignored him as they hurried across the room, but he managed to stagger from his seat at the bar and intercept them before they made it out of the main dining area.

  “Pow, pow!” he bellowed as he blocked their path with a smile, his hands forming their ridiculous makeshift guns. “Don’t you two look adorable,” he slurred as he looked Jenna up and down and added, “That’s a pretty dress.”

  “Thank you,” she mumbled, realizing the vibrant red dress was likely the reason Phil had spotted them. With hiding her face no longer necessary, she dropped her hand to Zane’s and clenched it tightly.

  “We were just on our way out, Phil, but you have a good night,” Zane nodded.

  “Okay, I’ll see you in the office on Monday,” Phil casually replied as if the events of the day had never taken place.

  “No, you won’t,” Zane growled lowly, his patience clearly running thin as he attempted to move past his erstwhile protégé.

  “Oh, what, because of earlier?” Phil cackled in amusement after stepping to the side to block their path for a second time. “Come on, man, forgive and forget! Let’s just start over again. I’ll be in on Monday, and we’ll just pretend that whole unfortunate incident never happened.”

  “Phil, not now,” Jenna hissed in agitation.

  “Aw, come on!” Phil waved dismissively with a big, drunken grin plastered to his face. “I said some things. You said some things. We all said some things,” he paused to turn his head and release a muffled burp. “Let’s just move forward together. We’re a great team.”

  “Not now, Phil,” Zane repeated softly through gritted teeth in hopes of avoiding a scene.

  “Jenna, baby, talk some sense into your man here!” Phil laughe
d nervously with pleading eyes that were glazed over from alcohol. She refused to reply, or even meet his stare, and the disgraced account manager took offense to both.

  “Ah, go fuck yourself then, bitch!” he burst angrily.

  “That’s enough!” Zane demanded forcefully. His raised voice boomed over the low Sicilian music pumping through the restaurant, and a hushed silence began to fall over the dining room. Jenna tightened her grip on his strong hand and looked around the room with a fake smile in an effort to assure the growing number of onlookers that the situation was under control. “You’ve embarrassed yourself enough for one day,” he seethed as his composure began to crumble.

  “You can go fuck yourself, too!” Phil spat with a hateful sneer, and a collective gasp was heard throughout the room as he proceeded to shove his middle finger in his former boss’s face. Zane swatted it away and pushed by him with Jenna clinging to his hand tightly.

  “Yeah, you run away. Go run home and fuck your ghetto girlfriend,” Phil scoffed. “Go fuck your little nigg—”

  Zane didn’t give him a chance to finish. With no warning, and with lightning fast speed, he turned and silenced him with a right hook to the jaw. The blow was so powerful it sent Phil careening backwards into a table that fell to the floor along with him. The small group of aging women surrounding the table, all dressed in similar pant suits, shrieked as their dinner crashed to the tile below.

  Primavera’s manager, a husky Italian man wearing a black suit and sporting a thick, black beard, bolted from the kitchen to address the commotion with a look of horror. Zane towered menacingly, his chest heaving from adrenaline, while Jenna stood behind him with her hands cupped over her mouth from the shock of what she’d just witnessed.

  Phil lay unconscious beside the toppled table, his gray suit stained with pasta sauce, the bandage on his head having flown off at some point during his fall and leaving his grotesque stitches exposed. The restaurant’s usual evening banter had been reduced to quiet mumbles as the crowd continued to watch the scene unfolding before them.