The Belated Billionaire

by Elana Johnson

  “Your turn,” he said, and Theo took the seat beside Katie, a feeling a complete serenity washing over him.

  Once everything was ready, he said, “Okay, you’ve got the eight-hundred-foot line, which is as high as the FAA allows us to go.” He grinned. “It’s going to be great.”

  Theo braced himself, wishing there was more to hold onto than the straps connected to the bar above him. But he gripped them like his life depended on it, expecting the worst.

  Katie didn’t even hold on to anything, and when the lift started and they rose effortlessly, without a single bump, foolishness raced through Theo. Then pure exhilaration and joy. He laughed as the boat got smaller and the view larger. “This is amazing,” he said, his breath actually catching in his throat. The wide expanse of water before him stole his breath, as did the woman at his side.

  He reached over and took her hand in his. “I was wrong. GBS was totally right and didn’t lead me astray.”

  She beamed at him, the wind pushing her hair back. “So you invented GBS, huh? No wonder you’re rich.”

  “Well.” He shrugged, though he knew he was rich. It was everything he’d ever wanted—the money. But the fame? He could do without that.

  “Tell me about that,” she said.

  “About GBS?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’d been working on a piece of dating software for a while,” he said. “But I wanted something interactive, and our social media accounts are able to take our behaviors and produce ads that they think will entice us to buy. So I took that concept and put it in the relationship arena. It’s done well here, and we’ve expanded to over two hundred urban markets now.”

  “Wow.”

  Wow was right, but Theo didn’t say it. “I came here, because…I’d heard of something I wanted to learn more about. And when I got here and couldn’t get a date, we launched GBS.”

  “But the app’s been around for at least a couple of years. You haven’t.” She looked at him, wiping her hair off her face. “Have you?”

  “No, I moved here permanently just last year,” he said. “But I’d visited the island quite a lot before then.”

  She squeezed his hand and pointed to her left. He leaned forward, sure shifting the balance would throw them off, but nothing happened. The huge smiley face parachute behind them adjusted, and he saw splashing below.

  “Dolphins?” he asked.

  “I’m sure.” She turned to him, a huge smile on her face, and Theo had never been happier than he’d created Getaway Bay Singles—and not just for the money this time. But because the app had allowed him to reconnect with someone he’d never stopped loving.

  The following Wednesday started like any other. Theo ran on the treadmill in the spare bedroom of his condo. He ate two eggs for breakfast, with a fruit cup full of red grapefruit. He took his coffee black and headed downstairs to the office.

  He arrived before Ben, as usual, and stood overlooking the beach while he sipped his caffeine for the day. With his adrenaline humming, he sat in front of the computer to check email and take care of menial things before diving into his projects.

  He’d been working on the same two for so long, he almost wanted to can them, burn the files, and start over with different prospects.

  But if he could just get Island Airways to sign with him to build the app and website, it wouldn’t matter if he lost every other client tomorrow. They were the white whale, the one client he needed to keep all others afloat.

  He’d been talking with their tech department, the CEO, and their chief engineers for ten months. Ten long months. Meetings. Lunches. Drinks. And he felt ready to either throw in the towel or get something inked.

  He’d also spoken one more time to Lawrence Gladstone at the last Nine-0 Club meeting, and he just needed signatures on the Gladstone Financial paperwork. Ben had finalized it all yesterday, and Lawrence was supposed to be dropping by that morning.

  Thus, the little things had to be done so Theo could focus on the bigger rocks.

  So he sipped, and he checked, and he answered. Just as he pulled the Island Airlines file toward him, another email came in.

  His heart raced, and he couldn’t seem to read fast enough. But Alexander Mitchell had emailed, and Theo fumbled as he tried to align his hand on the mouse. He finally clicked open the email from the CEO of Island Airlines to see the words We’re ready to go over final paperwork and sign. When’s a good time for you to meet?

  Theo started laughing, and laughing, and laughing.

  Ben found him, still cackling in front of the computer. “What is going on?” he asked, setting a paper bag on Theo’s desk. “I could hear you as soon as I got off the elevator.”

  “Alex is ready to sign.” Theo looked up, the blank email response still waiting for him to type something into it.

  “Alex Mitchell?” Ben darted around the desk and into Theo’s cave of screens. “You’re kidding.”

  “I’m not kidding.” Theo stood up and grabbed Ben in a bear hug. “We did it! We got the biggest commercial airline out of Hawaii to take on our app.” He clapped Ben on the back and released him, more emotions than he knew what to do with streaming through him. “Help me formulate a response.”

  “He wants to know when we can meet.” Ben pulled out his phone. “I’m getting your calendar now.”

  “We both need to be there.” Theo reached for the bag and hoped there were pastries inside. Of course there were, from the best doughnut shop on the island: Nuts About Dough.

  “Today we have Lawrence coming in before noon. I have a phone call with Talbots this afternoon that I can reschedule. When is he thinking? Today?”

  “I have no idea.” Theo abandoned the email and dialed Alex instead. “Hey,” he said when the CEO himself answered. “I just got your email and thought maybe a chat would get us to a meeting sooner. I’m going to put you on speaker, okay?”

  “That’s fine,” Alex said, his big, bold voice practically deafening Theo. “Let me go out with Sandra. Then she can pull up my calendar too.”

  They spoke back and forth for a few minutes, each vetoing days or times until finally, next Tuesday at one o’clock, they could meet. Ben and Theo would go to the Island Airways corporate offices near the airport, and everything would be signed, sealed, and app development would begin.

  When Theo hung up, he sat back in his seat, utterly stunned. “I can’t believe it,” he said.

  Ben chuckled, pulled out a doughnut, and checked his phone when it sounded at him. “Oh, Lawrence is here.”

  “Two huge new accounts,” he said. And huge was an understatement. His euphoria died a little, because he knew he’d be hands-on for these two specific clients. He’d be building their apps, running the meetings, making the phone calls, doing the testing.

  And that meant he wouldn’t have nearly as much time to dedicate to the messaging he’d been doing on GBS with a certain brown-haired beauty he wanted to make a more permanent part of his life.

  It’ll be fine, he told himself. Katie knew what he did for a living. She worked long hours too. “It will all be fine.”

  Seven

  “Oh, no,” Katie groaned, her attention on her phone. With her hair still damp and framing her face in curls, she collapsed onto the bed. Another week had gone by since the most romantic parasailing she’d ever done.

  Fine, it had been the only time she’d been parasailing, but holding Theo’s hand and talking about business, life, and cats had been one of the best hours of her life.

  She stared at the texts from Chuck, sure the letters had arranged themselves into the wrong order. He had to go to the party with Heather that evening. He just had to.

  But all of his messages said he couldn’t. Something at work had come up, and since he was a paramedic, when duty called, he had to answer it.

  She let her phone fall to her lap, searching for another solution.

  “Hey, Mom.” Heather skipped into the room and sat on the bed beside her, sobering imm
ediately. “What’s wrong?”

  Katie pressed her lips together. She couldn’t tell her. She just couldn’t. She’d worked hard to give Heather a stress-free life, somewhere soft to fall, somewhere easy to learn life’s disappointments. But she tried to shelter her from as much as possible.

  “Mom, what’s going on?”

  Katie held out her phone and Heather took it. “Oh, no,” she said, and Katie heard herself in her daughter’s voice. “Well, I guess that’s it.” She stood and handed the phone back to Katie.

  “I have another idea,” Katie said, feeling irrational and insane. Theo would definitely say no. Should she get Heather’s hopes up for nothing?

  “Who?” Heather asked.

  “Let me talk to him first,” she said. “I don’t want to promise you anything.”

  “Who is it? Do I even know him?”

  “Sort of.”

  “Sort of?”

  “Go get the white album,” Katie said. “And I’ll call him.”

  Heather gave her one more doubt-filled look, then turned and left the bedroom. Katie hurried after her, closing the door and locking it so her daughter couldn’t come in during the conversation.

  She lost her confidence and decided to message him through GBS first. Hey, so I have a huge favor to ask. Remember how I told you about Heather and that daddy-daughter birthday party? Well, Chuck can’t go…and I wondered if you would take Heather.

  Her finger stalled over the send arrow as desperation clawed its way through her. She didn’t want to proofread or make things sound better than they were. She quickly hit send and then added, It’s a birthday party for the most popular girl in fifth grade, and it’ll likely be a nightmare. But Heather really wants to go. I will buy you dinner for a year if you go.

  She’d barely hit send when she got a message back from Theo. What time?

  Was he truly considering it?

  5:00.

  I can go. And you don’t need to buy me dinner. I would, however, like to go on the monster zipline with you. Can we make that happen?

  Relief rushed through Katie so strongly that tears pricked her eyes. Her chest heaved with a single sob, and then she shoved her motherly emotions away. We can definitely make the monster zipline happen, she typed out and sent before launching to her feet and opening the door.

  Heather sat on the other side of the hall, her knees up in front of her and the white picture album hugged to her chest. “Come on in,” Katie said. “And I’ll show you who you’re going to the party with.”

  “He said yes?” Heather scrambled to her feet, her face alight with such hope that Katie’s chest pinched.

  “He indeed said yes.” She took the book from her daughter and led her to the bed. “Now, his name is Theo. He’s the man I’ve been out with a few times over the past month.” She flipped open the book, noting that the pictures were faded and well-loved. She’d told Heather all about the photographs in this book, some more detailed than others.

  Near the end, a single photo of her and Theo remained from their time as husband and wife. She pointed to him. “That’s him. Theo Fleming. He’s got gray hair now.”

  “He’s old?”

  “Only a couple of years older than me,” her mom said. “Just the same age as all of your friends’ dads, I promise.” He grinned out at her from the pictures, his face so handsome. Katie hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him until that moment.

  “Is that you?” Heather asked, leaning forward.

  “Yes,” Katie said slowly. “Heather, Theo and I were married once.”

  Heather lifted her eyes from the album to meet her mom’s. “What? You were married before Dad?”

  “Yes.”

  “To Theo.”

  “Yes.” Katie watched as the wheels began turning in her daughter’s head. She focused on something else, her mouth hanging open.

  “I like him,” Katie whispered. “And he’ll be here at four-forty to take you to the party, so you better be ready.”

  She cleared her throat, unsure if she’d spoken the first few words out loud or not. Heather pushed herself off the bed and said, “I have to wrap the present first,” as if she didn’t still have hours before the shindig began.

  She left the room, left Katie to her own thoughts. I like him.

  She wasn’t lying, and she felt Theo burrow his way into the softer, fleshier part of her heart once again.

  “Hola,” Claire called, and Katie slapped the white photo album closed and shoved it under the comforter before her best friend could pop her head into the bedroom. “There you are.”

  “Here I am.” Katie put on the best smile she could muster, knowing she’d tell Claire everything in under five minutes.

  “What’s going on?” Claire asked in a warning tone as she entered the bedroom. “Chuck says he’s so, so sorry. But apparently the quarterback got himself stuck out on some tropical island, and everyone’s been called in.”

  “Maine Fitzgerald?”

  “The one and only. His coaches called him in missing a couple of days ago. Everyone thought he was just blowing off steam or something.” She sat on the bed next to Katie—and jumped right back up. “Ow. What’s under there?”

  With a great big sigh, Katie heaved out the photo album.

  “Oh, honey.” Claire took the book. “Going through old times again?”

  “Kind of,” Katie said. “When Chuck cancelled, I decided to call Theo.”

  “Ooh, The-o,” Claire sang. “And?”

  “And he said yes, so I was just showing him to Heather. That’s all.” But it so wasn’t all, and if Claire believed Katie when she spoke in such a false tone, it would be a miracle.

  Claire snorted and said, “Yeah, right.” She flipped open the book and leafed aimlessly through the pages. “Just admit it. You like him.”

  Katie shrugged, not committing to anything quite yet. But she’d enjoyed every meeting with him, every cup of coffee, every parasailing adventure. A smile touched her mouth, and Claire said, “I know that look. You really like him.”

  Katie did, but a fair amount of frustration built up inside her too. “He’s just so easy, you know?” She looked at Claire, desperate for validation. “Like, I was married to the guy.” She stood up and ran her hands down her arms, hugging herself tight. “He’s so familiar, and yet so…new, too.”

  “Shiny and new,” Claire said, closing the book. “Like a nickel. Silver, and strong, and gorgeous….” She laughed as she handed the album to Katie and passed her on her way out of the room. “I better get to work. And you better get figuring out how to keep Mister Tall, Dreamy, and Delicious this time.”

  Katie let her go, trying to sort through her feelings. One thing was for sure—she hadn’t had to fight to keep Theo last time. She’d been the one to leave. He’d even asked her not to go…. So maybe she needed to figure out how to stay with Theo this time.

  “So how rich are we talking?” Katie asked, her eyes fixed on the locked bedroom door. Theo had called about twenty minutes ago, and she felt like a rebellious teenager, taking up too much time on the landline as she talked to her boyfriend.

  He’d called to get more specifics on the party, and she’d mentioned something about Amelia Grace’s family being quite wealthy. He’d said, “I’m sure I can handle them,” things had snowballed from there.

  He’d said he’d invented the smart dating app, and it was now in production in over two hundred urban markets. That was some serious cash. Millions. Maybe even billions.

  Her head swam at the thought of all that money, and she wasn’t sure why. She’d never been fascinated with the dollar, not the way Theo had been. He’d wanted to be a billionaire for as long as she’d known him—in fact, it was his goal to do so by age thirty. She’d left him, broke and penniless, at age twenty-nine, so unless he had a major turn-around in the subsequent twelve months, she didn’t think he’d achieved that particular goal.

  But Katie knew better than most that goals morphed and
changed. They were liquid, easily transforming when they needed to.

  “I don’t want to tell you,” he said.

  “So I’ll guess.” She lay on her back, relaxing now that she knew Heather probably wouldn’t come beating down the door. And Claire had left an hour ago. “Millionaire?”

  “Far exceeded,” he said.

  “Billionaire?”

  “Mm.”

  She sat up, excitement pouring through her. “Congratulations, Theo,” she said, and she meant it. “I know you’ve always wanted that title.”

  “It came a bit on the belated side,” he said. “But I have always wanted it.”

  “And you semi-retired to Hawaii.”

  He chuckled. “Kind of. I still work a full-time job, which is another thing I think we need to talk about….”

  “Oh, boy,” she said. “Gonna start standing me up because you have to work?” She’d been teasing, but the silence coming through the other end of the line testified that she was right.

  “Oh,” she said.

  “I signed two huge clients in the past week,” he said. “Well, one on Wednesday, and one will be official in a couple more days, but they’re huge, Katie.”

  “How huge?”

  “Airline huge,” he said. “That’s going to be months of work just for the app. And I signed the biggest financial institution in the US. The owner and CEO lives here in Getaway Bay, and he’s ready for a new banking app that has back-end features for employees, like we talked about with your app.”

  “Right, I got it.” She could hear between the syllables. He really wouldn’t have time for her. And maybe— “Can you still do my app?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he said. “We’ll be in pre-development for at least a couple of months with both clients. I’m just…I guess I just….” But he trailed off and didn’t say anything more.