Kat laughed, but then she jumped up. “Oh, my gosh, that gives me an excellent idea.”
Hilary stared at her. “What?”
“I should totally make a fake account on Privileged Singles. I could chat with him and get the inside scoop.”
A skeptical look crossed Hilary’s face. “How are you going to get him to do that?”
Kat smiled and went to get her laptop. She set it up on the table. “Easy. I just have to read his profile, and then create the perfect woman for him.”
Hilary broke off a piece of her bread. “I bet you can’t get him to bite.”
Kat gave her sister a flat look. “Oh, ye of little faith. I bait scammers for my column. I can get him to answer me.” She pushed aside her empty bowl and called up the Privileged Singles website. Hilary moved her chair so she could see.
Kat scanned Damian’s profile. He loved classical music, especially the strings. He went to Stanford. “Seriously?” Kat pointed and snorted. “He actually put in that he likes long walks in the moonlight. How cheesy is that?”
“I think it’s romantic,” Hilary said. “Shows he’s got a soft side.”
“It shows he has no imagination.”
Hilary turned back to the screen. “What else can you use?”
“It says he loves Charles Dickens. That’s an easy one. And his favorite movie is The Mask, which shows he’s got a quirky side to him.”
“You do quirky so well,” Hilary said.
Kat whacked her sister. “Shut up.” She pulled up a stock photo website. “Help me find a girl to use for the profile photo.”
“What style do you think he’d like? Blonde? Brunette?”
Kat thought about it. “Brunette I think. He was kind of staring at me a little today.”
“You wish.”
“No, I don’t.” Kat made a face. “He’s self-absorbed and putting me out of a job. I don’t want to date him. I want to get back at him.”
“Well, if you can get him to think this is real, that would be a perfect way.” Hilary pointed to a woman on the screen. “This one. She looks smart with those glasses. But she’s still pretty.”
“Perfect.” Kat clicked and downloaded the photo, then proceeded to create a profile on Privileged Singles. She had to sign up for the service, but she was willing to spend a little to see if it worked.
“What are you going to say in your profile?” Hilary grabbed another roll. She could eat anything and not gain an ounce.
“Let’s see. First, I need a name. Does Amelia sound too old fashioned?”
“Go for it. I think it’s classy.” Hilary leaned closer.
Kat typed in Amelia Johnson. “I think she’ll live in New York. That way he’ll think he has a shot at meeting her.” Kat frowned at the next question. “How much money does she have in the bank? What should I say? Is a million okay?”
“Should be plenty.”
“How did Amelia get the money?” Kat tapped her chin. She typed inheritance in the box.
“I think Amelia likes jazz music,” Kat said as she continued to type. “And her favorite book is A Christmas Carol. Her favorite movie of all time is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Her favorite food is… What’s something rich people eat?”
“Caviar?”
“Sure. That will do. And I’ll put a little Easter egg in there. She loves Snickers.”
Hilary scrunched up her nose. “Why’s that an Easter egg?”
“Just something I said to him today.”
“That won’t give you away, will it?”
Kat thought about it. Surely lots of people like Snickers. And it’s something different. “No, should be fine. But when I reveal myself, he’ll remember it and feel foolish.” She grinned at her sister. “Oh, I forgot one more thing.”
She clicked on the box. “Amelia loves fancy lattes.”
“Okay, is it ready?”
Kat nodded and clicked to save. Then she went over to Damian’s page and sent a wink showing her interest in him. “Let’s hope he’s bored tonight and answers me.”
Hilary stood and gathered up the dishes. “Let me know. I can’t wait to see if you pull this off.”
Thirty minutes later, while they were watching Seven Brides for Seven Brothers because mentioning the film made them both want to watch it again, her computer beeped.
Kat pulled the laptop onto her lap and grinned. “He took the bait. He wants to chat.”
Hilary paused the movie and rubbed her hands together. “Now the fun begins.”
Kat clicked okay to the chat request and the empty screen popped up. She typed something.
Hi.
Kind of dumb, but she wasn’t sure what to say at first. The screen showed Damian typing.
Hello Amelia. I must admit, your profile intrigued me.
Kat giggled and shoved her sister’s shoulder. “See? Do I know how to do it or what?”
“Answer him,” Hilary said.
What part intrigued you?
It’s rare to find a woman who likes both caviar and Snickers.
Kat laughed. “The Snickers drew him in. Go figure.” She tried to think of something witty to say.
I rarely eat them together.
Lol. I bet.
The conversation stalled, and Hilary motioned for her to continue. “Ask him something.”
Kat typed. What are you doing tonight?
I’m actually out of town, snowed into my hotel.
That stinks.
Yeah, I tried ordering dinner but no one was delivering with the storm. I’m starving.
Guilt surfaced in Kat’s chest before she remembered what he was there to do. Put the newspaper out of business and her out of a job. Hilary whacked her on the arm. “The poor billionaire has nothing to eat. Is he above eating what they have at the hotel?”
“They don’t have a restaurant at the hotel.”
“Oh. Well, then I feel a little sorry for him.”
“I’m trying not to,” Kat said. “He doesn’t care about this town or the people here.” She continued to type.
That doesn’t sound like any fun.
What are you doing tonight?
“OMG, what are you going to tell him?” Hilary was getting far too into this.
Kat thought about it before typing a response. I’m just curled up with a good book.
What book are you reading?
I’m re-reading A Christmas Carol. I just love Charles Dickens.
“Don’t lay it on too thick,” Hilary said.
They waited while the cursor blinked. Finally, he answered.
He’s my favorite author.
I know. That’s one thing that drew me to your profile. Kat twisted her hands together. “I’m going for it. Cross your fingers.”
What are you doing out of town?
Kat held her breath as they waited for his response.
I’m on a business trip.
What kind of business?
Nothing exciting. What do you do?
“Ooh, deflection. Keep an eye on that one.” Hilary yawned and stood from the couch, clicking off the television. “I’m going to bed. If he says anything awesome, tell me about it tomorrow.”
“Yep.” Kat waited until Hilary was out of the room. She tried to think of a career that would make her sound affluent and smart. She tapped her fingers lightly against the keys. She had to think of something good.
Chapter 4
Damian sat back in the hotel chair, waiting for the response. He wasn’t sure what made him get on the Privileged Singles website, but finding a woman like Amelia on there intrigued him. She wasn’t like all the others.
I am a hedge fund manager, but it’s a boring job so don’t ask me too much about it, or you’ll fall asleep.
Damian raised his eyebrows. She was in finance. Interesting. He hadn’t met too many women who were in the field. He responded.
Lol. Fair enough.
As he tried to think of something else to ask her, another message came
through.
You were evasive, though. Are you embarrassed by your business? Wait, let me guess. Do you make urinal cakes? Is that right?
He chuckled and shook his head. Who was this woman? He told her why he was in Pleasant Hollow. For some reason, he found her easy to talk to. Damian picked up his hotel coffee and took a sip. Disgusting. But the only other thing to drink was tap water which was about as appealing to him as toilet water. Her response came.
Sounds intriguing. Like a mystery. Have you found anything yet about why your father bought the newspaper?
Nothing. I’m honestly baffled.
What do you think you’ll do?
And that was the big question, wasn’t it? He looked out the window at the snow coming down by the street lamp.
I don’t know yet.
He waited for her to say something back, but the cursor just stood there, blinking. He stood and stretched before a reply came.
Maybe your father kept the newspaper because he didn’t want to put people out of work.
Damian rubbed the back of his neck. His father had no qualms about laying people off. It was part of the business world. When you need growth, sometimes you have to cut out the cancer. But maybe Amelia wouldn’t see it that way.
Maybe. But why did he buy it in the first place?
The cute receptionist? Just kidding. It’s a mystery for sure.
Damian chuckled. The receptionist was good looking but way too young for his father. Besides, his father was married to his mother when he bought the newspaper, so it couldn’t be anything like that.
I’m going to dig deeper on Monday.
Let me know if you find anything. I feel bad you’re stuck at a hotel with no food.
Damian glanced at the empty chip bag. He wasn’t too happy about it either.
I ate some Doritos from a vending machine. I usually hate hotel breakfasts, but I admit I’m looking forward to it.
Hopefully, they have something good.
His cell phone vibrated and he checked the screen. His mother. He didn’t want to talk to her right now about Priscilla. Or any of her other friends’ daughters. He tossed the phone on his desk. He’d call her tomorrow. Right now he wanted to know more about Amelia.
How long have you lived in Manhattan?
Only a few months. What about you?
All my life. Where did you live before you moved to New York?
The cursor blinked for a long time. Damian took another drink of the coffee. At least it was hot. And it didn’t have ice floating in it.
I’m from a small town you’ve probably never heard of. I actually like small-town life, if you can believe it.
Really? He couldn’t.
What’s so great about a small town?
It took another long pause before she answered.
Everyone knows everyone. You get smiles everywhere you go. This time of year is magical because the town comes together to celebrate the holidays. Neighbors help each other. People go out of their way to be nice.
Surprisingly, she did make small town life sound pretty good.
But what is there to do?
There’s a lot to do in a small town. Give it a chance. Maybe you’ll like it.
Right. If he ever got his car unburied.
Okay, I will. Now I’m curious about something. Where did you go to school to learn so much about finance?
I went to a small state college. But enough about me. I want to know more about you. What kind of goals do you have in life?
Wow, he hadn’t expected the conversation to get deep. He had to think about that one.
I guess my goal has always been to show my father I was capable of running his business. Now that he’s gone, I’m not sure what my goal is.
I’m sorry. Was his passing recent?
Damian’s throat grew tight, and he stood from the chair. It was still hard for him to talk about. Why had he brought it up? He walked over to the window and put his hand on the cool glass. Feelings of anger and abandonment coursed through him. He stuffed them down so he could answer her.
A year ago. It’s still hard.
I understand. My father passed away when I was twelve.
Such a young age to lose a parent. He felt bad for her.
That must have been hard for you.
Yes, it was. Wow, that was a downer, right? Wanna talk about war and starving children in Africa now?
He smiled at the computer screen. He liked this woman.
Haha. I probably should get some sleep. It’s even later where you are.
Yes, I should get to bed.
His fingers hovered over the keys. He didn’t really know this girl, but chatting with her tonight had been fun. It took away the boredom of being stuck in a crappy hotel room. But would it be cheesy to tell her that? He sighed and went ahead with it. Who cares, right? Maybe he’d never chat with her again.
Thanks for talking to me tonight. I enjoyed it.
He waited for her response. Why was he anxious to see what she’d say? She was a stranger.
I had fun talking with you too. Maybe we can do it again sometime.
He smiled.
I’d like that. Good night, Amelia.
‘Night.
He shut his laptop and dressed for bed. The snow outside was still coming down strong when he turned off the lamp. He was not looking forward to digging the rental car out tomorrow.
***
Kat lay in bed trying not to feel guilty for dropping Damian off at the hotel without making sure he had food. Her mother would kill her if she knew what had happened. Kat could just imagine Mr. Specialty Latte sitting in his room eating Doritos for dinner. He was such a snob, but she couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.
Arg. What a sap she was. She was looking at unemployment soon. There were no jobs in Pleasant Hollow. If anything ever opened up, everyone knew about it, and it was filled within the hour. She was extremely lucky to have her job at the newspaper. If Damian took that away from her, she’d probably lose her childhood home. She’d have to leave Pleasant Hollow. And what would they do about their mother?
She should hate him. But for some reason, she couldn’t muster up the emotion. Maybe she was just tired. She rolled over and pounded on her pillow.
She didn’t remember falling asleep, but when her phone rang and woke her up, early morning sunlight was peeking past the blinds. She squinted and fumbled for her phone on the nightstand. She swiped to answer. “Hello?”
“I didn’t wake you, did I?” Mr. Boss Man’s smooth voice came through.
She almost opened her mouth to tell him off, but Lydia would be livid if she found out. “No,” she said sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “I’m awake.”
“Good. I was wondering if now was a good time to ask for a ride.”
Seriously? She wanted to throw the phone across the room and cover her head with her pillow but remained calm. “Sure, I can come give you a ride.”
“And do you have a shovel I can borrow?”
She closed her eyes. “Mmhmm.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay.” Kat hung up and groaned. She was over feeling sorry for the billionaire. He was horrible and he could eat Doritos for dinner every night for all she cared.
Kat pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater. She had serious bed head but didn’t care if he saw her like that. It’s not like he was going to stick around or anything. She had her coat on and her boots zipped before succumbing to the urge to run a brush through her hair.
She grabbed a granola bar and her keys and opened the door to her garage. Shoot. Hilary’s car sat there. She’d forgotten she’d parked on the street and was now buried. Dang. She was going to have to take Hilary’s car.
When she walked back inside, Hilary was rummaging in the fridge. “Can I take your car?” Kat said. “I’ll just be a minute.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have to give Boss Man a ride.”
Hilary t
urned around clutching a container of yogurt. “You’re picking up Damian Warren?”
“Yeah, but it’s not as big of a privilege as you’re making it sound.” Kat opened the granola bar wrapper and took a bite.
“Fine. Take my car. But I want a full report when you get back.”
“Thanks. And I’m just taking him across town. No biggie.” Kat grabbed Hilary’s keys and went back into the garage. She tossed her shovel into the trunk, got in, and clicked the remote to open the garage door. The neighbor boy had already shoveled the driveway for her, thank goodness.
As she was backing out, her phone rang. She glanced at it. Lydia? Why would she be calling on a Saturday? Kat put the car in park and answered it. “Hello?”
“I heard you’re on your way to help Damian.”
“Yes, I’m giving him a ride to his car so he can dig it out.”
“Wait, you’re not helping him shovel? That’s rude, Katherine.”
Kat’s mouth dropped. “I’m doing him a favor.”
“Listen, all our jobs are on the line here. I need you to give him special treatment. Shovel his car out. Spend the day with him. Take him to the Christmas activities tonight. Show him our town needs a newspaper.”
“Are you kidding me?” Kat clamped her lips together. It wouldn’t be a good idea to make Lydia mad.
“You need your job just as much as I do. You need to give him the royal treatment or he will close us down.”
Kat couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“I don’t know. Think of something. Show him Pleasant Hollow matters. I’ll let your contribution reflect in your Christmas bonus.”
A click on the line let Kat know Lydia had hung up. She sat there and stared at her phone. Great. What on earth was she supposed to do? Harass the guy all day?
Kat let out a breath and put her sister’s car into gear. Had Lydia gone crazy? How was showing Damian around going to make him keep the newspaper? He was a billionaire for heaven’s sake. He didn’t care at all about Pleasant Hollow.
Luckily all the main streets had been plowed. She passed the town square with all the people setting up for the Christmas Carnival. Lights were being hung, and Santa’s house was almost built. The skating rink was decked out with Christmas trees. A vendor was setting up a kiosk to sell hot chocolate. She could almost taste it. She loved the carnival, even as an adult.
Her Big Fat Hunky Billionaire Boss Page 3