He hung up the phone with more force than necessary. He picked up the itinerary once again.
Charity raffle to benefit: Fight Against Hunger
Entrance donation: $10,000
Three door prizes. Top prize: A Date of Your Dreams With Billionaire Jonathan Vinchi
His eyes never made it to the other prizes. He could read the itinerary a thousand times, but the fact would never change: He was being raffled off. A mix of anger, frustration, and disgust flowed through him as it became apparent that no donation was going to get him out of this.
God, he did not need this type of distraction. Not now, not ever, but especially not at this critical time. It was going to be a long week.
Thank God it’s Friday, Lizette thought as she rubbed her temples, trying to ease the dull headache that had been haunting her for the past two hours. She wasn’t sure if it was all the system issues she’d faced while trying to process the month-end accounting report or something else, but today had felt like it would never be completed.
Taking one last look at her desk, she confirmed it was tidy as always, with everything in its place. Almost over, she thought as she shut down her laptop.
Getting out on time on a Friday was a great way to start the weekend. Lizette had her entire weekend planned out. She had so much to do, but Friday night was all hers. It was dedicated to relaxing. During lunch she’d made sure to download the latest steamy romance onto her Kindle. She could not contain her smile thinking soon she’d be soaking in a hot bubble bath with her novel and a glass of wine, enjoying a well-deserved escape.
Her sweet thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. The clock showed 4:59. Why does the phone always ring at the last minute? She sighed. Lizette contemplated not answering it, but then the caller ID lit up with the name Elaine Manning. Elaine was the CEO of her company, Another Chance, and Lizette knew she couldn’t avoid taking the call. Since they were all friends in the office there was also a chance she wasn’t calling about business.
“Hello. Lizette Burke speaking. How may I help you?”
“Lizette, I’m glad I caught you. Can you come to my office right away?” It was a question that had only one answer.
“Certainly, I’ll be right there.” There was obviously something wrong with the month-end report. “So much for that bubble bath,” she said quietly to herself.
Lizette quickly adjusted her blouse and smoothed her fitted skirt. With one quick look in her compact she confirmed her hair was still in place, in a tight bun secured with a pencil.
She made her way through the all-too-quiet hall and headed to the executive office. The door was open and Elaine motioned her in. She was on the phone, rapidly firing instructions for a limo and a dress. Elaine attended many social functions in the hopes of gaining financial support and sponsorship for Another Chance. From the sound of it, she must be attending an extravagant one this evening, because she never used a limo.
At age thirty-four, Elaine Manning was known for her beauty and poise. But today her jet-black hair was in disarray, her nose red, her eyes bloodshot, and her cheeks flushed. Her entire appearance screamed “fever.” It appeared she was the latest victim to succumb to the flu that was making its way through the office. If Lizette had known earlier she would have brought her some soup. It was clear, she needed to go home and go to bed. There was no way she should be attending anything for a few days.
Even though she felt bad Elaine wasn’t feeling well, all she could think of was getting out of this office as she had been lucky enough to avoid catching it and could only hope her luck wasn’t about to run out. Please make this quick so I don’t get sick too.
When Elaine hung up the phone, she said, “I hope you don’t you have plans this evening, Lizette.”
Oh, great. Something big had gone wrong with the report. Everything appeared to have gone too smoothly. She had been handling the books for Another Chance for the past five years, and this was the first time it went off without a hitch. Lizette should have known better. She knew it. This was going to be an all-nighter. She knew whether she had plans or not, her answer needed to be the same. “No, my evening is free. Is there a problem with the month-end report? I will be happy to stay as long as it takes to correct whatever issue there is.” Lizette took her job seriously—too seriously, some had told her. Accurate accounting was the foundation of a company, she thought.
Elaine grabbed more tissues just in time for a sneezing fit that seemed to go on forever. Seeing her so ill, Lizette relented and thought, Whatever she needs, I’m happy to help her. Whatever the issue with the report was, Lizette was confident she could handle it on her own.
“No, no, the report was fine. I need you to do something else for me, for the company.”
Lizette could not even guess what that could be. All she’d ever done was accounting but she was a team player, so whatever office work needed to be done, she would try her best. “Of course, I am an excellent typist. Did you need me to fill in for your administrative assistant while she is out sick too? You know I’m more than happy to do whatever I can.”
“Thank you, Lizette, I do know and appreciate your dedication. However, it’s not her role I need you to fill tonight. It’s mine.”
Hers? she thought. As CEO? I would not feel comfortable having to make all those critical decisions. I like numbers; they’re factual, they don’t lie, they’re black and white, no gray areas. And yet, it was Friday night; there really couldn’t be anything that would come up that couldn’t wait until Monday. She could do this. All she’d need to do was be on call for anything critical. Then it hit her: Maybe there was something critical going on she wasn’t aware of. Maybe there was a fire in the community or something. Lizette didn’t have to wait long to find out.
“There is an extremely important event I was supposed to attend this evening. Obviously I am too ill to go.”
That was clear from the moment I entered the office, but what does this have to do with me? Lizette wondered.
“I need you to go in my place,” Elaine continued, pausing to sneeze again. “To represent me, represent us, Another Chance.”
Lizette hoped Elaine couldn’t see the shock and horror that was surely written all over her face. Even though she and Elaine were similar in some ways, the major difference was Elaine carried herself with such confidence she could walk into any room and hold her ground on any topic even with the most influential people. That was not something Lizette enjoyed or was interested in doing. “What? Oh, no, I couldn’t . . . I can’t . . . you know I don’t . . .” Lizette didn’t even realize she was stumbling over her words. She did not want to attend such a high-profile Who’s Who event. That was the last place she wanted to be.
“Lizette, there is no one else who can do this for me tonight. You know my admin Jill is home sick, and the rest of the team is on vacation or also out sick. We need you to do this.” After another sneezing fit, she continued, “I need you to do this. You’re head of the accounting department. I don’t have to tell you what attending an event like this can do for our association. It’s a great opportunity to get our name out there. The people attending could provide exactly the type of funding we need to continue. Normally we could never afford to attend, but an old colleague of mine, Mr. Scott, is the chairman of the event and was kind enough to sponsor a ticket for me. Someone has to represent us. We won’t get another opportunity like this.”
Lizette knew it was true. All the recent cuts in government funding had hit nonprofit organizations like Another Chance extremely hard. Right now they were basically running on personal donations and barely making it. It was getting crucial to find a corporate sponsor; the future of their organization was at risk.
“It’s one night. All the arrangements have already been made. The dress is being delivered to your home at six o’clock. The limo driver will pick you up at seven thirty, and Mr. Scott has been told you will be representing me—I mean, us—tonight.”
As though E
laine noticed the writing all over her face, she continued. “Lizette, this is not only an important charity event, it’s our best shot at networking with people who can provide the kind of financial support we need. I would not ask you to do this if I didn’t know you would represent us well.” In a softer voice, she went on. “We’ve known each other for several years now. I know you can do this. Do what comes naturally. Talk about what you believe in. Talk about the business and all that we do. Tell them about some of our successes. I know you are passionate about what we do here, so it’ll be easy. You’ll see.” With a sincere smile she said, “You may even enjoy yourself so much you’ll wish you could do it all the time.”
Doubt it, Lizette thought. Yet there was no way to get out of tonight after the speech she’d just received. She knew Elaine was not asking this of her as a friend; she was asking as the CEO. When the CEO asks for a favor, especially one of this magnitude, you don’t really have the option to decline. “Thank you. I will do my best,” she said with a forced smile.
“I need to get to bed. Thank you for filling in for me tonight.” Ms. Manning’s eyes traveled over Lizette’s very conservative business attire as she said, “Better get going, Lizette. You have a lot to do before seven thirty.”
Don’t remind me, she thought as she rose and left the office. She felt bad Elaine was ill, but for once she wished there were problems with the month-end report. At least she knew she could fix that. An event like tonight’s was something she wasn’t comfortable with, something she had been able to avoid since her college days—until now.
End of Excerpt from The Billionaire’s Secret
*Look for a linked series set in the same world, written by Ruth Cardello (my sister).
You won’t have to read her series to enjoy mine, but it sure will make it more fun. Characters will appear in both series.
(Get the entire book for FREE by clicking HERE)
Excerpt from One White Lie
Chapter One
Filled with frustration, Brice Henderson slammed the phone down as he leaned back in his chair. No way. There were times a partner came in handy, but, for the most part, it meant only another opinion he didn’t want to hear. Asher Barrington could put whatever deadline he wanted on the project, but no one was going to tell him what he had to do or when he had to do it. Not in his company or any other part of his life. Those days are long gone.
Asher didn’t get it. A highly sensitive chemical compound is not something you can rush. One mistake and . . .
He didn’t want to even think about the consequences; they would be catastrophic. No one is pushing me into supplying a deficient product. That thought alone brought back the last time he had seen his father. It had been more than three years ago and had ended with one hell of an argument around this very issue. “Stop this project now or consider yourself unemployed.” In that moment, he’d thought his father was a controlling asshole who wouldn’t even take the time to listen to what this project could mean for them as a family. Always his way or the highway. Asher Barrington reminded him of his father at times. Only one way, his way, drive forward as hard as you can, and if something is in the way, crush it. The decision to walk away from the family business hadn’t been an easy one. As the eldest, his siblings assumed he would eventually take over the business. It was lucrative, but he could see the writing on the wall. His father’s investments were working now, but times were changing, and Brice wasn’t going to get caught behind the eight ball.
Too many years had been spent in his father’s shadow, and for what? To be given the same treatment as any other employee and at times even worse? The days of being under his father’s thumb were long over. Never would Brice allow himself to lose focus on all that mattered to him again. My dreams, my future.
Although that argument was in the past, Brice hadn’t wasted or regretted one moment of it. Hell would freeze over before he went back to his father, asking for his old job back. It didn’t matter how much time it took; his name was on this project, and there was no way he was going to deliver a substandard product. If that meant his staff had no social life, so be it. Each one of them knew what they were in for when they chose to leave Poly-Shyn and work for him. Yes, he was demanding and what some may call arrogant, but they were all paid extremely well, so as far as he was concerned, they had no right to complain. He wanted and expected one thing from them. Results.
For the most part, he could count on each of them to do their job and do it well. There was only one problem. His personal assistant, Nancy, informed him she needed to take emergency family leave to care for her sickly mother. The look on her face when he’d suggested yesterday that he would be willing to pay for a nurse so she could continue working was one he had never seen before from her. “Some things are more important than a job or money. I only hope you realize that before it’s too late and you’re left with only your regrets to keep you company at night.” Her words had echoed through him all day. However, the outcome hadn’t changed. On an ordinary day, she was an important part of his team, but at this critical time, she was invaluable. Nancy had a shrewd way of handling the day-to-day mayhem and only directed something to him that truly needed his attention. With her out for an extended period, he had no idea what bullshit was about to fall into his lap, and right now he had no time to deal with any of it.
Getting up from his desk, he headed out of the office. Between Asher and Nancy, these next few weeks were going to be hell. I need the answer now. Nancy looked sweet and innocent, but he knew she was as tough as nails. There were times he was grateful she had the courage to challenge him. But right now wasn’t one of those times.
“You better have good news for me,” Brice bellowed.
Nancy raised her eyes from her computer screen without even a blink of an eye, as she responded, “You gave very specific instructions about the skills my temporary replacement needed to possess.”
“And after all these years you should know by now they are non-negotiable.”
Shaking her head, Nancy added, “Then you should remember I have never let you down before.”
He didn’t respond, only glared at her. She was right. As usual. Nancy knew he trusted her. Otherwise, he would never have let her interview and hire someone without even meeting her replacement. Even though she was correct, if she was looking for praise for doing her job, she wasn’t going to get it from him. “So when can I expect her?” And she better damn well be good.
A small grin appeared on her face as she answered, “She’ll be here first thing tomorrow morning.” Brice opened his mouth to say something, but Nancy raised her hand to cut him off. “Before you say it, I have researched her background, performed an extensive interview, and have already prepared clear and concise instructions. She also has my cell phone number for any emergencies, and yes, I have informed her you are not to be interrupted under any circumstances whatsoever.”
And this is precisely why I need you to stay. Brice didn’t have any time to waste trying to convince her to change her mind. All he could do was trust that she’d hired the right person for the job. It was a gamble, and he was the one with a lot to lose if she didn’t work out. I don’t have any choice. “You’ll be hearing from me if she can’t do everything I requested, and you’ll need to get your ass back to work.”
“Brice, you won’t be disappointed with this one. I guarantee it. I’m more worried that you won’t want me back after my mother—” Nancy stopped herself from saying more, the words too difficult to say.
It was the first time he had seen her anything other than confident. There was nothing he could say to change what she was going through. In a much softer tone he said, “Your job will be here.” She smiled and nodded her thanks. Before Nancy became emotional, he left her desk and headed for the elevator. Calling over his shoulder, he said to her, “I’ll be in the lab if anything urgent comes up.”
He needed everyone to be on top of their game. The formula was nearly perfect, and some of his t
eam mistakenly thought that was close enough. Over the next few weeks, he was sure they were going to regret ever saying those words to him. I won’t tolerate any incompetence in this company. Mine or anyone else’s.
Once he entered the lab, he went into the office and shut his door. There wasn’t time for interruptions or small talk with the chemist. With Asher moving up the timetable, he wanted to make sure everyone was giving one hundred fifty percent. He had risked everything, and nothing or no one was going to get in the way of seeing his vision become a reality.
Lena Razzi couldn’t believe she was going to be late for the first day of her new temp job. She’d had many of them in the past but normally got to meet the boss or staff in person prior to accepting the position. Even the interview had been handled over the phone. If it was going to be a long-term assignment or permanent position she probably wouldn’t have taken the job because she didn’t want to work for someone who couldn’t even take five minutes to meet her. But since this wasn’t going to last forever, she didn’t have much to lose. I can put up with anything for a month. I’ve worked for difficult bosses longer than this for less money. How bad can Mr. Henderson be? He’s clearly a very busy man, which suits me because I also prefer to be busy.
Although her phone interview was extensive, there were a few things Nancy had stressed more than once. The top of the list was to make sure Mr. Henderson had his coffee and clean towels ready and waiting for him when he came in from his early morning run. Running late was not going to be a great first impression. But my first impression of my new boss isn’t so great either.
Maybe if she explained what happened with her son, Nicholas, on his first day at daycare, it would help. He decided it was the perfect time to have a meltdown and didn’t want Mommy to leave. It was so unlike him. Normally he was a bundle of joy, all smiles, and loving everyone. Today, not so much. All she could do was hope Mr. Henderson liked children and understood her plight. He’s probably a cranky old man who hates them, and his run is probably a walk around the block.
All Bets Off: Betting On You Series: Book Five Page 19