The Very Rich Man (The Very Manly Series Book 3)

by Laura Stapleton

  “Is there anything you’ll need before then?”

  It’d been years since he’d played tourist in Manhattan. Showing Chloe around gave him the perfect excuse to enjoy a mini vacation. He had time after the phone conference to think up a few surprises for the weekend. “No, just you.”

  “Me? Why, Mr. Lawrence, I’m flattered.”

  He held up a hand at her kidding tone. “Don’t even start. I want a second set of ears, a pair of ignorant ones.”

  She narrowed her eyes and smirked. “Ah, I can summon Marjorie.”

  “Funny girl. No, you’re perfect for the job.” Darian glanced at her from his computer screen. “I mean ignorant as in unknowing, not unintelligent. I’ve stared at the project until I can’t see it anymore. That’s where you come in.”

  “All right, I can ask the dumb questions.” She took a seat across from him.

  “Exactly what I need from you.” The phone rang. “And there’s our cue to begin.”

  Chapter 4

  The next morning, way too early for her tastes, Chloe parked at a lot near the smaller airport. She’d expected less traffic on the way there. The instructions said to be at the gate by 4am. Darian said no security, but everyone knew baggage claim, getting tickets, and just finding the gate hurdles in a new airport. She checked the time on her car. An hour until the flight seemed to cut it close. She got out, grabbing her overnight bag and locking her car.

  Chloe followed the directions she’d printed the previous evening. The expansive building echoed with her footsteps. No one else, except a maintenance man, roamed the terminal. She ignored the creepy vibe and went to the assigned gate. The dark, vacant, assigned gate. She glanced around, seeing every other information desk shut down. Once still, the cold air seeped into her clothes. She checked the time. Going back home to a warm bed and more sleep appealed so much. She shook her head. As soon as she got comfortable, she’d have to turn around and come back to catch the flight.

  She sighed, disgusted at losing out on the sleep. A row of modern chairs, each with arm rests, discouraged a nap. She went to them and sat, facing her flight’s gate. An hour of waiting meant reading time. Chloe set her phone to energy saver, certain the puddle jumper Darian flew wouldn’t have plug ins for charging.

  The airport gradually came to life as she read her latest ebook. She’d glance up when an odd noise caught her attention, then got back to the story. Close to the end, a pair of black dress shoes stood a little too close to her. She glanced up and saw Darian. He wore nice dark grey pants and a button down shirt. The lighter grey accented his blue eyes. “Good morning, Mr. Lawrence.”

  He grinned. “Good morning, Miss Anders. I assume you’re ready?”

  Chloe stood, her legs stiff and cold from being still for so long. She wavered and he grabbed her elbow. “Sorry. Yes, I’m ready. Where do we check in?”

  “At the airplane door.”

  She followed him out onto the tarmac. A lovely Lear jet stood ahead of them and she gasped. His company logo marked the transportation as his. “You fly jets? Nothing in my Google search about you mentioned that.”

  “Thanks for the compliment, but no. I don’t fly anything but props.”

  “Still, they’re planes, too.” She watched as he handed her luggage to a waiting pilot. He and his female copilot looked like they worked for a major airline. Both wore the crisp air of former military service with the woman giving Chloe a curt nod before helping her partner continued the preflight checks.

  Chloe waited for a moment to follow Darian up the stairs, only to end up going first when he motioned her ahead. Good thing she had chosen slacks over a skirt. She stifled a laugh until walking into the jet. A steward waited for them, his demeanor as professional as the others. She lifted her chin, hoping her inexperience with personal jets didn’t show. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning, Ms. Anders, Mr. Lawrence. The usual, sir?”

  “Yes, please.” Darian went to a comfortable seat. “Chloe, what will be your usual?”

  “Oh, a plain black coffee, if possible, and after the plane is level for a while?”

  “Excellent.”

  She hesitated. The seat next to him seemed far too close. “Where should I sit?”

  “Anywhere you like.”

  The plane seemed huge all of a sudden, even though it was far smaller than any commercial jet she’d been on before. She decided on sitting in his row but not next to his window seat. If he needed her, she’d be there without crowding either of them. Chloe smiled at the steward as he gave Darian a coffee. “Could I talk you out of a bag of peanuts, later?”

  “Of course, unless you’d like the Continental breakfast.”

  “Oh. Yes, that would be perfect. Thank you.” She figured her face must be warming the air around her with heat of her blush. She put her purse in the seat next to her and sat, buckling in when the captain turned on the light to do so. She glanced over at Darian. He held his drink in one hand and read his tablet. She didn’t want to get caught staring so she turned to her own tablet to check the early morning emails.

  Their male pilot lingered on her mind. Did they clone tallish, dark haired, handsome men around here? Chloe grinned. If so, they could keep up the good work. The g force pushing her back as the aircraft left the ground always unnerved her. “Can you land this if something happens?”

  “With a good air traffic controller, anything is possible.”

  “Sounds like a no.”

  He laughed. “More like a probably, but let’s hope I’m never tested.”

  “I’m good with that.”

  “First time in a Gulfstream?”

  That was what this was? She’d heard about these planes. No wonder the seats felt like butter and the steward seemed to hide a snicker when she’d asked for peanuts. And the pilots? The plane explained their attitudes. She ran a hand down the smooth armrest. After today, she’d have an attitude, too. “Yes, and I love it.”

  “Who wouldn’t? This is my favorite.”

  “You have others?”

  “I did. Trade in and trade up.”

  “But not with your cars?”

  He laughed. “No, no Lamborghini. The first time some jackass door-dinged me, I’d have to hurt him.” Darian went back to his tablet. “Although, I could beat him and pay whatever it took to keep me out of jail for assault.”

  Remembering the last time a shopping cart had gashed her own little clunker, she agreed with his reasoning. “Maybe an Audi is best after all.”

  “I think so.” Darian looked up at the steward as he brought coffee to her. “We’ll eat as soon as we hit cruising altitude. After that, I want to go over some details about today.”

  She nodded, taking her drink. The captain’s voice sounded from the speakers, surprising her. So the man was the copilot. Chloe liked that. She nestled into the comfortable seat as their steward set up their tabletops and breakfasts. The copilot appealed in appearance and demeanor, enough to consider dating, except…She glanced over at Darian. Except, she’d met someone else first. Was he better? Possibly.

  Chloe began her meal, laughing at her own thoughts. Nothing said either man might date her. She wasn’t pilot’s girlfriend or billionaire’s wife material. Her hand paused midway between plate and mouth. Wife? She choked.

  “You alright?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Forgot how to eat for a moment.”

  “Ah. Nothing serious, then.”

  A couple swigs of coffee helped her croak, “Nope. Next up? Forgetting how to breathe.”

  He laughed. “Let me know when that happens. I’ll have the crew drop oxygen masks for you.”

  She watched as he motioned their server over to take his tray. Chloe let hers go as well, before turning her attention back to Darian. The early morning sun illuminated him, giving his skin a golden glow. The glistening silver at his temples among the black reminded her he was a few years older than she was.

  A ding from her tablet sounded and she checked her me
ssenger to see him asking if she was ready for a mini meeting and if he passed her inspection. She laughed. “You do, Mr. Lawrence. No crumbs anywhere.”

  “Good. Let’s go over some facts. I’ll need you to pay attention to key points while we’re there.” He moved from the window to aisle seat, turning his tablet toward her. “I’d met with them in a teleconference, but feel like it’s not been enough. There’s something they’re hiding.”

  “Do you think they’re shady?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve had my best look everything over. Financials, productivity, everything.” He shrugged, still focused on his tablet. “There’s no reason for them to be hemorrhaging money like they are.”

  Chloe didn’t know what to say that didn’t sound naïve. Still, he’d brought her for the dumb questions so she took a deep breath. “No embezzling, or paying friends and family ridiculous amounts?”

  “No. That was among the first reasons I checked.”

  “I thought so, but…”

  He looked over at her, a grin on his face. “Don’t feel bad about asking. It’s obvious enough to have been overlooked. Who’s to say they’re not stealing and we’ve not caught on yet?” He put away his tablet. “I’ve sent you their financial statement and the corresponding spreadsheet they sent me. I’d like you to review and see if anything jumps out at you.”

  “I don’t know how much I can help with accounting.”

  “You probably can’t. I just want to check out your instincts.” Darian grinned. “Don’t fret. It’s not a test. No failing allowed.” He pulled out a trade paperback from his briefcase. At her inquiring look, he added, “Sometimes I like to kick it old school.”

  “Ah, okay.” She grinned and went to her email. A few seconds later, Chloe poured over the documents and attachments Darian had sent. She read everything twice, Googling her questions before asking him anything. She could see why he was giving them a surprise visit. They looked great on paper up until the latest quarter’s huge loss. No capital expenditures, arrears in accounts receivable, balloon loan payments, nothing.

  The soft ding of the fasten seatbelt chime sounded and she realized she’d missed the first free to roam the cabin signal. “This is a bad time, but I need to go to the bathroom.”

  “So go. We have time and no one’s going to toss you overboard for breaking the rules.” Darian turned down a corner of his book’s pages to mark his spot. “Going now is a good idea. I’ll go after you.”

  “Do you want to be first?”

  “No, go ahead.”

  She nodded, amazed at being able to walk upright in a personal plane. Secretly, Chloe had wanted to know if the bathrooms were as luxurious as the rest of the interior. It was. The room, though small, had real hand towels and even the soap smelled rich. The tissue and toilet paper? Better than any she would ever buy for herself. Chloe sighed, not really wanting to leave the privacy.

  Walking out of here meant eventually leaving the plane for the vastness of New York City. She could handle a place like Denver, pretend she was something more than a small town girl, but The Big Apple? The sheer immensity of it scared her. She checked her reflection, making a mental note to cut the oily shine and slather on some lip gloss when back in her seat. She opened the door to find Darian there. “I’m sorry, it took longer than I thought.”

  “No worries. It happens.”

  He stood close to her, pausing a second before slipping past to the small room. She breathed in, pinning down his cologne to the soap she’d just used. The freshness was what he usually smelled like and she’d not caught the brand name. He must have stock in the company, she thought while easing back to her place. She grinned. Stock? Hell, he probably owned the entire company. Chloe made a mental note to check if they produced a more floral scent. She liked the masculine notes, but not for her personally.

  She settled in, buckling her seat belt, wondering what it would be like to have a soap manufacturer at her beck and call. Heavenly, and in a home with a bubbly tub like she knew Darian had to have? She made a note on her tablet to ask about house sitting for him sometime.

  “Did I miss anything?” He settled into his seat, shrugging into his suit jacket.

  “Yes, we crashed several minutes ago. This is all a figment of your imagination.”

  “Oh? Usually, my imagination is much more inventive than this.” He held up a hand before double checking his belongings. “Don’t get me wrong, this is good, but there’s only one of you. My fantasies like twins. Or triplets. That’d be nice, too.”

  She didn’t know what to say to that. Funny, yet very inappropriate. Chloe stared ahead before a bump reminded her to zip up her purse.

  “No witty retort? You make me sad.” He buttoned up his jacket.

  Her lipstick glided over her lips before she said, “No. I have nothing. Just wondering how you knew about my sisters and me being triplets.”

  “Holy shit! No way.”

  She laughed at his dropped jaw and the delighted gleam in his eyes. “No, no way. Not even a brother. Sorry to ruin your imaginary love life.”

  Darian laughed. “Good one. I deserved that.” He waited until the plane touched down before adding, “Back to being serious.”

  Chloe nodded, rather glad to be a little more professional. Later, she could think about how his closeness at the back of the plane unnerved her and seemed to bring out his flirty side. The crew lined up for the goodbyes. She smiled at them while following Darian out of the transport. The air seemed muggy and warm out on the tarmac. Different from the crisp cold of a late fall Colorado day.

  The driver opened the door to a black sedan and Darian motioned to her. “Ladies first.”

  She did as he suggested and settled into the dark leather seat. She stopped just short of closing the door herself as her boss got in from his side. After a glance at the front, Chloe realized too late she was an employee, just like the guy driving them. “Are you sure I shouldn’t be up front?”

  “I am. Back here is fine. It’s not that far.”

  She took his smile at face value and settled in to sightsee on the way. The small airport bustled with private jets lining up for takeoff. She’d never seen so many little planes in one spot. They almost seemed to be in a small town with lots of traffic and lane changes. Chloe couldn’t look away from the river as the car crossed the bridge into Manhattan. She’d seen rivers, but this one was more a lake than a meandering little ribbon of water. Drizzle started spattering the window and she smiled. Most of her life spent in Wyoming meant she never took rain for granted.

  “We’re taking the scenic route going there and a different way coming back. I usually take a helicopter there and back.”

  “Oh.” She sat back, wondering if she’d said something wrong to their travel department.

  “No, don’t worry. I called later and gave them different instructions.”

  She turned to him a little. “Thank you. I appreciate the chance to see the city close up.”

  “Thought you might. Next time, we’ll take the helicopter.”

  “That sounds fun.”

  “It is.”

  When his attention stayed on his tablet, Chloe went back to watching the scenery. She didn’t want to miss anything. Barges floated on the river, as did small personal craft. She activated her own tablet and saw it update to their time zone. “Will we be late for a meeting taking the long way like this?”

  “No, there’s no meeting. I’m surprising them with this visit.” He put away his tablet. “They’re expecting me at one in the afternoon.”

  “How does this gain you an edge?” she asked before catching herself. “I suppose catching them in the act of deleting data or shredding documents might do it.”

  He chuckled. “It would. No, I’m not expecting anything so dastardly. This is just a way of keeping them off balance.”

  “What if some of the higher ups aren’t available and we have to wait?”

  “Then we talk to everyone else. Even waiting can be pr
oductive with the right attitude.”

  “Oh my God! That’s the Freedom Tower.” She leaned forward and down to see all of it through the front window. “Wow.” Chloe ignored his snicker, knowing she was being a country rube and didn’t care. “Did you ever get to see the real Twin Towers, or were they already gone?”

  “I did get to see them.”

  She wanted to look at him, but didn’t want to stop staring at the newest jewel in the city’s crown. “Were they as impossibly tall as they seemed to be?”

  “Yes, and they were a lesson to me.” He leaned to look at the building, too. “I had a chance to visit them on Sunday, when they were locked up tight.”

  “That’s too bad. Did you come back the next day?”

  “I couldn’t. Our class’s flight was that night. Senior trip.”

  “Ah.”

  “So, I touched the side of Tower one and mentally promised myself I’d come back. They’d wait for me.”

  “Oh. But they didn’t.”

  “No, and that was my lesson. Nothing is forever and if you don’t take the chance now, you may never have another.”

  She leaned back as they passed the tower, resisting the urge to turn around and watch it in the rear window, too. “Is that how you became so successful so fast?”

  “In a way. I calculated the risk, calculated what I could lose, and took every chance.”

  Chloe nodded. She’d read his bio, all about how he’d buy businesses and either turn them around or dismantle and sell them. A little part of her fell in love with him when she read how he treated the displaced employees. She’d watched the video of him breaking ground on a new vocational school. All the other ways he’d found employment for his new personnel hadn’t attracted notice, except for those who were not left on the street to fend for themselves.

  She smiled at his profile. He watched the scenery as she had before, and seemed lost in thought. She ventured, “Nine eleven changed everyone, and sounds like it changed you professionally. How about personally? Not in the super personal, I mean.”

  “In the “I went on my summer vacation and didn’t sleep but two hours a night” way?” When she nodded, he grinned. “That’s pretty much it. I took crazy electives in college because they interested me. In London, I stayed an extra week to visit Scotland and Ireland. Then, when at Manchu Piccu, I just sat and absorbed the atmosphere.” He looked away as if embarrassed. “It sound goofy, I know, but the surroundings, the ancient city? I wanted to feel the place, not just run in, take a photo or two, and head home.”