by James, Avery
“Vi,” Amy butted in, “that’s Jack Coburn.”
“I don’t care who he is. He’s a looker. A rose by any other name,” Vi replied. “Is he single?”
“Yes, unfortunately,” Amy said. “It’s not helping his senate campaign much.”
“That sounds like a stroke of luck to me,” Vi said, “or at least for one of us.” She ribbed Charlotte with her elbow.
Amy’s eyes darted from Charlotte to Jack and back to Charlotte. “Hmm,” she said, “I’ll be right back.”
“Well, I say we let him decide who he likes better,” Vi said. She leaned over the bar and motioned to the bartender, “Barkeep!” she called, “Something strong!”
The bartender came over and poured some drinks according to Vi’s explicit instructions. Charlotte counted at least seven different kinds of liquor. Vi took a sip of one when it was finished and nodded in approval. “Charlotte, be a dear and bring one of these over to Callie, and one over to that Jack gentleman. This other one’s for you.”
Charlotte walked over and handed Callie a drink.
“You didn’t have to do this you know,” Callie said. She took a sip of the drink and cleared her throat. “Did Vi make that?”
Charlotte laughed. “We’re all just happy to see you happy.” She held out the other drink for Jack. “From Callie’s aunt,” she said.
Jack took it and smiled. He took a sip and tried to hide the look of surprise on his face. “That’s… interesting,” he said. He choked down another sip, and shook his head no. “I think I’ll admit defeat,” he said as he looked around for somewhere to put the drink.
Charlotte grinned and tried to think of something witty to say in response. Her stomach looped itself in knots. Jack was so much more handsome up close. And he held eye contact as she tried to think of something, anything to say that could possibly interest him. Finally, Logan started talking with Jack again, and Charlotte turned her attention back to Callie. Next time, she’d have to plan her conversation in advance.
“Promise me I didn’t ruin your plans,” Callie said.
“We’ll get to them some other time,” Charlotte offered. “This is your night. I’m just glad to see you so happy.” Charlotte watched Callie glance over at Amy making several sweeping gestures with her hands. “You and Logan are perfect together. He’s so good for you. He evens you out, helps you relax and finally forget about work. The two of you are just so natural together. Soon you’ll be married. Eek! It’s wonderful to see. I guess a part of me is worried that once you get married, things will change between us. I mean you already seem so much more relaxed than you were before you met Logan. Your whole life was work, and now you have something so much better. I really hope I find that someday.”
Callie’s eyes widened and she placed her hand over her mouth. She looked back at Charlotte. A familiar grin spread across her face. Callie was up to something.
“What?” Charlotte asked. “What did I miss?”
“How would you like all of that now?”
“Oh yeah, like some rich, charming guy is just going to appear and sweep me off my feet.”
Callie waved Amy over. “I know we’ve said it as a joke in the office, but what do you think about Charlotte for the job?”
Amy smiled. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
“I know she hasn’t been vetted, but wouldn’t they make a cute couple? Come on, the camera would love her. She’s wholesome.”
“Actually, I ran a background check on her when you first started living together.”
“Are you serious?” Callie asked. “And you never told me?”
“I was just looking out for my little sister. Don’t worry. Everything checked out.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Charlotte asked.
“Do you want to tell her or should I?” Callie said.
“It’s your party,” Amy replied.
“Charlotte, we need you to marry Jack Coburn,” Callie said.
“You WHAT?” Charlotte exclaimed.
Callie laughed. “Come on,” she said, taking her friend by the arm and leading her over to the group of men. “Why don’t Logan and I introduce you?”
Charlotte shook her head. “I spoke too soon!” Callie hadn’t changed one bit. She was still laser focused on her job. Charlotte still wasn’t sure what Callie meant by saying she needed to marry Jack Coburn, but hey, she wouldn’t be opposed to getting to know him. Rich, handsome, and polite enough to try to second drink of Vi’s concoction.
Callie smiled and slid her arm over Charlotte’s shoulder. “Jack,” she called, “there’s someone you need to meet.”
***
Thank you for reading The Billionaire’s Kiss, the second book in the Scandal, Inc series! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did:
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If you haven’t read the first book in the Scandal, Inc series, I’ve included an excerpt below. Charlotte’s story is next, and will be out in Spring, 2014.
An excerpt from:
The Billionaire's Marriage Contract (Scandal, Inc)
Ethan Cole sat at the bar and looked at his reflection in the mirror as he reached into his briefcase. He studied the lines on his face. He wasn’t getting any younger, he thought. He wondered if the stress of his job was starting to get to him. For over a decade, he had been the toast of the tech world, but he wondered if the world was finally catching up with him. By the time he fished the small box out of the bottom of the leather briefcase, he had gone from looking at his forehead to inspecting the small lines that were starting to form next to his eyes. As he spun the box around in his fingers, he turned to look toward the door. No sign of Amy yet. He let out a little sigh of relief and turned back around. He motioned to the bartender.
“Ready for a drink?” the bartender asked.
“Just let me know when the attractive brunette comes in through the front door.”
Ethan opened the box and gazed down at the ring inside. “This is just a business deal,” he whispered to himself. “Don’t try to make it anything more than that.” He pulled the ring out of the box and inspected it in the dim light. It had been in his family for two generations and was the only keepsake he had left of the grandmother who had raised him. He looked at the sapphire set in the center of the ring. It was barely half a carat, but it was worth more to him than almost anything in the world.
As Ethan began to think back, the bartender pointed to the door. “I think your friend is here,” he said.
Ethan put the ring back in the box and slid it into the bottom of his briefcase. He gazed back toward the door to catch a glimpse of Amy as she looked around the dining room. She was as stunning as ever, and Ethan felt his pulse jump as he looked at her. Here goes, he thought. He turned back to the bartender. “I’m ready for that drink.” He reached into his wallet and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. “Her drinks are on me, too.”
***
It took Amy almost a minute to spot Ethan at the back corner of the bar. She was surprised it had taken her so long. Even across a dimly lit room, he had a brightness to him, an inner light that had a tendency to make him the center of attention. By the way he had positioned himself at the bar, Amy could tell he wasn’t interested in gaining anyone’s attention but hers. She watched him as he said something to the bartender. Then she waved off the hostess and began to make her way over to him.
Crossing the room, she felt excitement rising up inside her stomach, a nervousness that tied itself in knots. She was a consultant to movie stars, to moguls and kings, and yet she felt nervous even being in the same room as Ethan. Amy shook her head as she approached him. Buck up, she thought. Just find out what he wants and then head out. He was probably just trying to get a rise out of her.
How sensitive could this proposal be? When she reached his side, she cleared her throat.
Amy was used to men like Ethan. They always had to win, and getting her to agree to meet him for a drink was just another form of winning. Whatever proposal he’d have would be some other game for him to win. She had wanted to be the one in the seat as he arrived, but he had denied her that, too. As annoyed as she was with him for that, she couldn’t deny the waves of nervousness that rushed through her body as he stood up to face her. He reached over and pulled out the chair for her. Amy laughed. “Really?” she asked. “I can get my own seat, Ethan.”
“I know,” he replied. “Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t make the effort.”
“This is a meeting, not a date.” Not that I can remember what it’s like to be on a date, Amy thought.
“Well, agree to disagree,” Ethan replied with a smile. He looked her over again as he waited for her response.
“No,” Amy replied. She pursed her lips and opened her eyes wide as she tried to express just how little patience she had for Ethan’s games. He was doing it again, getting under her skin. “I don’t date clients. I don’t get personally involved with clients.”
“And why is that again?” Ethan asked. Amy watched his grin grow wider as he waited for her response. She’s going to kill me when she hears what I have to say, he thought.
“I know my clients. You’re all the same. You all want one thing, and I’m not about to let you make me the center of a scandal myself.”
“I promise I won’t try to sleep with you,” Ethan said.
“Ha,” Amy said. “Like you’d even have a chance. I meant you want to win. It’s hard-wired into you.”
“How?” Ethan replied. “How does a drink with a colleague equate to needing to win? And how is it a scandal? It’s hardly tabloid material.”
“When the colleague is female and around your age, and while you’re still tabloid gold, it is.”
“You forgot attractive,” Ethan added.
“What?” Amy replied. Was he actually hitting on her after everything she had just said or was he that self absorbed that he was still talking about himself? “Did you just call yourself attractive?” Amy asked.
“No. You know what I meant,” he replied. Besides, if you weren’t attractive people would just assume you were my secretary or sister or something.”
“You date supermodels.”
“And as far as I know, you don’t date anyone. So like I said, I think we’re safe. What are they going to say? Ethan Cole spotted in public with a nun? I have half a mind to find out if you’re wearing a chastity belt under that dress.”
Amy laughed. “I swear if you make a nun joke.”
“I try not to make a habit of it.”
Amy shook her head and laughed before lowering her voice. She reached out, placed her hand over Ethan’s and asked, “Why are we here?”
“I’m thinking about getting married.”
“Are you really?” Amy asked with a grin. She wondered which South American supermodel had managed to pull the fleece over his eyes. “Let me guess, you want me to do some preemptive damage control.”
Ethan looked down and then met Amy’s glance, he had a sheepish smile on his face, like he was purposely leaving out some important detail. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Tell me you didn’t get her pregnant. It doesn’t do much for your image if you’re off knocking up Ms. Venezuela. What is she, seventeen or something?”
“No,” Ethan replied, “She’s about my age.”
“You’re using protection, right?”
“We’re not even having sex yet.”
“Really?” Amy replied. “She must be worth the wait.”
“I think so,” Ethan replied, he couldn’t help but smile. He felt like he was in the eye of the storm, watching the calm before all hell broke loose. Of course, hell breaking loose was the whole point of this meeting.
Amy watched his grin grow even wider. “What am I missing here?” she asked. “What is so funny? Do I know her?”
“Better than I do, believe it or not,” Ethan replied. “Though I’m guessing you don’t know her as well as you’d think. She’s in her thirties, a colleague of mine actually, a bit of a departure from the women I’ve been dating. Truth be told, a bit of a departure from pretty much everyone I know.”
“I know her, and she’s not a bimbo? Interesting. And you like her?”
“Yeah, I do,” he replied. “She’s honest and smart, and she calls me on my bullshit. Very few people do that.”
“I do that,” Amy replied. She felt a twinge of jealousy as she said it.
“I know.”
“How long have the two of you been together? I mean, the media is going to have a field day with this. You know that right? The playboy billionaire settling down. It will be the marriage of the century.”
“We’ve had a thing for years, and the media will never catch wind. It’s all going to be quiet. I think she’ll like it better that way.”
“Think?” Amy replied. “You mean you haven’t discussed it with her?” Amy picked up her glass of wine and took a deep sip. “So you’re going to propose to someone I know, and you haven’t even dropped a hint that you might be interested in marriage?” She leaned back in her chair a bit and waited to hear Ethan’s explanation of this one.
“Oh, I’ve been dropping hints all night,” Ethan replied. “And we’re talking about it right now.”
“What do you mean?” Amy asked.
“Amy, I’m asking you to marry me.”
As she listened to the words, Amy forgot all about her glass of wine and let it fall from her hand. She watched as it cracked off of the bar and shattered, spraying wine forward. As the sound rang through the bar, everyone else fell silent. Amy felt like her heart had stopped, and then everything flew into motion as she realized what was going on. “You’re joking, right? Is this a joke? Did my sister put you up to this on the phone this afternoon?”
Ethan smiled. “I didn’t know that Callie was your sister. I thought she was your secretary. That makes a lot of sense now. No, I’m completely serious. I need you to marry me, and I’m ready to make you the offer of a lifetime.”
Amy looked at Ethan again. He wasn’t smiling anymore. Was he insane? Amy raised her hand and signaled to the bartender. I’m going to need something stronger than wine, she thought. Then she turned to Ethan. “Explain. Now.”
“Have you ever been to Wyoming?” Ethan asked as the bartender came back with a new glass of wine.
***
“This better not be a repeat of Chicago.” Amy crossed her arms and stared at Ethan. “I am not in the mood for a repeat of Chicago. Are you being serious right now? I have an aunt’s birthday party to get to. I have a company to run. I’m not in the mood for a practical joke by the world-famous Ethan Cole. I suppose you think I should be flattered that you want me to marry you for some reason.
“First off, you and I remember that night in Chicago very differently,” Ethan replied.
“You make it sound like something happened between us.”
“Like I said,” Ethan repeated, “you and I remember that night very differently.”
Ethan reached down into his briefcase and pulled out a manila envelope. He placed it on the bar and slid it over to Amy. “It’s all right there in the prenup. All you have to do is sign, and the marriage contract is legally binding.”
Amy placed her hand over the envelope. “If you think for one second that I’m going to let you buy me.”
“Amy, you know that isn’t this at all. People have marriages of convenience all the time. You and I just happen to have the added bonus of being able to see opportunities and seize them. I need a wife.”
“So go and get one. Who is the latest model you were dating? Miss Russia or Brazil or?”
“Argentina,” Ethan replied. “And I called things off. She wasn’t really interested in me anyway, and, well, supermodel wife doesn’t exactly
fit my needs at the moment.”
“What you need at the moment is someone to knock you in the side of the head,” Amy replied. “This is definitely Chicago all over again.”
“Like I said, I think you and I remember that night very differently, and you brought it up, not me. This is nothing like that. That was a moment, and this is a unique opportunity. I think you should consider my offer. A multibillion dollar deal that will help ensure the future of my company and the jobs of tens of thousands of people all depend on you helping me become a family man.”
“I need you to be my wife. Not for long, just long enough to convince Hank Hilson that I’m a good man, a family man, and someone worthy of taking the reins of Hilson Energy.”
“You run a tech company,” Amy replied. “Why in the world would you want to buy a business you know nothing about?”
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Hilson is retiring, and he is looking to sell the company. Almost no one knows, but I do, and I’ve been in talks with him for months. He likes me, but he doesn’t know if he can trust me.”
“So you want to lie to him and tell him that I’m your wife?”
“No, I want you to marry me and help me make my case to him. Hilson Energy is a relatively minor player in the energy sector. They are a regional supplier of oil and gas, but they also control rights to over half of the neodymium reserves in the western hemisphere.”
“Neodymium?” Amy asked. “You want me to pretend to be your wife so you can buy magnets?”
Ethan laughed. “Now you get it. It’s an essential component of modern electronics, and a major weakness in my supply chain. My company uses it in everything from cellphones to missiles, and Hilson’s other assets would help us deploy new technology in fields we’ve been trying to break into for years.”