Billionaire Games

by Michelle Love

  * * *

  New Opportunities

  At work on Monday, Angela decided to give Frank a call to follow up on their discussion. She wanted to reaffirm that she was interested in interviewing for the position, and to showcase her enthusiasm once again. She and Frank had a detailed conversation regarding the opportunity and it sounded as though she was a perfect match. She resolved to discuss the idea with Eric later that day.

  After lunch, she made her way to Eric’s office and knocked on the door. Eric was on the phone, but she let herself in and sat down on the couch in her office. He was just finishing up talking with Anderson and finalizing some legal details. He hung up the phone and then focused his attention on Angela.

  “What can I do for you, Ms. Hayes?” he asked, shuffling some papers on his desk.

  “Well, Eric, I just wanted to let you know that I am going on an interview for the office of the treasury. Frank Edwards asked me over the weekend. I only thought it would be fair to let you know that I was considering it.”

  “Angela, you’ve worked for me for five years. I have always supported you and given you opportunities to grow. I don’t want to lose you now. Anderson’s business is going to present huge opportunities for you, myself, the rest of my team, and the firm. What can I do to keep you?”

  “Well, Frank has offered me almost twice my current salary. Plus, I would have a staff of four clerks working under me. So it would be a real opportunity to grow my career. Plus, I have always wanted to work in government. I did take some finance classes in college, so I could combine what I learned there with the legal know-how I learned working for you.”

  “We can talk about that. I can match the salary that they are offering you and we can hire some staff to support you. We could create a new position for you, higher up in the firm. You could even sit in on some board meetings.”

  “That sounds very intriguing, sir. I will think about it over the next week.”

  Angela had already decided that she was leaning towards interviewing for the job working for Frank. At the very least she could apply for the job and then decide later which one she would take. Eric was making a very generous offer.

  Later that afternoon, Angela sent an email to Frank. In it, she said that she would like to go to the interview. His assistant got back to her at around 4:00 p.m., offering to see her on Wednesday. Angela’s meeting with Karen, Rosalie, and Sam was at 6:30 p.m., so the timing would work out.

  When the interview rolled around, Angela was nervous. She wore her best suit and had gotten a manicure and pedicure the previous day. She had gotten a number of compliments at work that day. Also, Anderson had texted her telling her “good luck.” She had replied thanking him and telling him that she would get in touch soon about their second date. Also, Mark had texted her, but she hadn’t replied to that one just yet. She didn’t know what she was going to do about Mark. She had a feeling that if things progressed with Anderson, she would have to give some thought to seeing both of them at the same time.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Hayes,” said the assistant as she walked into Frank’s section of the office. “Please have a seat. Mr. Edwards will be with you shortly.”

  Angela couldn’t help but feel relieved that it would be Frank who was interviewing her. Although, probably, he wouldn’t be alone. After about five minutes of waiting, Frank opened the door to his office and came out, surrounded by about five or six Japanese businessmen. He said a few words to them in Japanese, and then they all bowed and made their way across the office and towards the elevators.

  “Ah, there you are!” exclaimed Frank, focusing his attention on Angela.

  “I didn’t know you spoke Japanese, sir,” said Angela, not having to feign her deep respect.

  “It’s one of the requirements of my job. I deal with Japan on an almost weekly basis. I also speak several other European languages and I’m learning Mandarin on the side. Don’t worry, languages aren’t really a huge requirement of the job you will be interviewing for.”

  “I speak French,” said Angeles with a laugh. “I have always wanted to vacation some more in Paris.”

  “Anderson goes there from time to time and is hoping to expand there. Speak with him. Maybe he’d like to take you along. Care to step into my office?”

  Angela walked into Frank’s office, which was sparsely but elegantly decorated. There were leather chairs, impressionist paintings, a fridge with many different types of beverages in it, and a collection of bonsai trees lined up on a mahogany table and positioned next to a large glass window. Two other staff members, one female, the other male, were sitting holding binders and clipboards.

  “Can I offer you a beverage?” asked Frank. “We have Evian, San Pellegrino, Perrier, and, of course, Snapple.”

  “I’ll take a Snapple, thanks,” replied Angela.

  Frank introduced the two other staff members who were sitting in on the meeting. They were both senior members of the office of the treasury.

  The interview lasted a half hour and went quite well. Or so Angela thought. At the end of it, she shook hands with the three of them and then left the building. She went straight to the Italian restaurant and arrived a full half hour before the reservation. She was excited to see Rosalie and Karen. She also could not wait to meet Sam.

  Rosalie had always been particular about the guys she dated. She was highly independent and had gone long years without the comforts of a boyfriend. So, Angela reasoned, this one must be a keeper. They arrived exactly on time, the three of them, and walked happily to Angela, who had been sitting by herself nursing a glass of wine. She rose to greet them.

  “Mom! Hi, Rosalie. You must be Sam,” said Angela happily.

  “Angela, you look wonderful,” said Karen.

  “I just came from a big job interview. I’ll tell you more about that later. Rosalie, you look wonderful. It’s been almost a year since I saw you. How is your Master’s going?”

  “It’s going great, thanks. Got almost a year left. Let me introduce you to my boyfriend, Sam. Sam, say hello to my adoring sister, Angela.”

  Sam was a tall, attractive, dark-haired young man in a blazer and jeans. He looked like he was part of academia. He looked smart. Angela was glad for her sister.

  “It’s a pleasure,” said Angela, shaking his hand. “Let’s have a seat and eat!”

  The four of them sat down at a square wooden table and a large-bellied Italian waiter served them. First, he brought bread and a bottle of red wine. Then he brought their dishes. Angela and Karen had ordered pasta, whereas Sam and Rosalie had ordered a pizza each. The food was delectable. After they had finished most of their meal, Angela decided to ask the young couple about how they were doing in school.

  “I’m getting straight As. So is Sam,” said Rosalie. “Some of the professors have actually been kind of encouraging us to do our PhDs. We might become professors one day ourselves.”

  “I’m jealous that you got all the brains in the family, Rosalie,” said Angela with a laugh. “No fair!”

  “Yeah, but you’re making the big bucks,” said Rosalie, reminding her. “Speaking of which, tell us about this new opportunity that is opening up for you.”

  “Well, it’s for the office of the treasury. My pay would be significantly higher than it is now, although my current boss, Eric, says that he would match any offer that I got from them. It would be a glamorous post. I’d be working in government, which means I’d actually be doing something very meaningful. Kind of like a public service. The job stability and prestige would be through the roof, at least in comparison to what I’m doing now, working for Eric. I just had my interview this afternoon.”

  “How did it go, dear?” asked Karen.

  “It went really well, as far as I can tell. I could sort of tell that Frank (who would be my new boss) has taken a liking to me, for whatever reason. I got the interview through my connection with Anderson Cromby.”

  Sam almost spat out his Diet Coke when he heard that name.r />
  “You know Anderson Cromby?” he said, completely floored and impressed.

  “Yes, we went on a date last Friday.”

  “Jesus, Angie,” said Rosalie. “If you get in with him, you’ll never have to work another day in your life. He’s got so many billions.”

  “I know that. Well, you know, he’s not my boyfriend, yet. We’ve just been on one date. Plus, I don’t want to stop working. I enjoy being independent and making my own money.”

  “Wait until the first baby arrives,” mused Karen. “That might all change in a heartbeat.”

  “Wait a second, Mom. We have only been on one date and already you have us having our first baby? Let’s try to stay a little more real here.”

  There was a pause. The four of them considered the conversation until finally Karen broke the silence.

  “Yes, you’re right, dear. I don’t mean to be jumping the gun. He’s just such a prominent person though. Being with him could change your life. So, how’s Maxine?”

  “She’s doing well overall, but she has some kind of a sickness. She thinks it might be a cold. The doctors say they don’t recognize anything severe, but there is nothing they can do for her at the same time.”

  “I hope she’s okay,” said Rosalie and Sam together.

  “Me too. I am going to see if I can visit her tonight and bring her anything.”

  The foursome wrapped up their dinner. Karen offered to pay the bill, but Angela said that she was more than happy to pay it. The three of them thanked her, and then they all went their separate ways.

  Back at her apartment, Angela got into some comfortable clothes—sweatpants and a hoodie— and helped herself to some of the good ice cream that she kept on hand so that she could indulge from time to time. It was already getting pretty late, so she decided to see if she could visit Maxine the following day. She sent her a text as much, and also asked how she was doing.

  Maxine replied that she seemed to be getting even sicker, but that Henry was being great about it. He was taking some time off work to stay with her and comfort her. Maxine said that Angela could visit tomorrow evening after work. They could make it a girls’ night and watch movies and gossip. Angela said that she thought that was a really good idea.

  The following day at work, Angela was busy fact checking the latest request for a proposal for one of their clients when Eric stopped by her cubicle. He wanted to know how the interview went, and to reaffirm his enthusiasm in keeping her on.

  “Well,” she said. “The interview went really well. They are going to get back to me next week.”

  “How much are they offering you?” he inquired.

  “They haven’t said yet, actually. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out.”

  “Good,” he said, and then walked off.

  Angela honestly didn’t know what she was going to do. She liked working for Eric, but a new opportunity was a new opportunity. She knew she could grow and thrive working for the government.

  * * *

  A Friend Fallen Ill

  The following day, after work, Angela stopped by the flower shop and picked up a bouquet of chrysanthemums for her best friend. She also grabbed a DVD (this time, Titanic, a movie they both loved) and some ice cream. She made her way to their apartment and opened the door, to see crumpled up tissues everywhere, dirty dishes, and empty medicine bottles.

  It looked as if Maxine was in trouble. Where was Henry? Angela thought that her husband was supposed to be taking care of her.

  “Oh my gosh, Maxine,” said Angela as she walked through the door.

  Maxine was lying on her back on the couch, sipping diet ginger ale through a straw and watching the news.

  “Where is Henry, Maxine?” asked Angela.

  In a coarse, raspy, and weak voice, Maxine replied, “He went out to get some food. Chicken noodle soup, I think. Come in. You look positively radiant.”

  Maxine chuckled hoarsely. Even in her emaciated state, she hadn’t lost part of her sense of humor.

  “My gosh, Maxine, let me have a look at you,” said Angela, who took off her shoes, hung up her jacket, and walked hurriedly over to the couch, putting one hand on her forehead.

  “You are burning up!” cried Angela. “This is not good; we need to get you to a hospital right away.”

  “I’ve already been to the hospital, dear,” said Maxine with as much courage as she could muster. “There is nothing they can do for me there. They just said it was a really bad strain of the common cold, that’s it.”

  “All right,” replied Angela. “If you are not a lot better by tomorrow afternoon, I am ordering a cab and dragging you to the hospital.”

  “Fair enough,” said Maxine. “How did your date with Anderson go?”

  “It went so well, Maxine,” said Angela. “I wish you could have been there. He took me to the most amazing restaurant in his private limo. The meal was so good. We drank such good wine. Then we actually bumped into another couple. Frank and Amanda Edwards. We ended up hanging out at their place for late night drinks. I got really drunk, but it was the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

  “Did you put out?” asked Maxine, rather directly.

  Angela laughed at the forwardness of Maxine’s question. They were best friends. They were allowed to be forward.

  “No. I really like him, so I kind of want to wait to have sex, plus we were just way too drunk. It was one of those fun party nights. Like the kind we used to have in high school.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by a round of hoarse coughing on Maxine’s part. She coughed up some phlegm and then went back to lying down on her back on the couch, one hand over her forehead.

  “I don’t want to be sick, Angela. I can’t miss any practice sessions. My game has to be on point. I am going to a tournament later on in the month.”

  “Which is why we’ve got to get you better as soon as possible,” said Angela seriously. “Let’s watch Titanic and eat some ice cream. I brought your favorite, Ben and Jerry’s.”

  The two of them settled into the movie. Angela sat on the couch beside her best friend, who propped her head up on her lap. Angela massaged Maxine’s arm and back. That’s the kind of friends they were. They were very close physically and emotionally. She was like a sister to Angela. Maxine, who had no siblings, considered Angela to be like a sister as well.

  Halfway through the movie, at about the part where the Titanic hit the ice berg, Henry walked in the door bearing goodies. He had chicken noodle soup and some panini sandwiches which he said he would heat up and serve. He was happy to see Angela there, for he knew that Maxine needed as much care as possible.

  Henry heated up the sandwiches and cut them into pieces for the girls and himself. They watched the rest of the movie, and then Angela said she should get home. Tomorrow was Friday and she needed to be up early. There was a lot of work to be done at the office.

  As she rose, her phone buzzed and she saw that she had a text from Anderson. He wanted to meet up for drinks after work at the Carlisle Club. She wondered why he chose that location, since he could afford any club in the city. The Carlisle Club was a medium-range hangout. Maybe he wanted to get a workout in beforehand. In any case, she replied that she would see him there at 6:00 p.m., but that she might not be able to stay out that late because she wanted to check in with Maxine again. Anderson said that he would come with her to see Maxine. He seemed genuinely concerned about her welfare.

  That night, Angela had some strange dreams. She dreamed that she was in the middle of a tug of war between Frank and Eric, and that they were both competing for her employment. No one was winning, however, and she was being pulled in either direction. Then, all of a sudden, she was on a yacht with Anderson and he was feeding her fresh, juicy grapes as she reclined on a lounge chair, basking in the sun. For some reason, it was in the middle of summer and the day was beautiful. When she awoke at 6:00 a.m., she wished she could be there with Anderson.

  The work day went by relatively q
uickly, and by the time it was over, Angela was positively giddy to be meeting Anderson at the club. She didn’t have time for a workout, however, and arrived just a few minutes before 6:00 p.m.

  Anderson was with a business colleague named Francis Cole. He was a vice president at Anderson’s firm, and Anderson considered him to be his “right hand man” for all his operations. He was a well-built, medium-height man of about thirty-five, with curly brown hair and piercing hazel eyes. When Angela approached their table, both men stood up to greet her.

  “Hey, darling,” said Anderson first. “You look great this afternoon. I am glad you could meet me here. Let me introduce to you one of my most trusted colleagues at the firm, Francis.”

  “Charmed,” said Francis, extending a hand for her to shake.

  The three of them sat down and ordered some food. Anderson was in the mood for fresh Atlantic lobster, and so ordered three of those. Angela adored lobster and was eager to have one. She had always found it difficult to eat a lobster, as the shell was hard to break and so much of it you couldn’t eat, but the parts that were for eating just tasted so delicious. The lobsters they had here were large enough to be considered a full meal. She reached for a slice of sourdough bread and spread some butter on it, eating it hungrily.

  “Anderson has told me a lot about you,” said Francis. “I am glad to be having the chance to meet you.”

  “Well, Anderson has great taste in people,” joked Angela. “No, but in all honesty, if you are his friend and colleague, then the pleasure is all mine. Anderson introduced me to Frank and Amanda Edwards last week, and that actually might be turning into a new job for me. Say, Francis, help me decide on this. All else being equal, should I go to work for the government, or keep my current job as a senior legal clerk at the firm?”

  “I think you need to do what’s in your heart, dear,” said Anderson.