Rekindled: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance
Page 89
She looked up and smiled. “Honey, you are the only one who would even come into the kitchen to help in the first place. Lord knows that your sister could do with some time in here.”
“She doesn’t need to learn. She has Alfred.”
She kind of gave me a look and I had to laugh. My mother was more conservative, always spouting obedience and the more traditional gender roles. I wasn’t sure if she actually lived up to it; her mouth was always telling everyone how she felt. But she did believe in it, and she had hammered it into me and my sister for quite some time. It just hadn’t really stuck with Karen.
“Well, maybe I just need to find me an Alfred too.”
She scowled at me and gave me some vegetables to chop. “That is really not the way to use your education, Nicola. I don’t know why you went to begin with. I taught you everything I know.”
“I know, mom, I just don’t think that marriage and kids are for me right now.”
She looked at me as if I had broken her heart and I looked away. She already had grandchildren and I refused to feel the obligation. I was twenty-two and just out of college. There was no way that I wanted to hear it right now, so to change the subject I decided to bring up my good news. It would be easier to tell her first and get her reaction before the rest of the family knew.
“So I wanted to tell you about the good news I got today.”
“Did Jamie come back to town?”
The sound of his name made me frown. “No, he didn’t. God, mom.” She had thrown me off talking about my ex and it took me a minute to remember what I’d wanted to say. “No, I was going to tell you that I got a job today. I start next Monday.”
“What about school?”
I shrugged and handed her the bowl of cut veggies for the broth. “It’s only a couple of classes that I’ll miss, and I graduate in a couple of weeks anyways. It was just an opportunity to slide into a job, so I took it.”
She smiled and for a moment I thought it was going to be okay.
“So what kind of job is it?”
“Working with a catering service.”
“That’s good, Nicola. Now help me get the chicken de-boned or we are never going to eat.”
It was less than I had anticipated, and I hated to admit that I was a little disappointed that she wasn’t happier for me. But it was better than hearing a lecture about how I needed to be more like Karen, so I was going to take it for what it was.
Chapter 2 - Jerold
I was trying to pay attention, but it was hard. All I could think about was the weekend and the end of meetings like the one I was in right now. I knew it was necessary, but there were other things that I could be doing. My plan was to leave and go to the city for a time. I needed to indulge some of my other needs. Business was not doing it for me.
“Jerold? What do you think of the proposal?”
Shaking my head, I didn’t know how I was supposed to respond. I didn’t even know why I was in the meeting. When I turned around, I tried my best to not look as perturbed as I felt.
“I think that there was a lot of time and energy put into this presentation, but I don’t think there was much thought put in. The idea that a small town like Brewer would be able to support such a project is beyond me. I like it here for the small-town feel and you want to put in condominiums in the middle of Main Street.”
I watched a few reactions and steeled myself for the blowback. Maybe it was part of the reason that I was so against it, the idea of changing my town. I didn’t like to even think about it, and the replica in the middle of the table made my stomach turn when I looked at it.
“So what I think of the proposal is that Carrington Investments will not be participating in it and as soon as I leave here, I will make sure that whoever was agreeing to sell will sell to me instead and this project will never happen.”
A slight knock on the door stopped me from going on. I looked towards the door. The clock told me that it was time for lunch. I was expecting Massiré to bring in the food, so I was a little surprised by the dark-haired young woman who came in instead. It was certainly not their usual delivery girl and I was intrigued by her.
I didn’t notice the others’ reaction, but I knew that my heart started to beat a little harder in my chest when she looked up and our eyes met. She was stunning, with dark brown hair that was almost black and eyes of the same deep hue. She smiled at me and said something, but the pounding in my ears made it impossible to hear her. I just nodded instead and stared at her. Her clothes were a little tight and showed every curve that she had to offer. I was happy for the view. The woman was absolutely lovely.
The people around me noticed, and one of my colleagues said something to me, pulling me from the spell. I had forgotten all about the silly project and why I was so adamant about everything.
“Sir, do you want to say anything else?”
Maureen looked at me a little worried, and I realized then that I must be acting like an idiot. “No, I think I have said all that I care to say. Excuse me for a moment.”
Walking over to the girl, I could tell when she noticed me because her whole body kind of tightened up with tension. She looked nervous, and I knew that my being next to her was going to make it worse, but I couldn’t help myself.
“It looks good today.”
“Yes sir, just as you ordered. The substitutions were done as requested. Is there anything else that I can do for you before I go?”
I could think of so many things, but I refused to answer her until she looked at me. She didn’t want to, I could tell, but finally she pulled her brown eyes to mine and I was lost in the midst of them. “No, I don’t think I need anything else.” She was what I needed.
“Okay, sir. I hope you enjoy your lunch.”
She was gone before I could stop her, before I even knew that I wanted to. I hadn’t gotten her name. What had the woman done in seconds to make me feel an excitement that usually only the big city gave me? I didn’t know anything about her, but I needed to find out more. I set my assistant to the task. Connie knew how to really ask questions, so she did.
When I got back to the meeting, the project planners were looking sour and I thought that I would throw them a bone. There was a project in town that I wanted done and they would be perfect for it. After I told them some of the details of the side offer, there were more smiles and for some reason, I found myself being as merry as they were. My scowl was gone, and the smile was so foreign to my face that it almost hurt a little.
***
“I got that information you wanted, Jerold.”
I took the small folder and learned a little bit about the new delivery girl at Jesse’s. There was something so perfect about her, and although she was far younger than I was used to dating, there was no way that I was going to let a small thing like that stop me.
I was surprised to learn that she lived here and went to school here, and it occurred to me then that I knew her family. More specifically, I knew her father because he was a civil servant, one of the men I dealt with at City Hall. I had seen her mother a few times, too. A nice woman. Angela was beautiful, but her daughter was absolutely stunning.
The fact that I knew her family and was almost the same age as her parents made me pause, but only for a moment. I called up Jesse’s and talked to the owner. I wanted to know if Nicola was cooking there or what her job was. Jesse had known me for years and asked what my interest in her was. I didn’t really give her an answer other than to say that I knew her parents. That was my angle, and I used the tenuous tie to get as much information as I could.
My philosophy was that I could always get my way, as long as I found the right angle. Nicola was freshly out of college, and I knew that she would have bigger ambitions than to be a delivery person for a catering company. I just needed to find an opportunity for her, one that she couldn’t refuse.
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