She grabbed her laptop and started her search for which courses she wanted to take next. I wonder if they offer a course in common sense. She half chuckled and half sobbed as she searched. “I’d have probably failed that class anyway.”
Jordan had no fucking clue what was going on with Marvin. They had been friends since elementary school. Marvin was six years older than Gianna, and he was acting like he was six years younger instead. When he saw his friend again, they were going to have one serious talk. Jordan wasn’t thrilled with being put in this situation, but no way could he have just left Gianna at the church to handle it all herself.
He didn’t have any sisters, but if he did, he’d have kicked the bastard’s ass for treating her like that. But Gianna’s behavior was odd. He’d thought for sure she’d be bawling all over him and he’d need to pry her off. Instead she was distant. He got it; she wanted to be alone. That’s what he’d have wanted as well. But he’d felt like shit leaving her, even at her request.
Jordan didn’t know her parents, but there was one friend of hers, Mary-Lou, that he had the phone number for. They had spoken a few times in regards to the agenda for the wedding. He wasn’t sure calling Mary-Lou was the right thing either, but at least he was trying. That’s a hell of a lot more he could say than Marvin was doing.
He dialed the number and it went to voicemail. “Hello, this is Mary-Lou, you know what to do.” It was followed by giggles and then a beep. He wasn’t about to leave a message. Hanging up, he tried Marvin. That number went directly to voicemail. Apparently no one wanted to speak with him.
He couldn’t just drive away. Gianna might not want to admit it, but she needed someone to talk to. Jordan sure as hell didn’t want it to be him. Damn. He started the car and drove a few blocks. He pulled into the parking lot of a pizza joint he’d passed on the way. Maybe they didn’t need to speak, but eat instead. He placed an order and headed back to her apartment. Even as he climbed the stairs, he questioned why the hell he was doing this. She wasn’t his friend. They didn’t even like each other. So why wasn’t he just walking away?
Because I’m not Marvin.
He knocked on her door, but no answer. Then he tried again, a bit louder this time. A door to the apartment adjacent to hers opened. The older woman said, “She’s home.”
“Thank you,” he said. It was something he already knew. Jordan tried knocking again.
“You might want to call her and tell her you’re here. She’s had a rough day and probably could use a friend right now,” she said.
Unfortunately, all she’s got is me.
He was going to try one more time. If she didn’t answer, he was leaving. But she opened the door this time.
“What are you doing here Jordan?”
“I didn’t have a chance to eat and thought you might be hungry as well,” he said. Really it was just an excuse to talk to her again.
She shook her head, but opened the door letting him in. Her body language said she was less than pleased that he returned. Once the door was shut, her words confirmed it.
“What the hell is wrong with you guys? You think you can just walk into my life and take control? I’m done with people manipulating me,” she snapped.
Jordan stood his ground knowing damn well that Marvin had done just that. If he hadn’t been concentrating on his own affairs, he might have noticed what he was doing with Gianna. He knew Gianna wasn’t Marvin’s type, but now it was obvious Marvin was just using Gianna until Rhonda was back in the picture. It was an asshole thing to do. He hated being compared to him. Then again, why wouldn’t she? You are who you chose to associate yourself with.
“The only thing I controlled was what type of pizza I brought.”
“And if I wasn’t hungry?” she asked.
“Then I’ll leave it and maybe you’ll want it tomorrow.”
She glared at him but eventually asked, “What kind?”
“Hawaiian.” It was his favorite. Damn. She’s right. We do try to control everything. “I would’ve picked up something else if I knew what you liked.”
“You should’ve brought a bottle of wine instead,” she sighed.
Jordan wasn’t about to remind her that she was underage. He placed it on the table and said, “Why don’t I leave it here for you. You might change your mind later.” He’d done what he came for, checked on her.
As he headed for the door she said, “Jordan, why are you here? And don’t say because I looked hungry.”
He turned and met her gaze. Jordan wasn’t really sure why he was there, but he needed to tell her something. “I…feel responsible for what happened?”
“You mean your friend being an ass?” she asked. That’s being nice. He nodded and she added, “Although I’d like to blame you, I can’t. This is all on Marvin and me.”
“You? What did you do?” he asked. From what he saw, the only thing she was guilty of was being young and naïve.
“I should’ve noticed that Marvin was just on the rebound. I’ve read enough romance books to know those relationships never work out,” she explained.
Jordan bit back his laugh. “Don’t cut him any slack. His behavior was…appalling.”
“Wow. And you’re his friend?” she asked.
He nodded. “That’s why I can say it.”
She sat down and opened the pizza box. “I hope my friends have my back.”
Jordan asked, “And you think I don’t have Marvin’s?”
“Let’s see, you’re here bringing me pizza. So I’d say no.”
Jordan said, “I’m here because I am Marvin’s friend. He asked me to keep an eye on you. Make sure you were okay.”
Gianna grabbed a slice and said, “Maybe he should’ve thought about that before?” She took a bite and then added, “Now you can go and report back to him. I’m fine.” With a grin she added, “Actually, I’m better than fine. I even have his friends checking on me.” He saw her cute nose wrinkle then said, “Not that I need or want them to.”
That wasn’t about to happen. He was the only person in Marvin’s life who’d do this. Most of them were as self centered as Marvin was. Besides, Jordan could only imagine what stories Marvin was making up about Gianna. Jordan never was one who stood there listening to gossip, and definitely didn’t want to hear any about Gianna. He might not know much about her, but he did know his friend. Marvin was a player. Always had been and always would be. His marriage to Rhonda wasn’t going to last. He’d give it a few years at the most.
Gianna was going to go through a rough period, but damn, someday she’d realize she was lucky. Of course for now, she was pretending as though it wasn’t affecting her at all and he would heed her hint again to leave. “I’ll be sure to tell Marvin that you’re doing well.” He saw a pen lying on the counter, picked it up and jotted down a number on the pizza box. “If that changes and you want someone to cuss out, give me a call.”
She just sat there not saying a word. He knew she’d never call him, and that was okay. He’d done his part, heck more than his part. The rest wasn’t his concern.
When he got downstairs and walked to his car, out of the corner of his eye, he notice the white garment lying on the ground between the buildings. There was no need to walk over to inspect it. For all the control of emotions Gianna had worked so hard to portray, it obviously had gone out the window with the wedding flowers.
Jordan shook his head and continued to his car. Even though he didn’t approve of the wedding, she sure as hell was one beautiful bride. It wasn’t the dress that had caught his attention. He’d found himself staring into her deep blue eyes on more than one occasion. What he found most amazing was she didn’t ever seem to wear any make-up, just like tonight. Pure natural beauty. And yet Marvin ditched her for Rhonda, who there wasn’t anything about her that was real. Not her butt, boobs or face.
Marvin, you really are an idiot. Gianna might be young, but you’re never going to find anyone like her again.
His money was on Gianna.
She was going to come out on top of this, and one day, she was going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Watch out Marvin, because a woman scorned is a dangerous thing and they have long memories. Hope you’re never foolish enough to try to get her back.
As he got into his car he knew Gianna needed to be surrounded by people who’d remind her how lucky she was to be rid of Marvin. Gianna might have declined his offer, which was probably a wise thing, but he wasn’t leaving until he knew she had someone to lean on.
Pulling out his cell phone he tried Mary-Lou one more time. This time she answered his call.
“Hi Mary-Lou. This is Jordan Lawson. I was wondering if you could meet me for coffee. I wanted to talk to you about Gianna.”
“Is she okay?” Mary-Lou asked. “Never mind. That’s a ridiculous question. Of course she’s not. Your friend just ripped her heart out,” she snarled. “And why would you want to talk about Gianna anyway? Are you worried she’s going to do something to Marvin? Because I can tell you, she’s not that type. Me on the other hand, Marvin wouldn’t have anything to drive around in for a year.”
He didn’t doubt that. She was a few years older than Gianna, and definitely had a tougher exterior. It could be an act, or then again, not. Heck, most women wouldn’t be as…calm as Gianna appeared after having such a devastating day. “Actually I just left her apartment.”
“You what?!” In what sounded like a growl she said, “You better not have been there to harass her. She’s had one sucky-ass day already. She doesn’t need you or anyone else rubbing it in.”
“That’s not why I was there,” he stated.
He heard her huff. “She told me what an ass you were to her. I mean I wouldn’t doubt it if you were the one to encourage Marvin to blow off the wedding in the first place. You have some nerve going to see her.”
“And we had dinner,” he said, hoping that would gain her attention. “How about that coffee?” he asked.
“Make it a beer. I’m on my way to work right now. I tend bar. I’ll text you the address. And don’t come dressed all stuffy. They’ll think you’re a cop or something.”
Jordan wasn’t feeling quite as confident any more that he’d called the right person. But at least Mary-Lou sounded like she could take care of herself. Gianna needed a strong person like that right now. Jordan didn’t think Gianna would let Mary-Lou talk her into doing anything to retaliate. At least he hoped not.
As he headed for the bar, he still couldn’t believe he was putting in so much effort to ensure Gianna was okay. It was apparent that he hadn’t misread her feelings of dislike for him. To his knowledge, he hadn’t done anything to earn it.
Compared to Marvin, she probably thinks I’m a saint now.
He was being nice, but beneath it all, he was still an asshole. Nothing was going to change that. It was part of his DNA.
2
It’d been twelve years, but she’d done it. Gianna achieved her dreams and moved past what Marvin might have thought, broke her. But none of it had come easily. Even now as most looked at her as a success story back in Queens, she knew she had a long way to go.
As usual, Gianna was the last one to leave the office. There was so much to do. She thought once she got her company up and running, things would smooth out. Today & Tomorrow wasn’t as easy to run as she’d hoped. She had the clients, but her challenge seemed to be finding the right people to fill the job requests.
When she was going to college, she’d worked for a temp agency very much like hers. She didn’t remember not showing up for an assignment. Didn’t people want to work? If not, then they shouldn’t waste her time, or her client’s. It wasn’t just a tedious task of hiring someone, but a financial one as well.
Thankfully, another fire was out and hopefully tomorrow the person would actually show up for work at Grayson Corp. This was a huge client and she was lucky Rosslyn Lawson wasn’t taking her business elsewhere. Before calling it a day, she was going to touch base one last time with her client.
Gianna dialed the number and Rosslyn’s personal assistant Liz answered the call. “Hello Liz, it’s Gianna again from Today & Tomorrow. I just wanted to ensure you that your new temp will be arriving by nine. Her name is Bobbi. I believe she is what Mrs. Lawson is looking for.” God I hope so.
“Great. I’ll let her know. She has already left for the day. Penelope, her daughter, has a fever, so her Mommy hat is back on,” Liz explained.
She so badly wanted to tell Liz it wasn’t necessary, or proper, to divulge her bosses personal business. But Liz didn’t work for Today & Tomorrow, so it was none of her concern.
I’ve got enough to handle with my own employees.
So much had changed over the past twelve years. She wasn’t the pushover she used to be. Now, she voiced her opinion, spoke up when something was wrong, and was more driven than ever before. Funny how the hard knocks of life can also teach you things if you let them. She was glad she’d made her mistakes at an early age. The lessons were invaluable and had gotten her far in life. When she was nineteen, she never would’ve believed she’d own a temp agency in the heart of New York City. Pretty impressive from where she’d come from. Marvin ‘dumping her’ twelve years ago was the best thing that could’ve happened and Gianna didn’t let one mistake define her life. She went from working as a temp to owning her own company.
Not bad for a girl from Queens.
Even if Liz couldn’t stay focused, Gianna needed to. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I was supposed to meet with Rosslyn tomorrow afternoon. If that doesn’t work for her any longer, please give me a call. I’d be happy to reschedule it.”
“I’ll let her know. Penelope probably picked up a cold while they were down in Tennessee. They went there to meet the newest addition to the family. Marabella. Isn’t that just the prettiest name you’ve ever heard. That’s Ethan and Kollette’s baby. God, she looks just like her mother. Have you ever met them?” Liz asked.
Gianna rolled her eyes. There was no such thing as a short call whenever she spoke to Liz. “No I haven’t.” She tried to keep her answers short and to the point.
“You’ll have to ask Rosslyn to show you a picture. Trust me. Adorable. Then again, so is Penelope. Good thing these babies take after their mothers instead of their dads.”
“Liz, I have another client I need to touch base with,” she lied. If she didn’t cut Liz off, she’d get the entire family history. None of which had anything to do with why she called.
“Sorry. Got carried away again. Guess I get bored without Rosslyn in the office to keep me busy. Thank you again for the confirmation call. I’ll be the one meeting with Bobbi in the morning and getting her set up. Can’t wait to get help on this project.”
“Wonderful. And please call me if there are any issues. Have a great night Liz.”
“You too Gianna.”
Gianna didn’t have any facts on what the project was, just the skill set required to do the job. She didn’t rely on someone’s resume. Gianna actually tested each applicant to ensure they met the criteria. Bobbi was an excellent typist. The only problem was not having any actual prior work experience. Her gut was to give Bobbi a chance to prove herself. Gianna hoped she wasn’t making a mistake. Rosslyn had cut her some slack, but eventually, her luck would run out. And if Rosslyn was dealing with a sick child, she surely didn’t need any office issues as well.
She called Bobbi’s number and her mother answered.
“Hello Ms. Ionnetty. You just missed Bobbi. She’s out trying to find something to wear for work tomorrow.”
Gianna hadn’t even thought about the upfront expense Bobbi was going to incur. Without ever working in an office before, she probably didn’t have the business casual attire in her closet.
“Is there a way I can reach her?” she asked.
“Oh no. Please Ms. Ionnetty, don’t tell me you changed your mind. Bobbi is really excited about you giving her this opportunity. Everyone else said she needed work experience. How
is she supposed to get if it no one will let her?”
“That’s not why I’m calling. I was actually going to go out shopping at this consignment shop and wanted to know if she wanted to join me.” Gianna really just wanted to get home and soak in a hot tub until she wrinkled like a prune. It’d been a long day and she didn’t want to talk or think about work.
“That’s very nice of you, but I don’t think she can shop where you do,” she sighed. “We don’t have much money. As you know, Bobbi just graduated from high school. She’s trying to earn money for college. She won’t touch her college fund money for anything,” her mother said firmly.
That was just another reason why Gianna needed to help this girl. She had dreams and wasn’t afraid to work to make them happen. But everyone needs a helping hand along the way. For her, the college money came in for of a hocked diamond ring. Now it was time to pay it forward.
“I have all this clothing that I was going to give to the consignment shop, but really, it’s too much work to go through it all. I was hoping that Bobbi might be interested in taking some of it off my hands. And whatever she doesn’t want, maybe she can bring to the consignment shop for me.”
“We don’t take charity,” she stated flatly.
“It’s not. Trust me, it’d take me hours to go through everything and get it in order. I don’t have that kind of time. So I need someone to do it for me. Her payment would be she could keep what she wants for free.”
“Oh, that’s different. Does she have your number?” Gianna gave it to her and she said, “Let me see if I can reach her and have her call you.”
“Thank you. Have a great night,” Gianna said.
While waiting, she packed away her laptop and headed home. There were positive things about working in the city, but the transportation home wasn’t one of them. At the end of the day, all she wanted was peace and quiet. That wasn’t going to happen for at least another hour or two.
Just as she was walking into her apartment, her cell phone rang. “Hello, this is Gianna.”
The Billionaire's Revenge (The Blank Check Series Book 6) Page 2