Page 15 of The Bossy Billionaire

“There is a summit in Baltimore next week. I think you should come as my plus one,” he says smoothly, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Plus one?” I question, my heart now beating faster.

“It is a small business summit, not something that I would usually attend, but sometimes it is good for me to see what is up-and-coming that I might want to invest in. They asked me to do a keynote, which I agreed to. I want you to come with me. Talk to other business owners, get a feel for how they do things, talk about what they struggle with, and maybe you will find some similarities.” It sounds like a great opportunity. I look at him for a moment. This is something he doesn’t have to do. I start to realize he is serious about helping me. I am not just some odd charity case. He may be supporting me because of my brothers, but he is thinking of me, of my best interests, and putting his name on the line by inviting me as his plus one.

“It sounds amazing, but I can’t leave the store,” I tell him, a little disappointed, but I am a realist. I have responsibilities and my store is open seven days a week for the most part.

“I have already spoken to Eddie, and he said that Katie can come in to support Dwayne for the day, along with your brothers, I suspect. Who knows, their faces here might bring a lot of customers for that day,” he says, having already organized everything.

“Oh…” I say in shock.

“I will have a car pick you up.”

“I can take the bus or grab a cab,” I say quickly.

“Lucy. I will have a car pick you up at eight in the morning next Tuesday. Just be ready,” he says with finality, standing. He is so bossy.

“Okay. Is there anything else I should prepare?” I ask, starting to feel nervous. I haven’t been to an event like this before, but it is exactly what I have always wanted to do. My stomach churns a little as excitement also builds, and I feel grateful as I stand and walk toward him. My mind works overtime. I have always liked the business aspect of things, but I just never really knew how hard it all was.

“Just come with an open mind. Be a sponge, soak up all the information. Take what you think you need and leave what you think isn’t relevant.” He steps toward me, and we meet at the side of my desk.

“What is your keynote about?” I ask, looking up to him, smiling, feeling the best I have felt all week.

He looks at me hungrily as a small smirk dances on his lips. He is enjoying this, my appreciation. Maybe too much.

“It’s called Dating Your Way Through Business,” he says with a smirk that I am sure melts underwear, because mine are experiencing something similar just from his gaze.

“What?” I squint in confusion.

“Sometimes you need to move through a few businesses before you find the right one. Just like dating. You have to date a few women before the right one comes along,” he says as his eyes search my face, and I feel the heat from his body being so close to mine.

I feel dizzy. Like I am caught in a Huxley Hamilton whirlwind. His lips twitch as he watches me. Like he knows exactly what is going on.

“Is that what you are doing? Moving through a few businesses before you find the right one?” I ask and feel the heat rise from my chest to my cheeks.

“I have a lot of different strategies.” He shrugs, giving me a wink. “Enjoy your coffee.” He takes a step back, walking backward to the door, his eyes on mine until he opens it and walks through, closing it behind him. I wait a few moments before I slump in my chair and take a big breath.

A business summit. His plus one. He is doing the keynote. I look down at my appearance and immediately know I need to get a wardrobe upgrade. This is my first big business outing as the owner of Bloomer Books. The first since I got out of hospital. I need to make my mark. Make a good impression on the business community. So I grab my cell to call in reinforcements. Katie and her friend Brian will help me.

I am sure of it.

CHAPTER NINE - HUXLEY

“To finish up, I want to give you all three pieces of advice.” My voice is strong as I walk up and down the stage, my thirty-minute keynote now coming to a close.

“One. Your business, just like your sex life, has to be passionate. You work in your business day in and day out. You have to love it. Live it. Breathe it. But also, enjoy it. Be passionate about it every day. Two. Fail fast and often. It is the best way to learn. You date someone, spend time, money, energy on that person, and after a while, you realize it doesn’t work and move on. Business strategy is the same. It doesn’t mean it won't hurt, because believe me, when something fails, it hurts. But you learn more from failing in life than you do from winning all the time. And three. Celebrate the good times. Too often in small business, it is especially easy to get caught up in the hustle. Grinding every day to do the next thing, and then the next thing, so don’t forget to celebrate the wins, no matter how small. Thank you.” I nod, and the room erupts into a thunderous applause.

My smile is wide. I forgot how much fun presenting like this was. The feeling of accomplishment that you get when a room full of hundreds of people clap and cheer after listening to me talk. My eyes search the room for Lucy, but I don’t have to look too far. She is sitting right in the front row, looking like a meal I want to devour whole.

When I first saw her this morning, I was stunned. She is most certainly a sexy librarian today in her black pencil skirt and crisp white business shirt. Her long hair is glossy and has a slight wave to it. With her lips painted red and a new, more fashionable pair of glasses on, her features are highlighted rather than hidden. She looks every inch of perfection. Perfection I want to strip naked and put my lips all over. She smiles brightly at me, a look of pride on her face making me stand even taller than before.

As time goes on, I try to keep our conversations to a minimum, but it’s impossible. I am tempted to call her often, more often than I should. I sit in my New York office, thinking about her business, her brothers. Her, her, her. I ensure my jet is fueled and ready to go at a moment’s notice, because some days I find myself just wanting to fly down and see her more regularly. But she is a client, and this is for her brother, so I need to be sensible.

I shake hands with the organizers as I step down from the stage and walk straight to her. It takes me a little while to reach her as people come to ask questions and shake my hand. I try to be polite as I stop and chat, and I look up to see her now talking with another man who has grabbed her attention. My jaw clenches immediately.

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” I say, shaking the last hand and pushing past the other people who look like they want to stop me, eager to get over to Lucy.

“Hey,” she says, looking my way as I step into their conversation. Her eyes are shining with such pride, I almost misstep. “You were great.”

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