Page 19 of The Billion Dollar Bet

It was Devin’s voice. “You guys are idiots. A hundred grand? Cassandra Melody is worth more than that.”

“Half a mil then?” one of the others asked.

“A billion,” Devin answered.

Someone whistled.

“You’re crazy, man. A billion dollars? Are you out of your freaking mind? For a girl whose number you didn’t even get?”

“That’s what makes this stake so interesting. The challenge of it all.”

Even after the recording ended, Cassie held the phone, trying to comprehend what she just heard. Did Devin wager on her to get her into bed? Shaking her head, she pressed the play button and listened to the clip several times over. By the time she switched the phone off and set it down on the nightstand her head was pounding with the voices from the clip reverberating in her brain.

* * *

The night was long. All she could hear in her head as she laid in bed and stared at the ceiling was Devin’s voice staking a bet on her. Sleep evaded her. Thoughts of Devin racked her mind. Their lovemaking, his laughter, his smile and his profession of love all came crashing back. They were all an act … all lies.

“AAHHH!” She screamed into the dark, trying to rid herself of the pain.

Cassie felt the crack in her heart getting wider, the anguish becoming unbearable. She turned over on the bed as recollection his body entangled with hers caused her vaginal walls to clench. Then the agonizing reality of his voice on that recording hit her hard. The pain made her curl into a fetal position.

A dull ache presented in her chest, now matching the pain at her temples. Uncomfortable with her own body now, she twisted and turned, trying to comfort her mind. She could not find peace as the recess of her mind became dark. How could he do that? She should have known what he was after. How could she not know that she was just another conquest?

Cassie imagined all sorts of conversations the four of them had about her. They must have cast lost as to who would get the black girl, a science is no less. That was why he kept asking her about her work. She was worth a billion dollars, that’s what he said. How stupid had she been to think that the feelings between them was real.

What was now real was the pain that made it hard for her to breathe. She found herself gasping for air in the dark as her tears refused to remain inside. Her chest was heavy and her heart twisted painfully. She flipped over again and buried her face in the pillow, sobbing until her tears soaked through it. It was the only thing that she could do as she lay helpless in the dark and wished the dark would swallow her whole.

Her weeping wearied her enough that she drifted into sleep in the wee hours of the morning. She awoke with pain behind her eyes and her face sticky. The morning sun should have brought her joy, but the new day reminded her about her failed love. With heaviness, she managed to sit up in bed. She would have preferred to bury her face in the pillow and remained there, but she had a shift at the University lab that morning.

“I have to call in sick,” she whispered as another bout of tears erupted.

Without thinking, Cassie picked up her phone and switched it on. As soon as it powered up, she heard the familiar sounds that indicated that she’d missed calls and messages. Several of the calls were from Devin along with a text message. I missed you last night. You might be busy, so I will call back later.

Her face twisting in pain and tears rolling down her cheeks, she scrolled through, deleting all the conversations they’d had through texting for the past few weeks. When she was done, she blocked his number and set the phone down on the night stand. She lay back, and pulled the cover up to her neck, refusing to face the new day. Soon her eyes closed and she fell into a fitful seep.

She awoke around noon and called in sick to the University lab. She did manage to get out of bed and take a shower. The water rejuvenated her somewhat and made her way down to her own lab, hoping to be able to focus on something other than her woes.

Although she’d blocked his number from reaching her, every moment of the day was spent thinking about the times they spent together. She recalled the first time he showed up on a rainy Sunday insisting they have a picnic in her living room. It was one of the most romantic dates she’d ever experience. In fact, Devin made sure that every date was special.

Cassie kept to the lab the entire day, ignoring the sick feeling she had to the stomach. Each time Devin popped into her mind, the ache in her chest would surface and her eyes would sting. It was a battle of self will, forcing herself not to cry while trying to focus on her work. It wasn’t easy and by late-afternoon, she gave up trying.

It was no use holding back tears because inside her heart was tearing apart. She’d fallen quickly and hard for a man whose eyes were like the ocean current, pulling her into its tide. His smile stole her breath and every time she closed her eyes she could picture the desire in his eyes.

Now more ever, Cassie missed her grandmother. Curling up on the daybed inside the lab, she let the tears flow, vowing never to allow another man to deceive her. She would forget Devin, even if it took her a lifetime. She would erase him from her heart and mind.

Chapter 15

For the last few days, he was unable to reach Cassie on the phone and Devin was going out of his mind. He should have gone to her house, but he had meetings back to back for hours into the night. He was fast learning that taking over the company his grandfather left him was not as easy as he thought. He needed to learn everything from the entry level upwards. The good thing was that the board had been waiting for him to make this decision for a long time and was prepared to whip him into shape.

Now that he’d showed interest in fulfilling his grandfather’s wishes, the board of directors were keen on ensuring he learned as quickly as possible. There were several briefings lined up for the next few days that demanded his attention. His plan was to wait until the weekend to visit Cassie. In the meantime he would send her messages that she would receive once she was out of the lab.

It was near midday. One consultation had just ended and Devin was heading to a lunch meeting with some of the shareholders. There was a fifteen minute break between and he took the time to lean back in his grandfather’s old leather bound chair and closed his eyes. After a minute, he picked up the cell phone and opened the messages. There were no replies from Cassie. In fact, it appeared that that last three messages were undelivered.

As he started to type, the secretary peered around the door. “Mr. McCarthy, there’s a call for you on your private line.”

It had taken nearly three days for Devin to learn about the office system and how the telephone lines were operated. He learned which lines were company lines and the one that was only for his confidential use. He pressed the appropriate button and picked up the receiver.

“Devin McCarthy.”

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