Page 50 of Quarantined with the Billionaire

“I will. Thank you, honey. Please thank your boss for us as well.”

I hung up the phone and, with reluctance, looked up at “the boss.” “Thank you, Maddox. She’s sometimes stubborn.”

He flashed a grin at me. “Now I know where you get it.” Turning, he started walking toward the kitchen again. “And I’ll have you know I know exactly what to do with all my money.”

I supposed, as I followed him, that if he could choose to have fun like nothing had happened between us, I could do the same. “So what can I do to help with breakfast?”

“Nothing. I’ve got this.” Turning, his eyes met mine, reminding me of how I was able to read everything deep inside him through those windows. “Just do me a favor and either get the information to your mother’s bank account or write down her email address. Leave the information by my computer and I’ll send her some money tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes. And then, when she gets the bills, I’ll make sure they’re all paid. Okay?”

I nodded before taking a sip of my coffee.

“In the meantime, have a seat and I’ll serve up breakfast in a bit.”

Watching him walk away in those snug blue jeans reminded me of last night and how he had rocked my world. But we were going to pretend nothing had ever happened—so I picked up my phone, deciding to read the news.

That was a bad idea, though. The first headline told me more than one-thousand people had already died in the United States from the Coronavirus, and predictions were grim. That news didn’t help my mood at all, so I switched to reading text messages. First, I sent one to my mom, telling her to check her email later in the day. Then I sent a text to Elise, asking how she was doing.

Could I tell my friend what had happened between Maddox and me? I really needed to talk to her—but how would she feel about all that had transpired here?

Would she feel like I’d betrayed her?

For now, not knowing what I would say, I sent a simple note: Hey, Elise. I miss your face so much! Will you have time to chat later?

Her response was almost immediate. OMG, YES!!! I have so much to tell you. Eek!

I started laughing out loud, relieved that my friend was in good—no, great—spirits. Maybe I’d be able to tell her my news after all. I really hoped so, because I needed to run some thoughts past someone who knew me well and cared about me.

Seriously. How could I go back to Essential Solutions now and act like everything was normal? Like Maddox and I had never done what we’d done? Could I act cool and casual?

I was barely able to do that here.

Maddox appeared in the nook with a tray full of what I considered to be waffle condiments—butter, syrup, whipped cream, sliced fruits, powdered sugar. My mouth began to water just looking at it as the sun sparkled over each item. “What’s so funny?”

Waving my phone before setting it on the table, I said, “Just my best friend. She apparently has something she wants to tell me—and her personality just kind of shone through the phone. She’s giddy.” A smile ate up my face just thinking about her.

“Elise, right?”

“Yeah. Elise.”

“Come. Let’s get you a plate of waffles.” As I followed him to the kitchen, he continued talking. “Did you know each other before working at my company?”

“No. We started at Essential at the same time, so we were in training together.” Elise was probably the best thing that had happened to me at Maddox’s company. We would be best friends for life and so, for that, I’d always be grateful to him.

Maddox handed me a plate. “How many would you like?”

The waffles looked huge but delicious. “Two?”

“Good. I like to see you feeding your appetite.” Did that mean something else? One at a time, he placed the crunchy cakes on my plate and then handed me a linen napkin rolled around silverware. “Sausage?”

“Please.”

He continued talking while he placed several sausage links on my plate. “As for your friendship with Elise, did you know that experts suggest that having a best friend at work makes your career more meaningful?”

I raised an eyebrow while he put several waffles and the remaining sausage links on his own plate. “I suspect having your work valued and moving up the ladder also makes your career meaningful.”

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