Page 71 of Flirting with My Billionaire Enemy

“You would need to. And I’m sure they would provide you with a nice amount of money for meals. All your hotels and flights would be paid for. Like I said, we’ll hear more about how to move forward. So how is the project going, anyway?”

“All finished up and ready to present to the board.”

I reach out and high-five her. It’s not exactly the most polite behavior for a fancy place like this, but I don’t care. I’m so proud of the work that we’ve done and how far we’ve come as coworkers, friends, and finally as a couple. Ariana has come a long way. In fact… “There’s something different about you tonight.”

She smiles. “Yeah, no glasses.”

“I know, but it’s more than that. And you look fantastic, by the way.” Breathtakingly gorgeous. “What I’m seeing is this air of confidence. Maybe inner peace or something.” I cock my head to the side. “Do I sound crazy?”

“No, but I’m impressed you noticed. I’ve been doing some soul searching lately. Trying to find love and confidence in myself. Farah has been talking to me about it. You know, the reason I didn’t want to take our relationship to the next level is because I’m afraid of getting abandoned because of what happened in my childhood. I guess I have some trauma I need to work out in therapy. Farah recommended someone really great that’s helped her through some past breakups.”

“Good for you,” I say. “It can be pretty scary to look inside yourself like that. Not everyone wants to know what they might find.”

“It hasn’t been easy, and I know I have a long road ahead of me, but I can see now that it’s not worth it to allow my fear to keep me from being with you. I love you, Kaison. I always will. I want to work by your side in this company, make it huge. Does that mean I’m not scared of losing you? No. But it’s something I’m working on. But today I’m not going to worry about it. I’m going to trust you. It’s time for me to put my happiness first. So I guess that’s why I’m dressed like this today. It’s an outward expression of how I feel inside, of the growth I’ve made.”

“You can dress however you want. You’re gorgeous both ways. And you’ll command respect either way. You’ve earned it by putting together a product that will save the company billions worldwide. There won’t be a person in that conference room tomorrow who won’t think you’re incredible. Trust me.”

“It means a lot to hear you say that about the way I dress. I’ve been a little worried that maybe you were only attracted to the club version of me and not the everyday office Ariana. So it means a lot to hear you say that. I know I put on this brave face, but underneath my tough persona, I’m still a woman who longs to be loved and spoiled by her man with roses and a nice helicopter ride. It’s not too much to ask, is it?”

I laugh. “Not when you’re talking to me.” I have much more than helicopter rides planned for this woman. I plan to spoil her as much as I can, beyond anything she can imagine for herself.

And I can’t wait to see the joy on her face it brings.

33

ARIANA

Iwear my new blue dress to the office the next day. After getting there early, I set up my laptop and connect it to the big screen that we have for presenting things. There are definitely some looks from some of the men in the office, but I find I don’t care. They can stare all they want. I’ve proven my worth in this company. I can be a successful woman and a beautiful woman all at the same time, and I don’t need to hide beneath boxy suits and tight buns. Those buns always gave me headaches, anyway. There’s something so freeing about having my hair down like this.

Kaison’s dad walks in next, before the others have arrived. “Oh, hi, Mr. Keith, good morning.”

“And good morning to you. I’m excited to see what you have prepared for us.”

“Thanks. I’m not nervous at all,” I lie.

He laughs. “It’s okay to be nervous. But from what Kaison has told me, you have nothing to worry about. You’re going to knock it out of the park.”

“It’s true, I did tell him,” Kaison says, walking into the room. He looks handsome, although his stubble is shaved off. I can understand that, though. He probably wants to look as professional as possible. The nice thing about my blue dress is that it’s very professional. I have nothing to worry about, but it is a perfect fit for me and shows that I at least have some feminine curves to me. I don’t need to hide anymore. Thanks to me, and thanks to Kaison, too.

The room fills up quickly and I feel this cross between stage fright and excitement. I look out into the sea of all white men. One of the first things I want to do is add some diversity to this group, starting with some women. I need girls to work with, not just a bunch of men. I’ll have to talk to Kaison and his dad about the issue soon.

The meeting is a success. I get through all my material and answer the questions at the end. I had nothing to worry about, after all, because the questions were easy to answer. The room fills with applause when I’m finished with my slideshow.

When the room is clearing out, Kaison pulls his dad aside. “Can I borrow you for a second?” he asks. “I want to talk to you about something. But I hope you don’t mind. It’s not really work related.”

“Okay,” his dad says. “After that meeting, you can tell me whatever you want right now. Our company will be taken to a whole new level from this. That girlfriend of yours is a keeper, son. She’s likely our most valuable employee right now.”

That’s higher praise than I feel I deserve, but I’ll take it. It doesn’t hurt to be on your boss’s good side.

“So, what did you want to tell me?” Mr. Keith asks his son.

“Do you need me to step out so you two can speak privately?” I ask. I have no idea what Kaison’s about to tell him.

“No,” Kaison says. “You already know about this, anyway.”

My eyebrow shoots up, and I wait to hear what coming next.

“I’ve been keeping something from you and the rest of the family.”

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