Page 23 of Ruthless Financier
“I don’t follow leagues and stats anymore.” I looked at the plate in front of me. No one had tried to feed me in years, but I didn’t say a word about it. Instead I just said, “Glad we get to meet everyone in your family at once.”
She winked at me. “Except Stephanie. She’s in London.”
“Of course. I’ve a good memory,” I told her and smiled.
I’d never done anything like this morning. Sit with a woman over breakfast, and just be relaxed. Not since my mom used to supervise my meals, to make sure I ate every piece of food she’d scrounged for me. Not that this was a conversation I’d have with Indigo.
I ignored that tingle in my chest that made me aware of her closeness and said, “We have twenty-four hours and then we head to Florida.”
“That’s all we need. A few hours with my family will probably seem much longer to you, since you’re not used to people expressing their opinions on your life. Part of me envies you that freedom from other people’s opinions.” She smiled as she finished her food and said, “Afterwards, we can stay in my condo.”
A peek into her lifestyle might tell me a lot about her. Russ would handle security, so I nodded and said, “I admit, I’m interested in seeing that.”
She finished her coffee and poured us both more, like she cared about me a little, as she said, “It’s clean, at least. Honestly, I’ve traveled so much this year, I’ve not had much time to decorate or do anything beyond what my housekeeper can handle.”
“Work will have to change now,” I said. Her blue eyes captured my attention as she put the coffee pot down. Only staff at restaurants filled my cup. My heart actually fluttered, and it never did that. I ignored the sensations she sent through my body and asked, “Do you trust Jasmine or Ajax to do some of your presentations so you can stay focused on me?”
She stirred cream and sugar into her cup as she said, “Jasmine is pretty good. I need to train her a bit more, but she’s ready. She just needs the courage.”
I relaxed and said, “Excellent. I need you close right now.”
We both sipped our coffees and let the warm sun of the morning float in from the balcony. Soon it would be stifling hot outside. As we finished, she asked, “What happens if you get your father’s company and you win your vendetta faster than you expect?”
My spine straightened as I stood. “You mean what happens to you?”
She joined me and we headed to the door. Russ always took care of details, including luggage. As we put on our shoes, she clarified her question. “I mean, I signed a contract, and it didn’t have an early release clause. It’s fine if we keep up pretense for the full five years, but have you ever thought about going after what makes you happy next?”
She put on high heels that made her legs look even longer in that navy blue business skirt of hers. I said, “Nothing makes me happy, except winning.”
She looped arms with me and said, “Then we’ll both figure out what makes our lives happy.”
“You too?” I asked, as we headed to the limo downstairs.
The hotel was opulent— decorated with fake gold and white fountains, imitating Venice but missing the true flavor.
She said, “I’ve been so focused on making money to support my causes and open my own business one day, I’ve wondered for a while what I’d do if I wasn’t so driven.”
Causes. There was a story about her shelters. I knew there had to be. I checked us out at the main desk and said, “Find something else to focus on.”
I paid for her staff’s rooms, too, as they’d soon work for us, and once we finished, we walked away.
“Yes, I suppose,” she said, “but what would it be that would be as fulfilling?”
Did running her shelters fulfill her? If so, I could set her up on a dozen boards of worthwhile charities if that was her mission in life. The limo waited and Russ loaded our last bag in the back as the driver held the door for us.
I let her get in first and then asked, “Why do you run women’s shelters if your father was a stand-up guy?”
“Because he was. My mother came from an abusive home when she was a girl. While I was coddled, we all felt it was our job to try to help fix her. She started the shelters on a shoestring budget. I’m expanding them because it’s important.”
There was more. My instinct said the secret was the key to understanding Indigo. When I understood someone, then it was easier to get what I wanted. While that didn’t quite mean I’d use Indigo, it made business easier.
I snapped my fingers and made an offering. “You’ve inspired me a little today.”
Her gaze narrowed but she held her tongue as we headed out to my private plane. As we boarded, she asked, “How?”
The rest of our team took seats in the back. The pilot quickly started the engine as I said, “I was forced to move into my father’s home when I was sixteen. It would be nice to set up a place for teenage boys in the system.”
She patted my shoulder like I’d told her a sob story. “That had to be hard, when you were sixteen.”
