Page 12 of Suddenly Pregnant

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“Are you ready?” Billie asked Jack, when she followed him out of his office to the large conference room across the floor.

Jack walked briskly, surprised to see her keeping up with him. “Yes.” He should have asked her if she was ready. After all, she was new at Downunder, though he guessed the question was futile. In the few days since she joined him, she’d already learned faster than most people, and she helped him both at home and in the office.

Not that he saw her much in the apartment. He went out for long runs, or worked late on his own after she was done with her daily tasks. She’d interviewed a couple of housekeepers and hopefully soon would hire one to come every day and make meals, clean, shop and more. He could use any buffer so he didn’t have to be alone with her.

He enjoyed her company. She was smart and witty. But memories of their forbidden hookup populated in his mind whenever he was caught off-guard, and they were hard to control.

There was something about her… she was vibrant. Buzzing. She didn’t wear a lot of makeup if any besides a light gloss at work. She didn’t try too hard to impress anyone, yet she did it anyway by making smart suggestions, knowing when to intervene, and working efficiently.

When they joined his father, along with the team of ten shareholders, he sucked in a breath and slipped into the cool and collected business figure. A couple of assistants sat behind their bosses, with ready laptops, and he indicated where she could sit, behind him, then took his place at the head of the table. His father stood, smiling. “Hello, dear son. Nice of you to join us,” he said without a trace of passive aggressiveness.

His father was probably happy he’d shown.

Curtis Harvey didn’t want for the legacy of the business he built to go to the hands of a non-family member. He’d made that clear, several times. And Amy had no interest in being the CEO.

“Thanks, Dad. It’s great to be here again,” he said, and proceeded to greet every one of the shareholders and small talk for the next few minutes. Was he happy to be back? He wasn’t sure. He loved his job, but he hated having to front this perfect life façade. He’d done so his whole life, from an early age when his mom told him not to tell anyone about the fights he’d seen her have with dad when he came late from work.

“Well, I’m glad that you’re with us,” Antoine Serik said, then they all sat.

He stood for a beat longer, scanning the room in silence, measuring his next words. “I’m glad to be here as well. I appreciate my father stepping up while I was gone, and you all being understanding of the time I’ve been absent and I guarantee you that I’m here to stay. My goal is to make Downunder Adventures stronger than ever, and I’ll show you some of my goals for the next quarters to make it happen. Billie, my new assistant, will pass out some folders while we start the presentation.”

Billie produced the folders seamlessly, and then turned on the sleek projector connected to her laptop, and soon, all eyes were on the screen in the middle of the room.

For the next hour, he shared his plan to get Downunder back to where it should be—back to where it was before the scandal. The shareholders paid attention and asked questions.

“I appreciate the effort, but we all know one of the reasons why the numbers decreased was because of the, hmm, not so nice media attention our company had. What does that mean now?” Laura Tran asked, gazing at him.

He looked at the pixie haired shareholder, then everyone else at the table. “I guarantee you I will do everything in my power to elevate Downunder.”

“Which means staying away from bad publicity?” Laura insisted.

Another person coughed, but she waved her hand. “C’mon, this is what’s going through our heads now. It’s all business. Your father has the majority of the shares, so you’re still the CEO, but our patience is wearing thin. We need an assurance that you won’t drag the company’s name through the mud again, or bolt to the Outback when things get tough.”

A twinge of annoyance stabbed at him, but he didn’t show it. He kept his neutral expression on, hoping his eyes evoked confidence and calm. After all, she had reasons not to trust him. They all did. “I fully understand your concerns. Which is why I’m asking you for this chance. If I bring bad publicity in the next six months, for instance, I’ll step down as the CEO myself,” he said, and when he heard himself, a twinge of apprehension pinched him. Could he really commit to behaving for six months when he bedded his assistant not that long ago?

Yes. He’d commit.

He’d already told Billie and himself—he did so daily— that their time together wouldn’t get a repeat. He wasn’t interested in seeing anyone else, and frankly, had no time. Besides, he scanned the room and saw the relaxed expression crossing faces, and knew that had been a goodwill gesture from his part to show them he was willing to do his share—and beyond.

“Okay. I can live with that I suppose,” Laura said.

I hope I can live with it too.“Good.” He clapped his hands together. “Any more questions?”

After the end of the meeting, he shook hands and talked to his father, then returned to his office.

“You did great today,” Billie said, putting some paperwork on his desk.

He shuffled in his chair, unsure about what to say. She’d done great too, even if he didn’t see much of her sitting behind him. He felt her, though, her presence, and in a strange way it brought him support. “Thank you.”

“You know, it’s not my place to say it, but don’t worry about the shareholders and what’s on their mind right now. You’ll do fine,” she said, and her green eyes had never looked so earnest.

Realization crashed on him like a piano thrown in the pavement. She knew.

He’d wondered how much she knew about his past, but preparing for today’s meeting had surpassed those concerns. And now, frustration slithered down his spine like a cold chill. She knew he’d been a bastard. Bile rose up his throat, and he tasted the sourness, swallowing it down. “You’re right. It’s not your place,” he said coolly.

She widened her eyes, flustered, and parted her lips.

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