Page 48 of Billionaire Corruption

I was happy leaving them to it.

I wondered who he had been speaking about on the phone.

I didn’t want to ask him, didn’t want to hear that it was someone from work, reporting back on what was going on at the office. I knew Paul had people digging around, doing their own investigation. We had not spoken about work all weekend, there was an unspoken agreement that this weekend was about us, about having fun and relaxing, getting away from our lives with all their drama.

It felt good not having to worry about getting to the office on time, having to think about what to wear or what to make for dinner. I’d left them enough food to last them all weekend at home, with easy meals my grandmother only needed to reheat. Toby was old enough to look after himself anyway and now that I knew his recent health scare was only about taking the Adderall and not some underlying medical problem, I knew I could stop worrying about him.

Toby would soon be out of the house and trying out on his own. I could live my own life and think about what I wanted for a change. I wondered what it would be like to live out here, to run this place. I couldn’t really see Paul in the kitchen, baking croissants or kneading dough. He would get other people to do that. But I could imagine him at our house, maybe overlooking the water, working away on his computer while I came in to open shop.

“What do you think?” Paul came over, standing close to me, putting his arms around me.

“Should I do it?”

“Definitely.”

He turned to Margaret with a helpless, “Seems like it is a done deal.”

They shook hands and smiled.

Chapter 20

Paul

We flew back on Monday, a day later than we’d planned. On Sunday morning, the weather cleared with a magical burst of sunlight. We shed our coats, hired bicycles, and went riding on the scenic path out of town. Our flight was booked for the afternoon, but I wasn’t ready to go back yet. The city felt like a beast that was lurking in the shadows, waiting to jump and attack me. There was danger around every corner, I knew things could come at me from all sides.

I didn’t want to think about what was waiting for me at the office. I wanted to think about Grace, the way her cheeks flushed bright red and how wonderful it was to see her looking so radiant. Taking her away for the weekend had been the right thing to do. Away from the tensions at work, we were able to be together without interruption or distraction and the chemistry between us was as strong as ever.

The connection was more than physical, we suited one another in more ways than I’d thought. I saw Grace in my future, by my side, and I liked it. The idea of the coffee shop in Port Victoria was a bit mad, of course, but I had the money and why not?

I could almost hear Elise ask me sarcastically if I couldn’t have bought her diamond ear rings instead of a coffee shop. Theresa had once said I didn’t have a spontaneous bone in my body. But here I was, impulsively buying a coffee shop. It seemed that I could be different with someone else, more spontaneous, more fun.

Cycling with Grace in the sunlight, I suddenly thought to myself, this is the life. I could have this every day if I wanted to. And I did. What did I have to go back to the city for? I didn’t have to be the man in the suit, sitting in the traffic, late for my next meeting, rushing to make the airport for the next flight out. I didn’t have to dress up for dinner or make small talk with men in tight jackets, their eyes glittering at the prospect of making money.

I’d done all of that, I’d conquered that mountain. It was time to take a step back and enjoy life, enjoy this.

I had enough money to last me a lifetime, I could settle down with Grace, have a baby or two. I’d never even thought like this before but being with her had given me a new perspective on life. I’d never met a woman who didn’t annoy me after a few hours in her company, who didn’t come with a list of demands and expectations, insisting that things be done her way. It made me want to do things for her, because she didn’t ask for them and she didn’t expect it.

When I suggested we stay another day in Port Victoria, she happily agreed. We had dinner at the inn, cooking together in the country-style kitchen, drinking wine, and laughing at our efforts to roast a chicken in the huge oven. At least the potatoes came out toasty and golden and the string beans were perfect.

“We’ll have to get a real cook for the coffee shop,” Grace said. “Or we’ll chase away all the customers!”

“All the kitchen staff will stay,” I said. “There is a cook already, no need to find a new one. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”

I’d asked Margaret to send over the paperwork to my office and I thought of coming down again with Grace in a month’s time, when the deal was done. We would need a place to stay. I rather liked the inn, but it was too big for the two of us.

“I’m thinking of resigning from Ladden,” I said, checking her face for a reaction. “What do you think of that?”

She nodded, stirring the sauce. One of her legs was propped against the other in a yoga-like pause. She looked unperturbed by the idea.

“And then, what would you do?”

“I wouldn’t have to do anything. I could do this for a while, do some trading online, think about my next options. I have a bit of money tucked away,” I said.

“Somewhere offshore, untraceable?” she asked me with an ironic lifted eyebrow.

“Something like that,” I said.

“Sounds good.”

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