Page 37 of Billionaire Corruption

“Paul McKinney,” he said, stretching out a hand and shaking Toby’s.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Boyfriend?” Toby asked me with a wink.

I shook my head, feeling myself blush.

“We… uh… work together.”

I could see Paul looking at me, lifting an eyebrow. I had to think quickly though, that was the best I could do.

We went to the hospital cafeteria for coffee. They did a cappuccino which wasn’t completely disgusting. Paul took a muffin as well as a croissant, but I couldn’t stomach the idea of food.

“You need to keep your strength up,” Paul said. “Have a banana at least.”

I wasn’t used to someone looking out for me, reminding me to look after myself.

It felt good.

“Thanks for helping me,” I said, once we sat down.

“Remember how you once told me you didn’t have people helping you? A network of friends and family with contacts and networks? Well, now you do,” he said with a smile.

“So…. We’re friends?” I asked him.

He shrugged, “Why not?”

He made it sound so easy.

But in some ways, it was.

“I’ve never had a rich friend,” I said, trying to be funny, not my strongest point. “In college I had a friend whose father was in advertising. He’d given her a credit card and we would sometimes go out, charge stuff on it. That was the closest I came, I guess.”

“What kind of things would you buy?” Paul asked.

“Drinks, food, sometimes clothes,” I said. “But I always felt bad, I kept waiting for her dad to get the bill and confront her about the pink bikini she bought, or whatever.”

“Pink bikini?” He looked at me, amused. “Can’t really see you in one. I mean, I’d want to…”

I was blushing properly now. “Yeah… well… We were planning a summer holiday, so, I kind of, needed one.”

A group of us had gone to Long Island for a weekend, staying in a friend’s condo. It had been an odd couple of days for me, I ended up wearing the bikini under a long-sleeved top and not getting any sun at all.

The way Paul was looking at me now, I could tell he was thinking about me in the bikini, and it made me uncomfortable.

“I hope you don’t think I’m so grateful for the money that I’ll sleep with you.”

I could hardly believe I had said something so rude, but Paul was completely unfazed, if anything, he seemed turned on by it.

“Of course not. I’m hoping that you’ll want to sleep with me anyway.”

His dark eyes twinkled mischievously.

I was too tired to play games.

“Of course, I want to sleep with you.”

“Great!”

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