Page 3 of Working For A Billionaire

"I don't need to know about your personal life, Harrison.” Shawn Anderson obviously wasn’t in the mood for any sappy stories. “All I care about is how you handle my money. Can you guarantee you won't mess it up?"

"There are no guarantees in life, Shawn.” I hear Harrison reply, then the sound of a creaking floor. He must be pacing about his office. “But I will do my absolute best to ensure I meet your expectations. I will take full responsibility for any mistakes I make, and I will fix them."

Some more silence. Even the creaking of the floor has stopped.

"I'll give it some thought and get in touch with you after I get back into town." The sound of the chair being pushed back. The conversation is ending.

"Vacation?” Harrison asks.

"Hardly, I have some business to attend to in Las Vegas over the weekend.”

Harrison doesn’t say anything to that. The door opens, and the two men shake hands. The air around them is still electrified, but it is obvious that they are at least trying to remain civil with each other, whatever it is they have going on between them.

Surprisingly, Harrison glares at the back of Shawn Anderson with a look so intense it gives me goosebumps. Once the man disappears into the elevator, Harrison turns his attention to me. I spring up and out of my chair as he motions for me to enter his office. My heart is pounding in my chest.

"I need you to make the arrangements for my attendance at the Vegas conference this weekend. If you need help, ask Lauren," he says, opening his laptop and beginning to type.

Was that it? I wonder.

"Yes, sir," I reply apprehensively. Then, as I’m heading out the door, I start whispering all the things that are needed. “A plane ticket, hotel accommodation, car rental– ”

“Two,” he interrupts my list making.

“Sorry?” I ask, turning around at the door.

“Two,” he repeats, his blue gaze piercing through me. “Two plane tickets. It's a business trip. That means you are going with me.”

“But I… I have plans this weekend,” I say kittenishly.

My plans were to unpack the rest of my boxes finally and order the books on the shelf. Nothing spectacular, but I’ve been looking forward to a nice evening of arranging things with a glass of wine.

His brows knot at me. “Cancel them.” He pauses for a moment, to see whether I would argue some more. Then, he adds, just for good measure. "If I am working, that means so are you."

"Yes, sir.” I reply with the only thing I can. “I'll make the arrangements immediately."

I rush out of his office as if running out of a cave after an encounter with a bear.

I exit the office, still processing the news of our business trip, and I see Lauren walking my way. Relief washes over me as I grab my purse, ready for lunch. She locks her arm with mine and leans over closer to whisper as we’re walking towards the elevators.

“This is just the beginning,” she tells me, chuckling, and something assures me she’s right.

Chapter Two

Harrison

"She is a great piece of ass," the man whispers loud enough for everyone near him to hear clearly.

I guess this is a normal comment you’d hear in a bar. The nauseating scent of too much aftershave mixed with sweat and desperation permeates the air around us. Overzealous investment bankers pounce on any available women, eager to prove themselves a cut above the rest. It’s quite a show.

I sit back and enjoy watching them fall all over themselves to impress women half their age who couldn't care less about who they are. Their only interest is how much they can squeeze out of these poor schmucks before they leave town and return to their empty lives devoid of meaning.

I've been here for over an hour, sipping my drink and waiting for them to hit the wall. The more drinks I knock back, the less concerned I am about Anderson considering other firms to work with or if he's playing hard to get. But after our encounter earlier, I'm not feeling too confident about the deal. We only had a five-minute conversation in an elevator, and he repeated what he said at our last meeting. I'm starting to think this trip was a waste of time.

That is how I found myself in this poor excuse for a bar, drinking bad scotch and people watching. It's not an activity I particularly enjoy, but it can be entertaining.

My eyes scan the room, looking for nothing and no one in particular. That is why I’m so stunned to see her there.

Her. Riley. My new assistant.

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