Page 20 of The Billionaire Player

“Why would I do that? Why shouldn’t I give this to another one of my reporters who will do this faster?”

I didn’t know how to answer her question without giving too much of myself away. How did I tell her that I felt a connection to him? That there was something there between us and I could exploit that to a point to get him to talk to me. He looked like a man who wanted to talk, who had a burden that he needed to get off his chest, and I wanted to be the one he told. For some reason he trusted me, or he wanted to trust me but something was holding him back. If I could just get him to open up a little bit to me, I could get it all.

Something that I think would be good for him and me.

“He trusts me. Or at least he wants to. He wouldn't have asked me back to his restaurant tonight if he didn't want to talk.”

“Maybe he just wants to tell you off without anyone else being around?” Georgia hypothesized.

“He isn’t a man who hides from scandal or from speaking his mind. If he had an issue with me, he would have said it loud and clear in front of anyone who would listen. He wants to talk to me when no one is around. There’s a reason behind it. Just give me a few more days to see what that is. If he doesn’t talk, then I will back off and let someone else take over.”

“You really think he’s going to spill some family secrets?” she asked.

I could see she was conflicted between wanting to get the story that no one else could and getting it as soon as possible. The look in her eyes and how excited she was getting told me I was winning her over.

“We’re meeting tonight. I told you that. There’s only one way for me to find out.”

“You will let me know how it goes? We need something on him, on his family. You understand that,” Georgia said.

“If there’s anything to be found, I will do everything I can to find it.”

I knew what she was saying. She needed a sensational story. One that would sell magazines, increase sales and subscriptions, and most importantly, make her look good. I understood she was only as good as the last story she published, but that was her problem not mine. Mine was to get the best story I could and I only hoped that when I got it our goals didn’t clash.

“You’d better. I’ll give you one week, otherwise I’m putting someone else on this,” she said.

She looked at me as if she was doing me a favor, not the other way around. Whether Georgia wanted to realize it or not, she wouldn’t get another chance with JD Bennett. Whatever happened tonight was my last chance to get him to agree to talk to me. If he didn’t and I lost the assignment, I had no idea what she would do.

As I left her office and headed back to my apartment to get ready for my meeting with JD, I just hoped that it worked out the way I wanted it to. For both JD’s and my sake.

Chapter 9

JD

“Unless you need me, I’m going to head home,” Rosie said towards the end of the night.

I looked up from my desk and smiled at her. I could tell she wanted to go home, it had been another long day for her and not for the first time I realized how much I relied on her.

“No, please. Go home. Get some sleep. Come in a little later tomorrow. You’ve been spending too much time here,” I said.

“Says the man who’s still here and was here before me,” she countered.

“Part of the job.”

“As is mine. We have too much to do for me to come in late.”

“You being away from here for a few hours isn’t going to kill us, not when we’re two days from opening. Take the time, so that you can be fresh when I really need you.”

“Ah, the real reason, then I might just do that. Don’t stay too late,” she said.

“Thanks,” I said, not answering her question.

As Rosie closed the door, I looked at my phone to see it was five minutes to nine. I would have thought Alexandria would have been early, but I was almost glad she wasn’t. I hadn’t told Rosie what I was planning on doing. I wanted to get all the details, if there were going to be any, from Alexandria first.

I got up and walked out to the main area of the restaurant. Most of the lights were turned off, the chairs were on the tables so the cleaning crew could come later in the night, and the kitchen was spotless and just waiting for the food to arrive the next morning. It was strange to be in the space when it was so quiet. I had gotten used to the quiet hum of all the staff moving around during the day and I missed it now that they were gone.

It was the perfect spot for Alexandria and I to talk. I wanted to keep things as professional between us as I could. Even if I had thought of her more in an unprofessional way whenever she came into my mind. If she wanted to see the man that I was, to give people a glimpse into my world, the best place to do that, to start that, was where I wanted most to be.

At nine o’clock on the dot I saw movement outside the restaurant. I looked up to see Alexandria peaking in the window. I waved at her and then went to open up the door. She looked cool and sexy in her black jeans and soft purple sweater. She gave me a smile as if she was happy to see me and it made my heart jump a little. I knew it would make convincing people that we were dating more believable if I actually liked looking at her, but it also added another layer that I wasn’t totally sure what to do about.

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