Page 49 of Assistant to the Billionaire CEO

“Hey, lil sis,” he answered. There was music playing in the background, and I could hear people loudly conversing around him. I wondered where he was.

“Where ya at?” I asked.

“What you up to?” he asked at the same time.

I looked at the black baked goods I’d left on the stovetop and said, “Not much.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said, “because I’m calling to find out if you’d like to join me for a drink at Swayze’s.”

“Is Ace there?” A flutter of hope stirred in my stomach.

“No, he isn’t. He might show up later. But, I’d like to talk to you about him.”

“Oh. Why? Is he in some kind of trouble?” I asked jokingly.

“No. Or at least, Ihopehe isn’t.”

“Wait, you’re serious? I was just kidding.”

“I’m very serious.”

That was odd. “What could Ace possibly be up to that would get him in trouble?” I asked. “He’s the poster boy for success.”

“I’d prefer to talk about it in person.”

“Fine, I’ll be right there.”

“See you,” Damon said, ending the call.

I’ll tidy this up later, I thought, standing in the center of my war-torn kitchen. I was far too overcome with curiosity to delay the meeting even a second.

After dialing the cab company’s number, I asked the woman on the other end of the line to send a cab to my location. “If Jay is free, I’d appreciate it if you could send him.”

“Jay the Brit, or Jay the Hunk?”

“Jay the Brit,” I said without thinking.Jay the Hunk? Who was Jay the Hunk?I had to ask Jay about him.

“I’ll see what I can do,” the woman replied. “One of our drivers will be at your location in the next fifteen minutes.”

“Perfect.” I stowed my cell phone back in my pocket.

Looking down at my red shirt and blue jeans, I realized they were covered in flour and sugar. It was not exactly a flattering look, and I needed to change. While standing in front of my antique wardrobe, I decided to don a cute floral crimson summer dress I’d purchased two seasons ago. It wasn’t quite “little summer dress” weather, but I wanted to look as pretty as possible in case Ace showed up, and I was willing to bear the chilly spring breeze to do so.

I wriggled out of my clothes and pulled the dress over my head. The dress’s waist was tight around my middle, and its skirt stopped mid-knee. I twirled in front of my mirror, admiring the way it looked on me and wondering where Ace’s gaze would pause if he saw me in it. The mere memory of how he had stared at and touched my body in the helicopter (I still wasn’t sure if it had actually happened) was enough to make my heart pound harder against my ribcage. I wondered what his soft, warm hands would feel like on other places.

“Ugh! Stop that,” I chastised myself. “He’s your boss, for heaven’s sake.” I shook my head in an attempt to loosen the fiery thoughts of Ace that were forming in my mind.

The old wooden cat-shaped clock that hung above my front door read 1 p.m. by the time I was ready to leave. Once outside, I locked the door behind me. The breeze playfully tugged at my dress, threatening to lift it. I held it down with one hand and jogged on my beige heels toward the yellow cab waiting for me.

“Hey there,” the cab driver exclaimed, waving at me through his open window. He was a slight man with a shock of bright-white longish hair trying to cover a bald head. Not Jay.

“I’m Jay…the Hunk,” he added when he noticed my perplexed expression. “Where are you headed today, ma’am?”

“Hello, it’s nice to meet another Jay,” I replied as I slid into the back seat, wondering why they called him “the Hunk.” He wasn’t tall, strong, or really that attractive—even though attractiveness was subjective, of course. I contemplated asking why they called him “the Hunk,” but I stopped myself. It would be rude, and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “I’d like to go to Swayze’s, please.”

“Of course. I’ll have you there in a jiffy.” He turned the cab onto the road and turned up his stereo system’s volume.

“Where’s Jay today? The Brit?” I asked as I made myself comfortable. “He’s usually the one that’s on my route.”

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