Page 7 of The Billionaire and the Maid

He waves off my indifference, but his hand stops mid-wave. His eyes are fixed on the front door. I turn and find my stepmom waiting to be seated.

Gus’s hand starts motioning her over before I can stop him.

“What are you doing?” I hiss under my breath as I feel my heart begin to pound in my chest. My stepmom has always intimidated me and I’m not in the mood to deal with her.

“Putting her in her place,” he says without moving his lips. “Nancy, so good to see you,” he greets as he stands and kisses her cheek.

“A pleasure as always, Gus. You may be the only thing Ella got right,” she says, and I see Gus clench his jaw.

“Well, we were just discussing the Marinos’ holiday ball,” he says.

“Oh?” my stepmom replies.

“Are you going?” he inquires as if there’s a chance she isn’t going. Nancy Foster made it her life’s goal to run in the same circle as every wealthy person in town. My father certainly had money, not like the Marinos, but enough and she’s invested her inheritance. I just wish she’d have given me some of it.

“I am. I just got an invitation.” I see her shoulders tense, and she turns to me. “Areyougoing?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Well, I’m sure most maids don’t. I’m so sorry, Ella, but I only have enough for the girls and me. I hope you’ll understand?” Her words bite at what’s left of my desire to have a mother-daughter relationship.

“Oh, Ella’s going,” Gus announces as if it’s obvious that I would be invited.

My eyes widen. “Oh, uh, right,” I stammer.

My stepmom eyes us suspiciously. “Well, I guess I’ll see you there, then. You two have a wonderful evening. I must be going. I’m meeting a friend.”

She saunters off and Gus looks over at me with a sheepish grin.

“Gus!” I whisper-yell as I slap his arm.

He shrugs. “We’ll find you a ticket.”

I glare at him as Kevin sets down our next round of drinks. “Enjoy, guys,” he says with a smile.

“Thanks,” we both answer without looking at him.

“Gus, seriously, now I’ll have to watch Nancy gloat when I don’t show up,” I groan as I grab my drink and take a big gulp of it. I pause because that shit is good.

Gus mirrors me and sips his. “Damn. Thatisgood. How is every cocktail he makes this good?”

I nod. “OK, back to your fuckup. What were you thinking?”

Gus places a hand on my shoulder and stares into my eyes. “We are going to figure out a way to get you into that ball.”

I stare back. “What do you think, Chase is just going to waltz up to me and ask me to go with him?”

Gus purses his lips. “I mean…that’s not a bad idea.”

I give him a pointed look. “You’re impossible. Chase Marino is way out of my league and he’s a total playboy. Not happening. Ever.”

But inside, I can’t help but wonder what that would be like…dating Chase Marino. I finally tell myself to shut up because that’snevergoing to happen.

CHAPTERFOUR

Chase

“Laurel, where the fuck am I going to find a girlfriend in less than thirty days?” I ask as I rub the back of my neck which has been in knots since I left my dad’s office. Even my visit with my grandfather didn’t ease my tension. I didn’t even mention it to him because I didn’t want to upset him. And I can’t imagine he’d be happy with my parents’ ideas on rebranding my image with a girlfriend.

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