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I secretly smirk every time Mom mentions her boyfriend Rick’s name. I’ve met Ricardo. He’s a great guy who happens to be Mexican. She met him last year when his home repair company remodeled her deck and patio.
Jeez, Mom, what must the neighbors think?
“Hey,” Mom says in a sly tone. “What are ya smiling about?”
Oops. I’d forgotten for a second that she hadn’t hung up. “Nothing, Mom. Be sure to tell Rick hola for me.”
Her smile wavers for a second before it snaps back into place. “I will, baby. Love you.”
“Love you too. Bye.” I stick my phone back into my jacket as the driver pulls up in front of the high-rise that houses our offices. “Thanks, Jim,” I say to him and hop out of the car to head for the main entrance. Using my Bluetooth, I ask my secretary to schedule my meetings with Rachel to occur twice a week. I choose Tuesday mornings and late Friday afternoons, with the intention that the Friday meetings should eventually end in an invitation for dinner.
I’ve got four weeks to make her fall head over heels for me so I can dump her gorgeous ass.
Chapter five
Rachel
AfterreadingRhence’sbioon his company’s website, I scoured the internet for anything I could find on him. He’d been careful not to leave a digital footprint prior to his success at Horizon Inc. Within the last year, long after I stopped looking for him, all of a sudden, he’s all over the place. Granted, I’m not into the tech world or the latest innovations, so I hadn’t paid close attention. But now, I can’t not see him everywhere.
So, from what I’ve gleaned, nine years ago he enrolled at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, where he earned a dual degree in computer science and business. After graduating, he was recruited by a tech firm in Silicon Valley, where he was promoted to senior software designer and eventually left to start his own business. Three years later, Horizon Inc. is one of the biggest things to come out of Silicon Valley. And this year, their revenues hit the ten-figure mark, making it the newest billion-dollar company.
I grin, my heart swelling with pride. My Rhence Dalton from the trailer park accomplished all of this! I knew that beneath all that insecurity and doubt, he had it in him to do something great. I spent our year together building him up, helping him to see his potential. Hell, while I tutored him in English Lit, history, and political science, he tutored me in computer information systems.
Good for you, Rhence!
But after a few indulgent moments strolling down memory lane, my smile slips away. Why’d he leave me? Did he sense his own greatness and decide I wasn’t the woman he wanted at his when he got there? My gut clenches at the thought. The only thing that eases my sadness is the fact that there’s no Mrs. Rhence Dalton on his arm.
Is he still searching? Is that why he’s come back into my life now? But why all the attitude and general assholery? Why mock my failure while flaunting his success?
The Rhence Dalton I knew wouldn’t dream of doing something so horrible and heartless. But do I even knowthisversion of Rhence Dalton? They say money changes a person. I imagine a billion dollars certainly would. So, what’s his agenda? What plans does he have for my company? Or me, for that matter?
As I sit at my desk, the meeting invite pops up on my calendar. Am I reading this correctly? He wants to meettwicea week? Tuesday mornings and Friday at 4 p.m. Who schedules a freaking business meeting at 4 p.m. on a Friday? Is this just another asshole move on his part? He’s my boss, so he knows he can schedule a meeting whenever he bloody well pleases and he’ll expect me to show up bright-eyed and bushy tailed.
Why does that idea send a frisson of excitement through me? Rhence is my boss and he’s mouthwateringly gorgeous. But the bastard broke my heart, crushed it into a million tiny pieces. He’s not the least bit apologetic or even cordial toward me. He’s pure belligerent asshole. I’ve got to tread carefully here. I can’t lose my head, or my heart, for that matter. I don’t know what Rhence’s agenda is, but I have a feeling it doesn’t end well for me.
My office phone rings. It’s Mom. Oh my god, she has no idea that Rhence owns the company that bought mine out.
I quickly answer the call. “Hi, Mom, what’s up?”
“Hello, dear. I was just calling to confirm lunch plans for Friday afternoon.” She sounds slightly distracted, as if she’s between clients and wants to quickly settle the matter. “Would you prefer Greek or Italian? I’ll have Jenna make the reservations.”
I ignore her question. “Mom, I met the new boss. You’ll never guess who it is.”
There’s a pause on the line. “Why on earth would I know who your new boss is? Is he a client of mine?”
“Definitely not a client,” I chuckle.
“Sweetheart, my next client is arriving shortly,” she says impatiently. “Acropolis or Sabatini’s, please choose.”
“Sabatini’s,” I say. “Mom, my new boss is…Rhence Dalton.” I sit back in my chair and wait for her to pick herself up off the floor. Yeah, that’s right, the no-good loser she begged me to break up with now runs the billion-dollar company that rescued mine from bankruptcy.
“Rhence Dalton,” she says dryly. “Is this some sort of joke? I’m not amused.”
I smile smugly. “Nope, it’s no joke. He was here in my office just this morning groomed to a ‘T’ in a designer suit that must have cost a small fortune. But being the owner of a billion-dollar software company, I suppose that’s to be expected.”
“This is utter nonsense,” she sputters. “There is no way that boy is running that business. Not unless he funded it with drug money.”
A derisive bark of laughter escapes me. “After high school, Rhence studied computer science at UNCC and then went to work in Silicon Valley. He made a huge success of himself, Mom, which means you were dead wrong about him.”
