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“To see what type of women you were into.”
“Why w—”
“You must have been really close with your uncle.”
She changes the subject quickly. I’ll let her off the hook for now, but we’ll revisit the other topic later.
Even thinking about him makes my chest ache, and she must realize this because Poppy intertwines her small fingers with my bigger ones. The gesture doesn’t feel like it’s fake. She seems concerned about me. Whether she is or not, it doesn’t stop the back of my neck from burning.
“We were,” I tell her. “He taught me a lot of things. He was like my real father. He gave me my first job, taught me how to manage my money, and helped me through rehab.”
She raises her brows. “Why did you go to rehab?”
“I was a sloppy drunk.”
Someone clears their throat, and I turn my head to find my grandfather leaning against the table wearing a dark suit. I get up and wrap my arms around his shoulders. Grandfather returns the hug with one arm. His eyes drop to Poppy, and a smile touches his eyes.
“Poppy, this is my grandfather, Anderson” I introduce them.
She gets up and brings him into a hug. He hugs her back.
“It’s nice to be touched by a pretty woman,” my grandfather says. He removes his suit jacket and he hangs it in the back of the chair before sliding into the seat in front of her.
Smiling, she sits back in her seat. “The pleasure is all mine.”
He steeples his hands, leaning his elbows on the table.
“So, tell me about yourself,” my grandfather says.
She fiddles with the tablecloth again, and I place my hands on hers, trying to sooth her. “Umm… well, I work for Jasper as his executive assistant.”
He shoots me a glare. He knows how ruthless I am with running my businesses. I can be tough on my employees, but they need the discipline. I expect a hundred percent from them, and anything fewer gets their contracts terminated. If it weren’t for my ruthless ways, I wouldn’t be one of the top billionaires in the country.
“He’s not giving you hell, is he?”
“No, he’s actually nice to me. It’s his other employees I’m worried about,” she teases, resting her hand over mine.
The waiter sets the main dish of duck and soup onto the table, and I make Poppy a plate of food. She mouths a thank-you, and I wink at her. One of my employees snaps pictures of us. No doubt, it’s going to be in the press tomorrow.
“What do you like to do for fun?” Grandfather asks Poppy.
“I love to surf the internet and look at gossip columns.” She shakes her head and holds her head down. “I can’t believe I said that out loud.”
“You’re the type to watchDesperate Housewives? And reality shows?” He pops a piece of food in his mouth.
Her cheeks turn a light color. “Yeah, it’s embarrassing, but other people’s lives are interesting to me.”
“There is nothing wrong with it. I watch soap operas.”
I stare at him in bewilderment. “Since when?”
“I used to watch them when your grandmother was alive. She loves those types of shows. I watch them now because it’s a reminder of her.” He smiles and eyes me. “I like her. She’s very honest.”
Poppy grins from ear to ear.
“So, what are your goals and dreams?” my grandfather asks, and he finally digs into his food.
She glances at me and looks away, focusing on the red roses in the center of the table. “Um… I always wanted children.”
