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The heat of lust that had burned through me only moments ago turned to ice, my stomach churning and my blood running cold. “What do you mean?” I forced a smile.
“Well, you know. When you’re super rich, places like this are just a drop in the bucket. I bet you could even afford to, I don’t know, reimburse me a little something for tonight.”
I took a step back, balking. “That’s… not what this is.”
Cary continued, stepping closer to me and reaching for my waist. “Oh, come on Dex. Don’t be like that. I don’t need a lot. It’s not like I’m a sex worker, not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just need a little help, is all.”
I pulled out of his grasp and shook my head. “No. I think you’ve misunderstood the situation. Or perhapsIhave. Either way, I think it best if I leave before this goes any further.” I slid my suit jacket off its hanger in the closet and back on, despite Cary’s protests. “You’re welcome to stay here tonight, but I expect this room to be spotless when you leave.”
His face was pale, and his frown formed deep lines on his face. “Sure,” he murmured. “Of course.”
With a sigh, I hurried downstairs, back to the reception desk, where I let the receptionist know I wasn’t staying after all, and under no circumstances should extra charges be made to the room. She nodded, and I left, stepping out into the chilly spring night.
“Goddamnit,” I muttered out loud before pulling my phone out of my pocket and dialing Frank, my driver. “Please pick me up in front of the Washington as soon as you can.”
“Yes, sir.” He didn’t hesitate. I ended the call.
A few minutes later, I was in the car and headed home, which was a half hour away. The second I was in the safety of my car, I pulled out my phone again and dialed the most-used number in my phone—my assistant, Jude.
“Sir?” It was late, but he never hesitated to answer, no matter what time. I tried not to make a habit of calling Jude at all hours of the night, but that night was an exception. “How did the date go?”
I grimaced, debating on how much to say. Jude was not only my assistant, he was really the only person I could call a friend—and that was because I paid him to keep my secrets. “He just wanted my money.”
“He said that?” Jude asked, shocked.
“He asked me to ‘reimburse’ him for the evening.”
Jude made a noise of disgust before he sighed. “I’m sure the right guy is out there for you, Mr. Thompson. It’ll just take time.”
“Thanks. I think I’ll need to have a talk with Ellie about perhaps not setting me up on dates. And also confidentiality.” I let the silence swell between us for a moment before I changed the subject. “Tell me, what else do we have going on?”
“Oh, the Michaels Foundation has our annual dinner for grant recipients next week.”
I smiled, soothed by the news. The Michaels Foundation was my pet project, the one that nobody knew my name was tied to. It was a discreet offshoot of the company where I funneled much of our profits. We awarded charitable grants to families in Port Grandlin who had the greatest need. “That is good news. Tell me more.”
I listened as Jude launched into descriptions of our grant recipients, what they’d won for, and how much they were receiving. He also mentioned that he would deliver the files on the recipients to my email the next day. I was so honored that they trusted the Michaels Foundation to provide for them, and that they turned to us in their time of need. We talked about how these grants changed lives and as we talked, it occurred to me—not for the first time—that what I’d spent that evening on dinner and an aborted hotel date would’ve been enough to fund a micro-grant, which we sometimes awarded to teachers and other public servants. With a sigh, I turned my focus back to Jude. A few minutes later, I was home.
I trudged up the driveway and into my massive, empty house that overlooked the river. I flipped on as few lights as possible as I made my way to the bathroom and then my bedroom and tugged off my suit jacket and tie. Carefully, I put my clothes in a neat pile, knowing that I’d have Jude run them out for dry cleaning on Monday. As I crawled into bed, I turned off the lights and let the darkness wash over me, my eyes working to adjust to the dim lights of the city from across the river.
I hated living in that big house, alone, and I lay there, willing sleep to come and trying hard to swallow the bitter sting of disappointment over the night’s events. Jude’s words rang in my mind as I fell asleep.The right guy is out there… It’ll just take time.
Chapter Three
Bennett
Mr. Cantrell,
Thank you for your recent application for a grant through The Michaels Foundation. We recognize that asking for financial assistance can be challenging for many people, and we are honored that you reached out. We wish to express our gratitude to all our applicants for trusting us during the most challenging times of their lives.
With that said, the Michaels Foundation is pleased to inform you we have awarded you a grant to cover your mother’s medical expenses while she undergoes treatment for her colon cancer. This grant will pay directly to the hospital or provider of her choosing.
Please join us for a dinner reception honoring our recipients. Details are listed below.
Sincerely,
Ross Timmer
Chairperson, the Michaels Foundation
