Bought: A Billionaire Romance (2 page)

The look on her face when she realizes who I am is absolutely priceless. I had no idea when I met her in the coffee shop that she would be at this meeting, but I’m glad she is. It’s worth it just to watch her blush and stammer over her words. It also says something about how desperately short staffed Greene must be that he’s bringing graduates fresh out of college on their first day of work into meetings that are going to affect the profitability of his company for years to come.

God damn, she’s cute when she’s embarrassed
. I try to focus on the task at hand, now isn’t the time to be distracted by a piece of ass. There’s something about a hot girl all dressed up looking smart that just makes me lose control. Smart jacket, tight blouse that shows all the curves without giving too much away, hair done up in a bun. If she had some nerdy glasses I probably wouldn’t have been able to stop myself jumping her then and there.

“Let’s get straight down to it,” I say once Greene and Clara and have sat down, “My company is going to be supplying the majority of the R&D and know-how so the split of profits should be seventy-thirty in my favor. Not to mention that having my name attached to the project is going to be very attractive to investors.”

I sit back and let my words settle for a moment. Greene looks flustered. I have no doubt he was expecting a straightforward fifty-fifty split of the profits but you don’t create a multi-billion dollar company without a bit of hardball negotiating.

“Ludicrous,” splutters Greene, “Our discussions were always based on a fifty-fifty split. You can’t possibly be so arrogant as to think that your name alone is worth—”

“I don’t need this. Our investments in Chinese coal are paying off right now but I don’t think those offshore wind turbines you’ve been building are going to be profitable for another five to ten years. If you don’t get some fast income in the meantime, your investors might start getting…agitated.”

Clara stops frantically shuffling through the papers she brought in with her to look for a moment. When she catches my eye I flash her a wink and she looks back down at the papers again, blushing like a high-schooler who just got asked to prom by the captain of the football team. I really must thank her for letting me borrow that folder of hers, it’s been invaluable.

I lean back in my chair and smile at the now red-faced Greene. He probably wants to shout at me. Probably wants to call off the whole deal right now, but he knows I’ve got him right where I want him. Eventually, he manages to force out some words through his anger.

“Clara, what’s our estimated return on investment if we go with the seventy-thirty split. Can you build in some leeway to the model for unforeseen expenses, issues with regulations, that kind of thing?”

Great. Now I’m going to have to sit here for an hour listening to her tapping away on a calculator. I’m supposed to be playing basketball with those posers from Goldman this afternoon but it looks like I might have to cancel now.

“If we assume the output of ten percent less than optimum, which should be enough of a margin of error, we would be looking at only a five percent annual return.”

No. Way. I sit forward in my chair, trying to hide the shock on my face. She couldn’t possibly have worked it all out that fast. She looks at me and winks, a smile fleetingly appearing on her beautiful red lips. Looks like she’s more than just a pretty face then. I can see why Greene wanted her here.

“So as you can see, Kyan, seventy-thirty just isn’t an acceptable split for us. The absolute lowest I’m willing to accept here is a seven percent annual return. What split would be required for that, Clara?”

“sixty-forty,” she replies, quick as a flash.

Man, this girl is really something. I pause for a moment to consider my position. I was expecting this to be easy, but it’s turning out to be more difficult to hardball Greene than I thought with Clara here.

Wait. An idea is forming in my mind. Oh yeah, this should be fun. What is the point of being a billionaire if you can’t have some fun? It isn’t all about the money. I know Greene would probably accept a fifty-five/forty-five split, but I’ll give him that extra five percent if he’s willing to give me something.

“OK, sixty-forty, I can agree to that. We’ll get the contracts drawn up over the next few days.”

I can see Greene breathe a sigh of relief. He thinks he has me beaten.

“Just one condition,” I continue, “I want something from you.”

“What is it?”

I look at Clara, all wide-eyed and nervous on her first day. I know it’s a problem, but when you’re as rich as I am, when you see something you want, you just have to buy it.

“Her.”

“Her!?” says Greene.

“Me!?”

What the hell is he doing? This is the twenty-first century. You can’t buy people.

“I want her to come and work for me as part of the deal. You know, a secondment. At least until the project is all up and running, say, two years.”

TWO. YEARS. With this jerk? Kyan Ellis, the number one investor in fossil fuels, the man that Economy magazine called ‘the king of pollution’. Two years with the man that stands against everything I believe in. I can’t believe I thought he was hot when he sat down opposite me in the coffee shop.

“Deal,” says Greene as the two men stand up and shake hands like I’m not even there, “err, assuming you’re OK with it, Clara?”

“No Clara means no deal,” emphasizes Kyan.                           

How is this happening? I thought I was going to mess up and make a fool of myself on my first day but this is somehow infinitely worse than that. Do I betray all my values and go work for Kyan Ellis or do I let down the company I really want to work for and screw up this whole deal?

“I…can I have some time to think about it.”

“You’ve got twenty-four hours,” says Kyan, “I’ll get the contracts drawn up and we’ll meet back here this time tomorrow.”

****

I slam the door to my apartment and press my back into it, sliding down to the floor with my eyes closed. I hear footsteps and open my eyes to see my roommate Kelly in pajamas and an old hoodie with our college logo on it.

“Bad day, huh?” she asks.             

Five o’clock couldn’t come round fast enough. I had spent my lunch break crying in the toilets but I thought I had fixed my makeup well enough. Kelly could tell, though. Kelly could always tell.

“I thought you were supposed to be at work this evening?” I dodge the question. Kelly had given up looking for jobs in finance and had decided that, for now, working in a bar would do. How she’s going to pay off the piles of student debt we have accumulated, I don’t know.

“Yeah but I swapped shifts with Greg,”

“That guy who’s always hitting on you?”

“That’s the one. If we head down there tonight he’ll be handing out free drinks to me like candy and you look like you could do with some drinks.”

“It’s that obvious? I don’t much feel like going out. More like I want to lie on my bed and cry.”

“It’s pretty obvious.”

“Well if I look that awful I don’t want to go out.”

“No, you look great. Kind of sad and cute. Like when a puppy hurts its legs and has to have those wheels so it can walk.”

She really doesn’t choose her words carefully. Still, I can’t help but smile at her attempt to cheer me up.

“Now I definitely don’t want to go out.”

“Come on. I won’t take no for an answer.”

****

An hour later I’ve redone my makeup yet again and I think I’m ready to head out.

“So, that’s definitely what you’re wearing?” says Kelly when I finally leave my room.

I look down at the jeans and purple top I’m wearing and then at Kelly’s short, black dress. Her ample cleavage makes it look like she’s smuggling a couple of melons.

“Well…not definitely,”

“Great. How about that dress you bought when you found out you got the job? You haven’t even worn it yet.”

“Well, yeah, but don’t you think it’s a bit…booby?” I realize the question is stupid when I look at Kelly’s dress. If anything she probably thinks it isn’t booby enough.

Ten minutes later I’m wearing the dress and trying not to fall down the steps to our apartment in the highest pair of heels I own. Somehow Kelly always has a way of making me come out of my shell, and I usually don’t regret it. Usually.

A short taxi ride later and we’re at The Cellar. The Cellar is one of those places that just screams ‘gentrification’. This neighborhood used to be run-down, the kind of place where girls like me and Kristy wouldn’t even set foot, let alone decide to spend an evening drinking.

This particular street used to be all drug dealers and pawn shops a few years ago; but now coffee shops staffed by bearded baristas in the skinniest jeans imaginable and vegan bakeries nestle between wine bars and pubs serving the widest range of microbrew beers you can think of.

The heat and noise of the dozens of people crammed into the small bar hit me the moment I push open the heavy door. The smell of beer and alcohol is thick in the air as we walk in. Kelly is right behind me and we head over to the bar to try and get Greg’s attention for some free drinks.

The bar area is pretty packed but we’re soon at the front where the neon blue and pink beer sign casts a ghostly light onto us. The Cellar is one of those places with the shabby chic of a dive bar but with triple the prices. The perfect formula for ripping off hipsters.

“My two favorite ladies!” yells Greg over the din of the bar when he sees us, “So, what can I get you. On the house of course.”

“Shots!” yells Kelly.             

“Not shots,” I say.

“Tequila!”

“Coming right up,” says Greg

I know I shouldn’t go into work hungover tomorrow, but right now I really don’t care.

“So, tell me about today,” says Kelly after we’ve had a couple of drinks.

I tell her all about what happened. How I met Kyan in the coffee shop and he basically lied to me. Then, after being completely thrust in at the deep end, he asks for me to be thrown in as an extra on a business deal.

“No way!” says Kelly when I’m done, “THE Kyan Ellis wants you to work with him? That’s amazing! Why are you upset about this?”

“Because he’s a jerk! Not to mention that his company invests in the least green energy sources imaginable. Working for him is the opposite of everything I ever wanted to do.”

“So what’s the deal that you’re supposed to be a part of?”

“It’s a joint venture to provide carbon sequestration initiatives on Ellis Energy’s worldwide coal power plant holdings.”

“Err…what the hell does that mean?”

“Basically, we’ll be reducing the carbon emissions of the coal plants. You know, fighting global warming.”

“And what happens if the deal doesn’t go through?”

“Well, from what Kyan was saying it sounds like Greene Earth could be in trouble without this deal.”

“So what’s the problem? Sounds like you’ll be taking one for team Earth if you make sure this deal goes through.”

I couldn’t help but agree with her. I had been so wrapped up in following my dream that I hadn’t thought about the bigger picture. Maybe I was being selfish and if I really want to make a difference, making sure this deal works really is the best choice.

“I…I guess you’re right,” I say hesitantly.

“You know it,” says Kelly, “So, was he as hot in real life as he looks in the magazines?”

“Kelly…”

“Come on, just admit it, he’s hot.”

“Well…I mean…I thought he was hot before I realized who he was.”

“Hot AND a billionaire, that’s the total package. Do you think he wants you just for your crazy finance skills or is he after something else?”

“Shut up!”

“Oh come on, Clara, when was the last time you even went on a date? Maybe he’ll take you for a ride in his private jet.”

“Not going to happen.”

“Well if you don’t want him, can you at least introduce me to him? I’ve always wanted to join the mile high club…”

“You’re gross.”

“You know you love it.”

We laugh together for a moment and I take a sip of one of the pink cocktails that appeared in front of us while we were talking. The drinks are already startingto go to my head. I’ll probably regret it in the morning, but right now I want some fun.

“Do you know who his ex-girlfriend is?” asks Kelly

“You know I don’t read those gossip magazines.”

“A princess! His last girlfriend was literally a princess from some European country and now he’s after you. You have all the luck and you don’t even care. The only guy trying to get into my panties right now is that dumbass barman over there,” says Kelly gesturing to Greg who is desperately trying to serve all the customers packing the bar.

“For the last time, he isn’t after me. I think I just impressed him with my skill at manipulating figures.”

“Yeah, I bet he’d like to manipulate your figure,” says Kelly with a grin.

I lightly punch her on the shoulder. There’s no way Kyan could be after me, is there? Well, if he is he made a pretty big mistake in making me part of a business deal. No way am I going to let him buy his way to my heart…or my bed.

“Another cocktail?”

“You sure that’s a good idea? I think you’ve got an important meeting tomorrow morning,” says a familiar southern drawl from behind me.

No way. It can’t be him.             

I turn in the bar stool to see the easygoing half-smile of Kyan Ellis. The last person in the world I want to see right now has appeared as if by magic. I can’t deny it, even in a simple white button-down shirt and a pair of jeans he still looks amazing.

“OH. MY. GOD,” squeals Kelly, “You’re Kyan Ellis right?”

“I am.”