His Absolute Arrangement: A Scandalous Billionaire Love Story (Jessika, #1) (8 page)

"I understand your concerns, Rob," Asher said.  "I absolutely understand where you're coming from.  It's not a disturbance to a couple of people, though.  It's a disturbance to everyone.  I won't let some rogue insider be the cause that.  If we change, they've already won.  They've destroyed us, whether we want them to or not.  That's where I'm coming from here.  Financial destruction looks a whole lot like the destruction of happiness and freedom if you spin it around and look at it from a different perspective."

"So," Asher added before any further interruptions, "this is how it's going to work.  Everything will remain the same for the time being.  I expect whomever is trying to invade and cause issue will try again, though.  They've already tried today in Jessika's office.  No one's perfect and they're going to screw up.  We aren't going to let them do what they want without retribution.  We're going to do everything we can with what we have in order to stop them before the situation gets out of hand.  There was a sweep of Jessika's office today, but I'd like someone to go through it again.  Just a couple this time, and quietly.  Find anything out of place.  Anything.  Hair, dust, whatever.  Fingerprints?  I don't care.  If there's any way we can find it, then we'll find it, and we'll track this person down."

"And if we don't?" Alice asked.

Asher shrugged, nonchalant.  "We're all screwed."

I
rode in the passenger seat of Jeremy's car.  It was actually Asher's car, but Asher never drove it, so it was difficult for me to think of it like that.  Also, Asher and I always rode in the back when we were together.  Supposedly that was more proper, but I didn't understand why.  Jeremy might not be rich, and he might technically be Asher's driver, but he wasn't
just
those things.

He was Asher's friend.  They'd known each other for a long time.  Jeremy was my friend now, too.  Sometimes I felt like I'd been through as much with Jeremy as I had with Asher.  No one had posted rude and defamatory articles about me and Jeremy, though.  Being with Jeremy made things a little easier and simpler sometimes.  I felt like I could relate to him more.

"So... Burgers?" Jeremy asked, taking a quick peek at the carry-out bags in my lap.

"Yes," I said, nodding.  We'd stopped to get hamburgers.

"I guess they're fancier, at least?"

"They're buffalo," I said.  "It's healthier than beef and chicken.  It's delicious, too."

"I'm just saying, it's a little weird, that's all.  I pick you up from some huge corporate tower where millions of dollars of transactions happen on a daily basis, and we go stop at some small restaurant, chat it up with the hostess, order some burgers to go, wait in the car, then leave to... go to some huge mansion surrounded by a fence and a gate."

"You forgot the guest house," I said.  "There's the guest house, too."

"Yeah, right.  Whoops!  Silly me."

"What's wrong with burgers?" I asked.  Opening one of the carry-out bags and peeking inside, I looked around as if I might find the answer somewhere.  "I like to take the top bun off and then just eat the rest.  Not with my hands, but a fork and a knife."

"Yeah," Jeremy said, snickering.  "I know.  This isn't the first time we've gotten burgers."

"I don't understand what's wrong with burgers," I said.  "You got a good one, too.  Pepper Jack with jalapenos, cilantro, fried onions, and some special sauce."

Jeremy let loose laughing, not holding back any longer.  "You're just so regular," he said.  "It's weird sometimes.  In a good way, I mean.  I drive Asher around, and he wants to go get pizza or something.  I drive you around, and we get burgers.  I feel like if I somehow ended up working for any other rich people, all food runs would be endless foreign cuisine and fancy restaurants."

"Pizza's kind of foreign?" I offered.  "Italian?"

Jeremy grinned ear to ear and nodded.  "I guess I just mean that you're not what I expected at first," he said, his smile softening, but still friendly.  "It's been awhile, you know?  I'm not just saying this.  I don't know why I'm saying this.  I know it's been rough for you after everything that happened, but I don't know why people say the things they say about you.  It's the same with Asher, and sometimes it's so weird for me on the inside looking out.  I'm not a part of that, I'm just the guy who drives everyone around, so I don't have to deal with those problems.  Ignorance is bliss, I guess."

"You're not ignorant, Jeremy."

He slowed the car down and turned into the end of the drive in front of Asher's home.  I had a hard time considering it my home now, even though it was.  Jeremy stopped just outside of the gated entryway and clicked a button on a remote hanging from the visor above the driver's side.

"Maybe," he said.  "Who knows?  I just mean that you're really normal and nice.  You and Asher are both nice.  You're really good together, Jessika.  Beatrice was a bitch.  She was everything that everyone thinks rich people are.  I didn't even hate her, I just expected her to be like that.  It seemed right.  When I see you and Asher together, I feel like there is no
right
anymore, though.  Yeah, Asher can be a little demanding sometimes, but then we're hanging out and drinking beer, watching football in the guest house, acting like there's not some multi-million dollar mansion just across the way."

I smiled.  The gates to the mansion grounds finished opening and Jeremy drove inside.

"Where to?" he asked.

"Let's go to the guest house.  I don't want to feel rich at the moment," I said.

"Sure thing," he said, tipping his head in a nod.

The guest house had its own garage, though on a much smaller scale compared to the mansion.  Just regular, two cars, like any fairly standard suburban home.  It really did seem so much different compared to the mansion, but it had its fair share of wonder and excitement, too.  The guest house reminded me more of a two-floor suite in a fancy hotel, but in comparison the mansion was the entire hotel, itself.

"You're the same," Jeremy said, out of the blue.  "I know you feel out of place.  Hell, I feel out of place here a lot of times, too.  I don't know if I'll ever feel like I belong here, and I wake up every day wondering what I did to deserve something like this.  I wonder if maybe I should leave, get some regular job, try to find my own place.  Go dating, get normal friends, the whole shebang, you know?"

"You know you can if you want," I said softly.  "You can stay, too.  Asher would probably just give you the guest house to live in if you wanted your own place."

It wasn't even a probably.  Asher and I had talked about this, but he was scared to bring it up to Jeremy in case he made our friend feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah..."  Jeremy finished parking, pulled the emergency brake, but left the car running.  "What did I do to deserve it, though?  I know you feel the same way, but it's different, too."

"You're a good person, Jeremy.  That's what you did.  It doesn't sound like a lot, but it is.  You're really nice and helpful and kind to everyone, and it's not because you have to be, but because you want to.  It's not what you do that makes you deserving of anything, but who you are."

Jeremy smiled and tapped his fingers on the driver's wheel.  He breathed in deep, sighed, then turned the car off and pulled out the keys.  "You are, too," he said.  "You don't deserve people being rude to you.  You're really great, Jessika.  I mean, maybe you and Asher are a little crazy in bed.  Who am I to judge?  You're a good person, though.  I think everyone's going to see that after all this blows over.  It's blowing over now, even.  I think you and Asher are going to do some really great things together.  I know you're going to do some great things of your own, too.  Both of you."

"And we'll need someone to drive us there," I said with a silly smile.

"Ha!"  He laughed and snatched one of the carry-out bags from my lap.  "Let's go.  You want to watch a movie or something?  Catch up on some soap operas?  Do they even show those anymore?  I have no idea."

I peeked inside the bag still in my lap.  "Jeremy!" I shouted, but he closed the driver's side door on me, so my voice probably sounded like nothing more than a frantic whisper to him.  I opened my door and hopped out.  "Jeremy!  That's mine!  Don't eat my burger.  I really really wanted that one.  It's got Gruyere and blue cheese and caramelized onions and garlic aioli.  And arugula!"

"What the hell kind of burger is that?" he asked, grinning and holding the bag at arm's length.  He stared at it as if it might grow legs and attack him.  "Arugula?  Is that some kind of spider?" he teased.

"Shut up," I said.  "Can you help me here?  I have a lot of stuff."

"You have a laptop bag, a purse, and a burger," he said.  "That's not a lot of stuff."

"Wow," I said.  "Just wow."

"I'll carry your burger," he offered.

"No, you're just going to eat it."

"Well, technically it's mine, so yeah, I was going to eat it."

"You're going to eat mine and yours while I hopelessly struggle to carry everything inside."

"You aren't living out the plot of some French Revolution historical story, you know?  You aren't oppressed."

"Can you just carry my purse?  I can get the rest."

"I'm not carrying your purse," he said.  Sneaking past me, he snatched the strap of my laptop bag and hefted it out of the car.  "I'll carry this, alright?"

"I don't see why you won't carry my purse," I said.  "We're in the garage.  It's not like anyone can see you."

"I'm almost positive," he said, pausing.  "I am definitely almost positive that your purse somehow weighs more than your laptop bag.  Don't ask me how, because it's about a quarter of the size, but I'm sure that's how it is."

I rolled my eyes at him, grabbed my purse, and slammed the car door shut, then stomped to the garage entrance of the guest house.

"Whoa there, Ms. Thang.  Calm yourself.  That's an expensive car."

"I'll tell Asher you did it," I said, grinning and feigning haughtiness.  "We always sit in the back seat, remember?"

"Harsh," Jeremy said, sweeping by to open the house door for me.  "I'll remember that.  I won't bring you for burgers next time.  We're going to go get escargot and quail eggs instead."

I laughed and he laughed and we went inside.  We grabbed plates and forks and knives from the cupboards and drawers and set up our meal.  I fell onto the plush, cushioned couch, burger plate in hand, and stared at the fireplace in front of me.  Jeremy fetched the remote for the ceiling projector.

It was a little fancy.  Alright, so, it was a lot of fancy.  I didn't suppose that many people had a projector screen, projector, and fireplace in their homes.  Not to mention an entire part of the wall was made of thick glass.  It had a really nice view, though, overlooking part of the city and part of the countryside on the outskirts.  Which... probably made it more fancy, all things considered, but it was casual and relaxed enough that it helped me forget about all those things.

Jeremy plopped onto the couch next to me, remote in hand, wielding it like some knight's sword.  "What do you want to watch?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said.  "Surprise me."

"Bold choice, madame.  A bold choice, indeed."

W
hen Asher returned to his office, the door was locked and Jessika was gone.  He checked his phone and noticed she'd sent him a text message letting him know Jeremy had picked her up and she'd be waiting at home for him.  That was fine.  He understood.  Today wasn't the best of days and if she wanted to retreat to their home for awhile in order to recoup and relax, he couldn't blame her.

Deciding to do a little bit of the last part of that himself, he sat in the chaise alongside a quiet wall of his office and laid back, staring at the ceiling.  Not the most productive of things, but sometimes a person just had to stare at the ceiling for a bit until they gathered their thoughts.  He briefly wondered if this was why people enjoyed staring up at the night sky and gazing at the stars sometimes; did they want to immerse themselves in the wonder of the universe, or did it help them think better?  Possibly both, he decided.  How long had it been since he'd stopped to look up at the stars with more than a cursory glance?

Someone knocked on his office door.

"Come in," Asher said.

The door opened after a second and Lucent stepped inside.  "Hello," he said.

Asher nodded and smiled.  "Private meeting?"

"In a manner."  Lucent closed the door and grabbed a chair from alongside the CEO's desk, joining Asher near the chaise.  "You do realize that there's a high likelihood one of the directors was working with Solomon Royce, don't you?"

Asher nodded, this time without a smile.  "Yes."

"Do you think it wise to inform them of your strategy going forward, then?  If they were working with him then, it's safe to assume they're behind what happened today and what may happen in the future."

"I don't really know," Asher said.  "It's a gamble, I guess.  I'd like to say that I planned all of this out and I know exactly what I'm doing, but sometimes you just have to take a risk and see how it goes."

Lucent smirked.  "I assure you there are safer risks than alerting your enemies to your entire plan of action, Mr. Landseer."

"Well..."  Asher sighed, glancing up at the ceiling for a second.  "It's not so bad.  If one of them is in on it, it'll be easy to tell.  They'll be more careful in the future.  Then we can narrow in on the people involved more accurately."

"Or," Lucent countered, "they'll continue acting in the same manner and frame someone else."

"It's possible," Asher said.  "If that happens, we'll figure it out eventually, though.  It's not like the person really behind this will stop once we find someone else who's involved.  If we discover one person, even if they're framed, it might be easier to find someone else, too."

"And... police intervention?" Lucent asked.

"I'd prefer not to," Asher answered.

The Director of Public Relations nodded twice.  "Likely a wise choice."