Romance: The Billionaire's Assistant

Romance: The Billionaire’s Assistant

Emily Cooper

Romance: The Billionaire’s Assistant

Emily Cooper

Copyright © 2015

Published by Run Free Publishing

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. 

Romance: The Billionaire’s Assistant

Emily Cooper

Also by Emily Cooper:

Seduced by the Billionaire’s Lust

Chapter 1

Usually, I hated picture day.

I dreaded the thought of it for months before.

But I remember that day when I was twelve, looking in the school bathroom mirror and realizing that I might actually be pretty after all. A wave of calmness flushed over me the moment when I began to accept myself for who I was.

I washed my hands, made sure my hair looked great, and checked my makeup. I wasn’t wearing much, but this was the first day that my Mom allowed me to wear clear eyeliner, mascara, and a tinted lip-gloss. I remember being so thrilled. My new pink dress was perfect and so were the one inch pink glossy heels that donned my feet.

When I asked her that morning to let me wear makeup, I was asking to wear foundation.

“Absolutely not!” she’d replied. “Then you’ll cover up that adorable face. You’re too young and your skin is too flawless to have to wear that stuff,” she said in an understanding tone that rattled my nerves.

That was just her way of telling me that I couldn’t get what I wanted.

“However,” she continued as she hurried to her vanity. “You might finally be old enough to wear mascara, eyeliner, and this lip-gloss.”

I stared at the contents in her hand and smiled - I was old enough to know how to quit while I was ahead.

After a final bright practice smile in the mirror, I left the bathroom and headed down the hallway towards the auditorium. That’s when people began to stare, that’s when I heard everyone’s giggles, and that’s when Matthew yelled out, “Nice panties, Rebecca!”

Those words would haunt me for years to come.

The entire hall erupted with laughter.

In a panic, I checked my clothing to see what was going on. My dress was tucked into my pink heart cotton panties.

I was sure that I would never live it down. At that moment, I thought life wouldn’t be cruel enough to subject me to a more embarrassing situation than that one. Surely not.

Unfortunately, I was wrong.

This moment, right now, is so far beyond that.

It makes my twelve-year-old experience feel like child's play. And I guess it was child's play.

I’m twenty-three now, it’s my birthday, and I’m getting dumped.

But not only am I getting dumped - I’m getting dumped in front of all of my friends at my favorite restaurant.

Yep, this certainly sucks.

“I just don’t want to be with you anymore, what part of that don’t you get?” Jason asks me with a tone of amusement.

From the look on his face, I can tell that he’s enjoying the humiliation that he’s putting me through.

“Do you really have to do this right now?” my face turns red and I fumble with my hair, “Let’s wait to talk about this later.”

My voice is whispering as I try to hold in the tears.

“There is nothing to say, I’m done with you. Don’t call me anymore.” He gets up from the table and I watch my boyfriend, now my ex-boyfriend, leave without even paying his part of the bill.

My best friend Angela hops up from the table and goes after him.

I hope and pray that she doesn’t cause a scene.

Please, let him leave. I can’t take anymore of this.

It hurts a lot that he chose to break up with me that way, and now I have eight people staring at me with pity. I don’t want anyone’s pity. Hell, it only embarrasses me more.

Jason is an asshole, and always will be, so I’m part relieved that he gave me an out in the relationship.

I could have walked away anytime I wanted, but something kept me from doing it. I’ve never believed that I deserved better than him. I’m still not sure if I will find someone better than him, but I don’t care.

He took any and every opportunity to tell me how worthless I was and everyday I had to combat those words in my head. He doesn’t even have a job. He sits at home playing video games in his mother's basement while I work my butt off.

I’m better off without Jason, but a small part of me wishes that he’ll call me later and beg for forgiveness. Maybe he’ll see the error of his ways and apologize. Maybe I will finally have the courage to tell him to go screw himself.

I want to be the one that finally wins.

Good riddance, you prick.

Chapter 2

I really don’t want to emerge from my room.

I’m not in the mood to see anyone, but Angela refuses to stop knocking on my bedroom door. I love my best friend, but she can be extremely annoying when I need some peace and quiet. That’s the trouble of having an extrovert for a friend and you’re an introvert.

“Rebecca! Open the damned door! You’ve been in there all day. Come out before I call Tim over to take your door off the hinges. You know he’ll do it, he loves me.”

“I’m not in the mood,” I call out, “Please just give me some damned space.”

“If you scared me, I would walk away but you don’t. Open this door right now or I swear I’m going to call Tim and I’m going to tell him that I think you’re suicidal. He will kick this door right in!”

I quickly get up and swing open the door. “You wouldn’t.”

She grins knowingly, her dimples making a grand appearance on her angelic sweetheart face, “Now I don’t have to.”

She pushes open the door, walks in, and plops on my bed.

“Get dressed, we’re going out,” she smiles.

“No, we’re not going out. I’m staying inside and watching the rest every romantic comedy movie I can find.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she replies as she pulls her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder. Ignoring me, she stands up and walks over to my closet and pulls out dresses.

“Oh, now this blue one is hot.”

“Where in the hell do you want to go? That blue dress is club-wear. I don’t feel like going to out at all, and certainly not to a club.”

“We’re just going out tonight. We don’t have to go anywhere in particular. We will go where ever the wind blows us,” she says dramatically and closes her eyes, swirling like the breeze.

“I swear, I have a genuine psycho for a friend.”

“No, you have a pure psycho for a best friend. Now get in the shower, clean that running make-up off your face, and I’ll pick out what you’re wearing.”

I don’t want to argue anymore, resistance is futile.

When Angela sets her mind on something, there’s no point in talking her out of it.

So I can either do what she says or listen to her bitch all night. I’m choosing the former for the sake of peace.

An hour later, I’m regretting my decision to give in to her demands.

“I look like a streetwalker,” I say unenthusiastically as I look into the mirror.

“Now you’re the one that’s crazy. You look stunning, that dress is clinging to all of your beautiful curves. You are a gorgeous lady that deserves the best. Do you know what I would give for a body like that?”

I shake my head, “You have a great body, I, however, can lose a few pounds.”

“Stop it, you don’t need to lose anything. You’re a size 6, you have a sexy butt, a flat stomach, and C cups. What do you have to complain about? Your life is perfect.”

“My life is not perfect. You’re slender, a size two, and you have a four pack. A fucking four pack!”

“I have to work out! If I gain weight it all goes to my midsection, you don’t have that problem. Now stop complaining and grab your purse.”

I walk out behind my friend, carrying my clutch purse while wearing silver heels, and a tight blue dress. She is wearing a black dress that stops mid-thigh with an exposed back.

She looks fantastic because she can wear anything.

She could make an old pair of overalls look sexy.

I, on the other hand, have to be very careful or I will look terrible.

But I can never say that out loud or she’ll jump all over me.

She’s a great friend, so great that she doesn’t like me saying anything negative about myself, even when it’s true.

When we step on the roof of the hotel near my apartment, I want to go home.

The rooftop bar is filled with high rollers, and I don’t wish to be amongst the cultured. I want to be in a cheap bar with cheap drinks. I want it to be dark and I want to drink until my liver begs for mercy.

“Can we go somewhere else?” I ask.

“No, this is where you need to be.”

“Oh my, you act like you don’t realize that I just got dumped yesterday. On my birthday!”

“That was yesterday and it’s the best gift that you could have ever gotten. For the same reasons that you just stated, you need to be out with me.” she grabs my hand and pulls me to the bar.

I grip the bar as if it’s my lifeline, which makes Rebecca laugh at me.

“Tonight you’re going to have some fun. Jason doesn’t deserve any more of your tears!”

Her attention is pulled away from me as she spots a dangerously handsome man sitting elegantly on a lounge chair.

He doesn’t look much older than us, but it’s clear that he has money and he’s very mature.

His presence commands attention.

He wears a pair of gray slacks and a crisp white shirt, it was simple but it is tailored to perfection. His head of black hair practically begs to be grabbed, but you wouldn’t dare touch it without permission. His face, although handsome, says that he’s a no nonsense man. His beautiful angular face should be plastered on a billboard.

Maybe he’s a model. He does look very comfortable in that pose.

“So you like what you see too?” Angela grins.

I don’t reply as I stare in awe.

“Good. Because that’s the man you’re going to sleep with tonight.”

Chapter 3

“Are you out of your mind? Did you hire me an escort?” I ask in shock.

“Why in the hell would you think that?” she laughs.

“You said that I’m going to sleep with him. You sound really sure of it too.”

She shakes her head, “No, you’re going to take your cute ass over there and get him yourself, the old fashioned way.”

Am I missing something here?

She wants me to pick up a random man at a bar?

My heart beats faster as I think of a way to tell Angela that there’s no way I’m giving in to demands. I’m not some sex demon that picks up men at bars and has her way with them. I have never had a one night stand… actually, Jason is the only man I have ever had and he was a very selfish lover.  Besides, that man is way out of my league.

Next to him, I would feel very inadequate.

Hell, I couldn’t even keep loser Jason from leaving me. Why would that beautiful man give me the time of day?

“Why are you still here? You should be sitting next to him, talking to him. The seat next to him is open,” Angela says.

I give her the stare of death. “Stop it. If we’re here to have fun - fine but I’m not here to whore myself out.”

“It’s not whoring yourself out. It’s enjoying the company of an excellent specimen. You deserve a good time and he looks like the kind of man that will give you a good time all night long...”

Angela licks her lips.

“Eww, you’re so disgusting.”

“But you love me.”

“I’ve never had a one night stand before, I wouldn’t know what to do at all.”

“Really?”

“No… not like
that
. I know how
that
works.”

“It’s not a difficult concept, Rebecca. You have an incredible night of sex, he leaves, and you never call him again. It’s that easy.”

“Yes, it’s easy, but I’m not easy.”

“Tonight isn’t about morals Rebecca - it’s about fun!”

“I don’t need that kind of fun in my life right now. I think I’ll be fine holding on to this bar.”

“You can’t stand here forever. Now that Jason is gone, it is time to enjoy yourself. Be a little bit wild. Do something crazy!”

“Being single is crazy enough for me, thanks.”

“You're such a stick in the mud, you’re going to waste all of my hard work.” She pouts.

“What hard work have you done?”

“Do you know how difficult it is to deal with you moping around? Also, I did a kick ass job dressing you today and a wonderful job on your hair and makeup.”

“Yeah, remind me to tip you.”

“Okay, you don’t have to sleep with him,” Angela concedes, “Just talk to him. There’s no harm in getting to know someone. It’s time for you to get a taste of just how hot you are.”

“Why can’t you pick someone else for me to talk to?” I whine. “Like that man over there. He’s kind of cute.”

“You mean the man with the elephant-sized nose and the belly bulge?”

“He does not have a belly bulge! And I think his nose fits him.”

“He’s ugly and he looks awkward. You choose him because you know he’ll be impressed with you.”

“I did not.”

“You did too.”

I take a moment to stew on what she said and I realize that she’s correct.

But what does it matter?

Yes, I chose the elephant nosed man because he has been staring at me since I walked through the door and I would make his day if I returned even one of his long glances.

He is safe.

And there isn’t anything wrong with safe. Everyone has their preference, and safe happens to be mine.

I like safe.

“Okay, I picked him because I know that he already likes me,” I admit. “But why did you have to choose that man?”

“I chose him because he’s without a doubt the hottest guy in here. You need to see that you can get him. Maybe when you see how much he likes you, you’ll know how amazing you are. You sell yourself short Rebecca, you have to stop doing that.”

Her words melt my reservations, although I’m not going to tell her that.

Does she really think a man like that would want me?

If so, then I’m genuinely flattered, but I think her pride is misplaced. She’s my best friend - she’s supposed to believe I'm amazing. She thinks I’m great, in the same way that my mother thinks I’m great. I can’t count on her for an objective opinion.

But what if she was right?

What if that man liked me back?

I guess I would never know unless I tried, “Screw it, I’m going to speak to him.”

“Whoo hoo! Go on over.”

“After a few drinks.”

“He may be gone after a few drinks.”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“I just bet you are.”