The Billionaire’s Over 40 Love

Chapter 7

Cal was an overeager texter, he began to realize. He’d send a message to Faydra and with no response, he’d send a few more and maybe a funny GIF he thought would ease the awkwardness of so many messages. The stream-of-consciousness way of thinking was the same when he spoke and when he typed. It was all over the place.

It was especially made worse when he was nervous or attracted to the person he was texting, meaning his correspondence with Faydra was a disaster. Her short answers sometimes left him thinking she was mad or irritated with him, both of which made no sense to him.

They got along well. Sure, they both had a lot going on and she wasn’t sure exactly where she wanted the relationship to go—but they agreed to enjoy their time together until one or both of them were ready to consider getting serious. Until then, Cal was content with spending as much time with Faydra as she would let him.

They texted each other all the next day, until the following morning when Cal told Faydra he would be in the neighborhood signing the lease for Queens’ new space.

Cal: Hey babe, I’m signing on that spot down the block from you this afternoon. Mind if I stop in and say hi, I’ve got a surprise for you.

Faydra: Sure! Sounds great. Good luck!

He’d seen a beautiful diamond necklace in the window of a jewelry store the day before and couldn’t resist buying it for Faydra. He noticed that she loved jewelry but didn’t wear that many pieces so he thought he would help add to her collection. He debated back-and-forth at the counter between the extravagant peace with multiple diamonds and the more simple three diamond setting. He opted for the simpler, classier version because as he got to know Faydra, he learned that she didn’t need expensive things like Sophia did—she’d constantly guilted him into buying her something. Faydra wasn’t that way. Instead, she’d either buy it for herself if she really wanted it or she’d go without. It was as simple as that.

He also had a special plan for this necklace. He intended to officially ask her to be his date to a banquet for all of the top media groups in Atlanta and some of their most prestigious clients. He wanted the occasion to be special and he had hopes that she would agree to be his official girlfriend that night.

The storefront he was renting was across the street and through a small alley from Faydra’s store. Cal couldn’t say he wasn’t slightly motivated by that fact when deciding which store to rent, but ultimately this one was the best fit for his company. He took the afternoon to sign the lease with the rental agent and then started thinking about the layout of the space. It was an open floor plan with two back rooms, similar to Faydra’s store.

In his mind, he had the image of two front desks—one with the register—and the back was a studio and design area where clients and employees could sit and discuss plans for their projects. It should be an area that supported creativity and collaboration which were two fundamental values of his company. He imagined couches and long tables, a few screens to blow up the proofs for each project.

It was the opposite of what they had now, which was a phone or online request for a service, possibly a phone call if the contract was big enough and then the product was sent. It was less than ideal.

This space would allow him to connect with his customers and achieve the mutualism he was looking for. He sketched a couple of plans on the notepad that he’d brought with him and at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon he decided to head over to Elite Boutique.

The walk took less than 10 minutes and although the small alleyway was creepy, Cal figured he could get used to the walk.

He wasn’t planning on moving his office into the storefront , however he was planning to work from there a few days a week. It would give him the opportunity to interact with customers and ensure that his employees were doing their jobs.

He opened the door to Faydra’s shop and saw that she was busy with a few customers. He winked at her when she looked up and smiled at him. Looking around, he saw a few sparkling dresses he knew Ruby would love and began to flip through them to occupy his time. After ten minutes, Faydra rang up the family and escorted them to the door.

“Hey there,” Cal said as he wrapped her in an embrace and planted a kiss on her lips. “How are you?”

“Good,” she replied. “How did everything go with the lease?”

“Went well, everything’s signed and I have the keys.” Cal patted a jingling set of keys in his right pocket. “I have something for you.”

“Really?” The look on her face was one of hesitation but curiosity.

He nodded and pulled the velvet box out from under his arm. “Now, this is just a gift. No strings attached—except that you have to let me cook dinner for you tonight.”

“Wow, you’re cooking?” she asked, interested.

“Hell yeah I am.” He handed her the box and watched as she opened it. Her eyes grew large and her head tilted slightly, which concerned him a little bit. “Do you like it?”

She fingered the three circular diamonds that met in the middle of the chain. “It’s beautiful, but Cal—it’s too much. I can’t—”

“Yes you can, and I picked that one out specifically because I know you don’t like gaudy stuff. But I thought it was beautiful and like I said—have dinner with me, and the gift will make more sense. There’s more to it, should I say.” He had a mischievous grin on his face, one that she wasn’t reciprocating.

“More to it?” she asked, still staring at the diamonds.

“Can you just trust me and let me explain tonight? Please.” This was not going the way he’d expected, but that was one thing he was starting to love about Faydra. She was never what he expected, and that made it so much more exciting.

She forced a smile after a few seconds and closed the box. “Okay, I’ll trust you. Thank you for the necklace, it’s beautiful.” She looked like she had more to say but she held it in. He kissed her again and the ring of the store doorbell moved him away.

“I’ll let you go, dinner tonight though. I’ll pick you up.”

“Actually, send me the address, I’ll drive. I have a couple of errands after work.”

“You sure?”

She nodded and kissed him, pushing him towards the door. “I’ll see you then!”