The Billionaire’s Over 40 Love

Chapter 2

Cal tried to focus on the voices on the other end of the conference call but he couldn’t. He was filled with thoughts of the beautiful woman he’d met at the kids clothing store the day before. Would it be weird to go back there? Alone? The more he thought about it the more it frustrated him, why hadn’t he asked her out or at least explained that Ruby wasn’t his child. He hadn’t really considered that she would think that until his sister questioned him after they left.

“I saw you flirting with that cashier…” she’d said later that day.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, “I mean—” He didn’t have a comeback because she was right. He’d been flirting with Faydra and because somehow he felt a real connection with her, he found himself embarrassed and slightly vulnerable now that his sister was staring at him.

“So—did you ask her out?”

“No, we were shopping for Ruby, and you practically dragged us out so I didn’t have much time.”

“Okay, but now  instead of making it clear that you are in fact single and interested, you look like a pervy dad.” The look on her face was that of an annoyed sister who despite her love for him, though he could be a complete idiot sometimes.

“You think she thinks Ruby is my kid?”

“Yes!” The thought had crossed his mind for a moment but he hadn’t truly considered it. He’d been flirting with her and he thought he’d made that obvious. But now concern pulsed through him. She probably thought he was some creepy dad who had a wife but liked to flirt with other women.

“Great…” He had a bad habit of not being in tune with other people , otherwise he would have thought to mention that Ruby was his niece and nothing more. But instead he’d probably ruined what little chance he had to get her number if he ever saw her again.

He wondered how soon it would be before Ruby wanted to go shopping again, and how quickly he could take her there without seeming obvious as to why he’d returned. A week? Two?  He considered the idea. He’d spent too much money to return too quickly, and going to see her alone seemed like a dramatic step.

*****

The conference call should have been the highlight of his day. He’d presented his results from a new media campaign that used social media to share purchases and identify better prices on the market. The potential customers on the phone were from two very up-and-coming social media websites that were looking to use his tool to provide a service to their customers. It was a project he’d worked on for months and it was now so close to fruition—except for the fact he couldn’t focus on anything other than Faydra.

Physically, she was everything. Her black skin was so beautiful and had been adorned perfectly with the pink dress that clung to her body. Her curves were tempting, and by the shape of her arms and legs it was clear that she took the time to take care of herself. Intellectually, she was a perfect match. Less than two hours together and Calvin knew that she took pride in her job and the way she carried herself. She was exactly what he had imagined in the woman that would stand by his side.

But could he just go back and talk to her? He considered the idea again, the chatter of his collaborators buzzing over the phone. If he tried to explain that Ruby wasn’t his daughter, would it be too forward? Or maybe she’d think he was lying just to get a night with her. He knew he needed to proceed cautiously. Which also meant he’d think about it to death until he eventually became distracted by something else and forgot about her altogether.

“Mr. Dennison?” the voice on the other end of the line pulled him out of his own thoughts. He hoped they hadn’t been calling his name for more than a second.

“Ah, sorry! Yes, I like where this is going, I really do.”

“Great, I think we’ll need a few days to consult with our committee on the contract you sent us, but we’re definitely looking forward to this arrangement.”

“Same here, we’ll be in touch,” the female voice replied.

“Excellent, thank you all for your time and I look forward to working with you both, and your teams, in the future.” He let out a sigh as soon as he was confident the phone call was ended.

He was excited about the project and the future of his relatively small company. His company was the perfect combination of web design and marketing, allowing them to have a much wider audience and reach a lot more people. The buzz of successfully delivering his speech had put him in a good mood, one that could only be disrupted by one person—Sophia.

The phone buzzed.

“Yes?” Cal pressed the button that communicated with his secretary.

“Cal,Sophia’s here. She says you have a lunch appointment with her.” He thought for a second before realizing he’d agreed to a “working lunch” with his ex-girlfriend and current business partner, Sophia.

“Sure, sure. I’ll be right out.” He knew she’d be annoyed that he didn’t invite her in. Queens Media Group had moved to a back-half office in an eighteen-story building in downtown Atlanta. He, as CEO, had purposely placed Sophia’s office on the far corner away from his. They’d been lovers before they were partners, dating throughout college. They formed the small company together after Sophia had refused to pursue job opportunities that didn’t involve him.

The company had started small, which Cal was fine with given his successful investments in the years immediately following college where he’d made most of his wealth. Once the company grew and Cal realized Sophia’s desire for wealth and fame was incompatible with his personality, he’d broken it off but agreed to allow her to keep working as a part of the company.

Sophia hadn’t taken the break up well and it took months for them to get back on speaking terms. There were months she’d tried to make him jealous, and recently she’d been actively pursuing him in an attempt to get him back. He’d only agreed to the “working lunch” because he needed to find a business front for the company and he figured their lunch could take place in between two of the locations he’d narrowed it down to.

He put his computer to sleep and grabbed his wallet and keys, sliding them into his jacket pocket. When he opened the door to his office, the tall blonde with too-tanned skin greeted him with an irritated smile.

“What are you hiding in there?” she exclaimed. He had a policy about addressing her snide comments; a silence policy.