Their Double Blessing

Chapter 3

Patricia decided not to tell Mary right away. The last she needed right now was romance advice—or worse, s*x tips. George rejected her sister’s advances, making it clear he wasn’t looking for a quick fling. She was still unsure where this road was going to take her. After swearing off dating this was the last thing she expected. A man who was able to make her consider taking a leap of faith. If things didn’t work then it would have been an adventure well spent. With his reputation, she doubted he would do anything dubious to be outed as a jerk.

The risk of heartbreak was still there. She’d tried before to see if dating could work before turning away from it all together. You could try not to get attached but that chance wasn’t in any person’s control. People got attached or close due to a variety of circumstances. If she and George went there but ended up not being compatible that would be more proof that romance wasn’t in the cards for her. In the end it was her choice to take the plunge or not. Either way she would be able to move on, business as usual.

George had put the ball in her court. A decision which was surprising. Men usually wanted to be in charge. As a billionaire businessman, she had no doubt he was a take-charge type of person. Yet he put the choice in her hands and took a step back. Despite their strange meeting that was something to be respected. He was shy and out of practice as well. Confessing to be out of his depth was unexpected but intriguing. She would have thought of him as a suave Casanova before they met. Which showed it was bad to prejudge people.

On the one hand she had the opportunity of a lifetime. Most women would never get to date a billionaire. To be treated and cared for like a queen at that level. Then again that wasn’t what she was interested in. Sure, having someone with means treating her for a bit wasn’t terrible. But what would he expect in return? Sure, he was nice now but that could change. She’d seen first-hand how a man could turn from a considerate partner into a monster. The last thing she wanted was to be caught off guard if George turned out to be awful.

Then again there was the question of what would happen if they did get closer. George wasn’t going to throw away his riches to live with her in this community. His high profile alone would make such a move a bad idea. Billionaires like him needed security around almost all the time. Was she ready to be under a microscope with him and leave her home behind? Then there was all the press and drama that came with an everyday woman being with a man like him. She shuddered at the thought of being chased by paparazzi. Guard or not she knew those people could be relentless and vicious. Practicing self-defense could only do so much.

Work continued as usual. Her fear of repercussion was unfounded. All the employees were so happy to attend the luncheon they forgot all about her outburst. The few who didn’t were grateful that everyone got an invite. Which meant there was no way she would get fired. It was a relief that things were going back to normal. In a few weeks the mall would be closed to get the renovations done. They were all given a month’s paid leave. If things went beyond that then temporary jobs might have to be taken on until the business reopened.

She was glad that the mall was getting a facelift. Sure she was skeptical at first but it seemed George truly wanted to help. Plus anything that helped draw in more customers was good for everybody. The mall helped create jobs, a safe place to hang out, and had a few community events every year. She always volunteered and even received a plaque two years ago for her ongoing service. That was one of the proudest moments of her life. Helping others and her city be the best they could be was a purpose in life no one could take away.

Being a guard wasn’t glamorous but she was proud having this job. Keeping people safe was in her blood. After all her bad experiences it felt good to protect others. Her job was mostly about physically keeping the peace but she also believed it offered inner comfort to the shoppers; knowing that if things went wrong there were trained people ready to help. Sure, there were cops but when things get dicey, mall security was the first line of defense.

Being herself mattered a lot and it seemed George was interested in that. She had no time to pretend to be anything other than an independent woman. Playing the damsel was not in her DNA. Hopefully this billionaire understood that and didn’t try to be overly protective. Then again he seemed way too nervous on their initial meeting to ever dare be that guy. Of course looks could always be deceiving.

Whatever the future had in store she was ready to take it on. George was just one new person in her already happy life. Romance wasn’t a one-way street for her. There were so many things out there waiting to be discovered. She planned to live life to the fullest whether this date with a billionaire worked out or not. Being with a man wasn’t part of her identity. She was nothing like Mary who needed someone by her side to feel important. Patricia was a woman ready to take a chance at love. But she was also a female with a purpose that went beyond having a partner. A fact she was proud of with all her heart.

*************

Patricia stared at the number before pressing the call button. Alone in her apartment was the perfect time to act. After mulling it over a few days, she figured a meet couldn’t hurt. She wasn’t going to rush things but didn’t want to come off as too standoffish. “Hello, is this Mr. Kent?”

“Patricia! I’m glad it’s you and please, call me George.” The voice over the other line was ecstatic. If there was any doubt this was real that was over now. Time to move forward with it. As the saying went; life favored the bold. At least that better be the case right now.

Patricia clutched her phone. It was silly feeling nervous over having a conversation. Then again the reality of talking to a billionaire was starting to hit hard. He was a man able to get any woman and chose a mall security guard. What was the angle? The last thing she needed was to be proven wrong about yet another man. “I thought we could meet up and talk. This isn’t a date, mind you,” she was sure to add. Not ready to go that far just yet.

The line was quiet for a long moment. Concern started to rise that he’d gotten offended and hung up. “I’ll take what I can get. You could have decided not to call at all so I’m not complaining.” A chuckle showed he was being open but the silence was still a sticking point. What did it mean and would their meeting fizzle out because her word choice offended him?

Patricia was still getting used to the idea of being around a man who wasn’t a longtime acquaintance. Passing strangers was one thing, but she going to be around a man who liked her and would sooner or later want more. Was it the best idea to go with the flow on this one? Was he the kind of guy who took rejection well if things didn’t go well between them? The only way to find out was to get to know him better. Which was the scariest part of all. “Yes, I guess agreeing to another meeting is better than nothing. How about tomorrow afternoon? I know you’re a busy man and probably have a lot of scheduling to handle.”