Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 36407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
“Tell me what this is about.” Timothy slammed the paper onto the table.
He hadn’t gotten a chance to read the morning papers. He leaned forward and didn’t need to second-guess.
It was right there, in nice technicolor, his latest exploits. He’d met up with some women. They all had a blast. Some of the women had used drugs. He didn’t. He’d never used the damn stuff but from the look on his father’s face, he didn’t believe him.
“It was just a little fun.”
“No, this isn’t a little fun. You’re forty years old. You know every single member on the board is a settled, married man.”
“Yeah, and I bet most of them have a couple of mistresses in hiding as well.” He snorted.
“No, they don’t,” he said. “Look, Caleb, I know you think you can do whatever the hell you want and get away with it. Partying, disrespecting board members, even pissing off the media so they’re gunning for your blood.”
“Dad, it will blow over.”
“I had hoped to one day announce my retirement. Not one day, on my sixty-fifth birthday. I’ve made this a gold mine and I know in the right hands, it will be taken care of. You were supposed to be that man.”
“Wait? Were?”
“Caleb, you’re spoiled. You have this sense of entitlement that has earned you the title of cocky billionaire. No one likes cocky people.”
“The media makes shit up all the time.”
“You’re foul-mouthed and expect people to bow down to you. It’s not going to happen anymore. I set this company up to be a place for families, Caleb. Men and women who would be able to go home to their families every single night with the knowledge this company had their back. Having a hard time at home, needing extra days, no problem. We’re here to help. I wanted to be the kind of company people crave to work for and love being here. Where loyalties are never tested because to lose a place in my company would mean losing themselves. I don’t give out ultimatums, I don’t like them, but this is one step too far. I cannot step down and leave my company to a party animal who has no idea what family really is.”
“One bad article—”
“This is the tenth bad article this month, Caleb. I’ve been following your exploits, and I don’t like them. I never have, which is why I’ve come to my decision. Until you understand the true meaning of family. Until you find yourself a woman or a man to settle down with, marry, have children, and show me that you’re capable of earning your place right here at this desk, I won’t retire, and your place will no longer be guaranteed at the board.”
“Are you fucking serious right now?”
“I am.”
“Does Mom know about this?” Caleb asked, and he couldn’t believe he was using his other parent card.
“Who do you think advised I do this?”
Gritting his teeth, he should have known. His parents, every decision about parenting, they made together. When his little sister Cassie decided she wanted to be a doctor and not follow into the family company, their parents had talked it over and made it work.
“I suggest you go to work. You’ve got a lot to do.”
With that, he was dismissed.
He grabbed his coffee and headed out.
“Are you okay?” Martha asked.
“Yeah, fine. Just perfect.” He stepped into the elevator, pissed-off and feeling two inches tall.
At least his father hadn’t embarrassed him in front of everyone; that he would’ve struggled to live with.
Running a hand down his face, he didn’t know what the fuck he was going to do. The place at the board was where he was supposed to be, as was taking over from his father. He’d been training for it his whole life.
Now, it was being taken from him and he couldn’t let that happen.
****
Don’t steal shit?
Lauren Wyatt fumed all day as she cleaned Mr. Turner’s apartment. How dare he! She should be used to his kind of abuse, though. Yep, he liked to believe everyone else was beneath him. Well, fuck him.
She didn’t like to cuss out loud but this man was just one hundred percent asshole. She really should quit and tell him to clean his own damn space. He was an amazing tipper, though.
She’d been cleaning for him for the last two years, and on each holiday throughout the year, there was always an envelope with the words cleaning lady attached. Inside, some money and a thank you card.
See, cocky asshole billionaire had something about him, and it was why she kept coming back. Sure, he said the rudest things, but whatever.
She’d just finished preparing the week’s worth of meals that he didn’t know she did. Cleaning up the dishes, she put everything away. The first week she’d been working for him, she’d overheard the conversation with the people who delivered his cooked food about not listening to what he wanted, and so they used cheap ingredients and didn’t even follow a recipe. She’d been so pissed off she canceled his service and took over preparing everything he liked instead. So far, no complaints, not that he was aware of the additional work she did. She’d just finished up when she heard the door open.