Building Billions - Part 3 Read online

  “What?” I asked.

  “The hell’s wrong with your cell phone?” he asked.

  “It broken,” I said flatly.

  “Well, let’s get you a new one and then get some drinks or something.”

  “It’s Sunday.”

  “Which means there will be drink specials all day.”

  “I’ve got plenty of drinks here,” I said.

  “Tough. You've wallowed long enough. Let’s get you out so you can piece yourself back together for tomorrow.”

  “I’m not going anywhere today,” I said.

  “And why not?”

  “Because Ashley broke up with me, and I don’t feel like going anywhere.”

  Silence filled the call as I sat on the edge of my bed.

  “When did this happen?” Ross asked.

  “Wednesday night,” I said.

  “You’ve been carrying that around for five days, and you haven’t told me about it?”

  “Why do you care?” I asked.

  “Because I know you love the girl.”

  “What?”

  “Jimmy, I’ve known you for over twelve damn years. I know you better than anyone else. I know you love Ashley. Why didn’t you tell someone?”

  “Figured no one cared,” I said.

  “I care, Jimmy. You’ve still got me, you know.”

  “She left, Ross. She broke up with me, and she quit.”

  “I’m coming to get you. We’re going to get you a new phone, we’re going to get some drinks, and we’re going to talk. And Jimmy?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Change your clothes. I know you haven’t. I can smell you through the damn phone.”

  I hung up the call and dragged myself to the bathroom. I forced myself to clean up, but I didn’t bother trying to shave. I grabbed my keys and my wallet and stuffed everything into pockets. Then I made my way downstairs.

  “Get in,” Ross said. “Do we need to get you a razor too?”

  “Shut up,” I said.

  We drove to the store, and I picked out whatever newest cell phone Ross had stuck in my hand. I really didn’t care. I hooked it up to my cloud account and downloaded everything inside the store, watching as my phone filled up. Applications and documents. Emails and telephone numbers. Text messages and pictures and all sorts of things that reminded me of a life I still had to live.

  Fuck. Why did so many people rely on me?

  “You ready?” Ross asked.

  I was ripped from my trance and found people in the store staring at me.

  “Yeah. I’m ready,” I said.

  “Then let’s get some food and some alcohol in you. We need to talk.”

  “I hate those words,” I said.

  “Let’s get sat down somewhere before we unpack that statement.”

  Everything was a blur. My phone was ringing out with a notification sound I didn't recognize. I checked every time to see if it was Ashley calling. Emails and text messages and calendar notifications. All bothering me on my one damn day off.

  And none of it was what I really wanted anyway.

  “So,” Ross said. “How did this happen?”

  “It all started when a man named Markus came into town.”

  “Get serious with me. What happened with you and Ashley?” he asked.

  “So much shit.”

  “Then get to talking. I’ve got all night.”

  “Things got tense between us with all this ... shit,” I said.

  “Naturally.”

  “The stress was affecting her in ways that made me think she was pregnant.”

  “Like?”

  “Pale skin. Mood swings. Not eating. She took that sick day and went to the doctor and got migraine and nausea medication.”

  “Okay. So what happened?”

  “I didn’t know why she wasn’t telling me she was pregnant, so I took her to lunch. And she didn’t eat her lunch. We got it to-go, went to go watch a movie at my place, and I confronted her about it.”

  “Not good. Because she wasn’t pregnant, right?” he asked.

  “No, she wasn’t, but I was insistent that she was. I got angry that she was lying to me again.”

  “Hold up, hold up, hold up. Again?”

  “She took a couple of sick days when she was still working the balance sheets. One time, she told me her mother wasn’t doing well and needed time with her.”

  “Well, shit. Okay. So you didn’t trust her. Was this before or after you told her you trusted her in that investor meeting?” he asked.

  “After,” I said with a groan.

  “That ... was your first fuck up.”

  “You think I don’t know that? Ross, damn it, I thought the woman was pregnant. I was ready to throw down my entire life to make sure she and that child were okay, to make her comfortable and get her to the best doctors and stick by her side through that.”

  “Yeah, but she wasn’t pregnant.”

  “I get that now,” I said. “But that translated into me not believing her when she told me about Markus.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She knew about Markus?”

  “She did,” I said.

  “When the fuck did this conversation happen? Why the hell am I out of the loop on all of this?”

  “It happened Tuesday or Monday. Or sometime at the beginning of the week. I accused her of pinning this on Markus because she was jealous of the time we were spending together.”

  “No wonder she broke up with you,” he said.

  “I called her Nina, Ross.”

  “I’m surprised you’re still alive, honestly.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No, really. You’re shocked she broke up with you?” he asked.

  “No, I’m not shocked, but I’m heartbroken. Our company needs her. I need her, Ross.”

  “Are you wanting to get her back or something?” he asked.

  “Yeah. I am.”

  “I wish I could help, but I have no idea how you’re going to pull that off.”

  “Remind me never to come to you for advice,” I said.

  “Can we table that for a second and talk about something that’s been on my mind?”

  “Sure,” I said with a sigh. “What’s up?”

  “I get the inkling we’re not the only company Markus stole from.”

  “What makes you think that?” I asked.

  “I did some digging into his company, and they’re bad off. Really bad. I mean, thousands of dollars maybe in the bank. He wasn’t tanking, Jimmy. He was going bankrupt. Even though he took twenty million dollars from us, it would have easily taken twice that to get him out of hot water.”

  “Why is this our problem?” I asked.

  “I handed over what I found to the police in case they wanted to investigate further, but I can’t shake it. And with everything that’s happened, I think I should run with it.”

  “Then you do that. Let me know if I can help you,” I said.

  “Have you heard from Markus at all?”

  “Actually, yeah. He called me from jail this afternoon.”

  “Is he the reason your phone is broken?

  “He said he still loved me like a son and that he never meant to hurt me.”

  “Yep. The reason your phone is broken.”

  “I’m not concerned with him. He’s locked up, and with the shit he’s done to our company alone, he’s going away for a long time,” I said.

  “So now you’re setting your sights on cleaning up the company, right?” Ross asked.

  “And getting Ashley back.”

  “That’ll take proving yourself to her. She won’t trust you, and if it’s really bad, she won’t even feel safe around you.”

  “I know,” I said.

  “Well, you can’t go anywhere but up from here with her. So that’s a plus,” he said.

  “Any idea where I should start? She won’t take my phone calls.”

  “I’m not getting into this lo
ver’s quarrel. If you really love her, you’re on your own with this one.”

  “What happened to wanting to be in the loop?” I asked.

  “I want to know the drama. I don’t want to be a part of it.”

  “Fine,” I said. “To getting Ashley back.”

  “To getting the company on track,” Ross said.

  “And fuck everything else.”

  Then we clinked our glasses, threw back our alcohol, and waited for our food to arrive.

  Chapter 2

  Ashley

  “We should get out and do something,” I said.

  “Then let’s go,” Cass said.

  “I can’t believe that asshole didn’t believe me.”

  “Fuck him. We don’t need him.”

  “But I miss him,” I said.

  “He was a good one,” Cass said.

  “I saved him potentially millions. Twice!”

  “Hell, yeah, you did!”

  “Once with taxes, and once with this fucking Markus shit!”

  “You’re the boss, girl,” she said.

  “And Jimmy didn’t believe me. Not one fucking word.”

  “Because he’s an asshole.”

  “But he sent me that email apologizing.”

  “He did ramble on about it,” she said.

  “He said he wanted me to come back.”

  “And we all like it when a tough man begs,” she said.

  “He sounded like he meant it. I mean, really meant it.”

  “Yeah, I could see that.”

  “He also said he would talk anywhere I wanted. So I’m in control now.”

  “And we like control. Powerful women take control,” she said.

  “I saved his company. Not him. I’m the one who saw it. Not him.”

  “Because he’s an asshole who doesn't deserve his company,” she said.

  “He’ll fail without me,” I said.

  I stopped pacing around my apartment as I leaned against the wall.

  “The investors will be lost without me,” I said.

  “Can I stop being your hype girl and talk to you for a second?”

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  “I think you’re crazy for quitting your job.”

  “I couldn't stay, Cass. You know I can’t separate my emotions from my situations very well.”

  “Ashley, you’re the strongest woman I know. You take care of your mother, and you’ve paved your own pathway toward an awesome career. You’re intelligent, and you rock it like a fucking rock star. You’re incredible in more ways than one, but everyone has room to grow. Everyone has things they can work on.”

  “He called me a ‘Nina,’ Cass.”

  “And that was a bullshit move on his part,” she said. “But you shouldn’t have quit. You built a life on that salary, and all of this is going to affect your credit. You won’t be able to afford this apartment. You won’t be able to pay your mother’s medical bills. You won’t be able to afford taking care of Chipper. You did this with your emotions, and you’ve put yourself in a rough position.”

  “You ready to hear the adult side of me talk now?” I asked.

  “Sure,” she said.

  “Did you really think I was going to be spending all that money on my paychecks in one get-go? Between the savings account I already had and the money I threw in there because it never got spent, I’ve got enough to get me through the year-long lease on this apartment.”

  “No shit. Seriously?” she asked.

  “I’ve also got one more full paycheck coming my way and a small minor one. And there’s my severance package.”

  “You really thought that out, didn’t you?”

  “I did. Cass, that man debased me in the middle of his office. For the first time since I’d known Jimmy, I was scared around him. He scared me with that look in his eye, with the protective anger he threw my way when I accused Markus. That was protective anger he should've had for me, but he didn’t.”

  “You know that man cares about you,” she said.

  “If you were in my shoes, what would you have done? Because I know you, Cass. I know you would’ve left his ass crying in the damn rain.”

  “And I’m currently single, if you haven’t noticed. It’s not fun in Miami like you think it is. Guys like a nice time, but no one wants to settle down.”

  “Are you saying you want to settle down?”

  “Hell, no. I’m saying you’re the kind of woman who does. I know you want a family. I know you want to paint that life for yourself, but the men in Miami don’t want that.”

  “And you think Jimmy does?”

  “I think he was getting there. You said he fought you on being pregnant. Did you ever stop to think that he was that way because he was ready to provide for you because of it?”

  My mind rushed back to that argument as tears rose to my eyes. Cass was right. That had been why Jimmy was fighting me on it.

  “Shit,” I said.

  “I’m not saying to give the man a second chance, because I’m not sure he deserves it. I am saying to remove your anger from the situation and try to look at what happened from a logical perspective.”

  “Did you ever think you’d be saying those words to me?” I asked.

  “Never in a million fucking years. Now, can we get the hell out of this apartment? Chipper’s asleep, and I’m starving.”

  “Lunch sounds awesome.”

  “And it’s on me, Miss Jobless.”

  I made sure Chipper had water and some food before I grabbed my things. We walked down to Cass’s car and got in so we could head to lunch. I looked down into my purse and saw my phone rattling around like the brick it was. I hadn’t had it on in days. I’d turned it off Thursday night, and I hadn’t turned it back on since. I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to see all the missed calls and messages I probably had from Jimmy. If the email he sent me was a look into his mindset, then he was probably trying to get me to pick up, calling over and over, trying to get me to talk with him.

  “Thanks for banging down my door this morning,” I said.

  “You turned your phone off. I didn’t have a choice,” Cass said.

  “Do you think I should turn it back on?”

  “Do you want to be bombarded with the messages you know you’ll have from the asshat?”

  “That what we’re calling him now? The asshat?”

  “Until he redeems himself or falls off the face of the earth, yes,” she said.

  “I feel miserable,” I said.

  “I know you do. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now, but I’m here for you. You know that, right?”

  “Yeah, I know you are. It’s just hard, knowing I’ll have to apply for jobs and do all sorts of interviews while my heart is breaking,” I said.

  “Can you claim ‘Saving Big Steps’ on your resume?”

  I giggled and shook my head as we pulled into my favorite lunch spot.

  “Oh, hibachi. I love these places. There’s always so much food to take home.”

  “And that’s why we’re here. Lunch and dinner,” Cass said.

  “Does that mean you’re staying for dinner?” I asked.

  “Honey, I’m staying through dinner. You're not getting rid of me until you turn that phone back on.”

  “You have to work tomorrow.”

  “Which is why you’re going to turn your phone on tomorrow,” she said.

  “What about all the messages and missed phone calls?”

  “Honestly? You’re going to have to talk with him at some point in time. Even if you take the severance package and leave, you can’t shut him out like that. Believe me, I’ve tried. Men are persistent when the pussy’s good.”

  “Seriously?” I asked.

  “You had a billionaire wrapped around your finger. That’s all the proof I need about yours.”

  “You’re insane,” I said.

  “And you do need to talk to him eventually. You can’t avoid him forever.”
>
  “Why not?” I asked.

  “Because that isn’t what strong, independent women do, Ashley.”

  “I hate being an adult.”

  “We all do,” she said. “Now come on, let’s go get us some seats.”

  Cass dragged me into the restaurant, and we sat down with a family. A man, a woman, and their four kids. The woman looked frazzled and had bags underneath her eyes. The children were rambunctious at best, and she was constantly having to tell them to sit down or sit still or stop what they were doing.

  And her husband was looking at her as if she was the center of his universe.

  “You owe him a conversation,” Cass said.

  “Who?” I asked.

  “Jimmy.”

  “How does any of this translate into owing him anything?” I asked.

  “You having your phone off means he’s probably worrying about you, and you’re intentionally doing that to him. Even if the conversation is short and you tell him you aren’t coming back, you owe it to him to talk to him.”

  “I already did. When I broke up with him.”

  “And now he’s realized he was wrong. He watched a man he cared about greatly get arrested in the middle of a damn investor’s meeting.”

  “How do you know that?” I asked.

  “It’s been all over the news for days. Have you not turned on anything?”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “You need to talk to him. You owe him that after quitting through an email. You could break up with him face-to-face, but you couldn’t quit your job face-to-face?”

  “Why do you always have to be right?” I said.

  “It’s a curse, I know. We’ll enjoy this food and enjoy it again tonight, but when we wake up in the morning, that phone goes on and you pull your big girl panties up.”

  “Fine,” I said. “Can we get drinks too?”

  “Honey, when has that ever been a question with me?”

  Chapter 3

  Jimmy

  “I fucking knew it,” Ross said. “Look at this.”

  It boiled my blood to see the initials ‘LR’ on that sheet of fucking paper.

  “What company is this?” I asked.

  “Ace-Landic. They’re an energy company based out of Miami.”

  “The bright blue building on the other side of town?”

  “That one. I have a feeling if I keep digging, it’s not going to get any better,” he said.