My PI could have dug much deeper into Janie’s circumstances, but I asked him not to. He found enough to confirm what I already knew, she’s been honest with me about her brother and her grandmother. He warned me that her bank accounts had been wiped out and she might be after me for my money. I tried not to smirk as I thanked him for that little tidbit.
In short, everything is good to go. I don’t believe Janie would withhold anything vital. I only need to know what the press will try to use as garbage, click-bait, so-called journalism so we can be proactive about it.
Now it’s time for coffee and contract negotiations. I feel wired as I near her hotel room door, even though I haven’t so much as sipped my latte yet. Weird. And fun.
I knock.
9
JANIE
I startle at the knock, even though he told me he was coming. It feels earlier than eight-thirty to me. Probably because I couldn’t sleep.
Because this is insane.
And I’m not doing it. I can’t…Right?
Ugh, Janie, get a grip!
I open the door, “We need to get—oh.”
“Coffee?”
“Yeah. Thanks,” I say. He looks behind me and lifts his hands full of stuff. Namely coffee and some breakfast food that smells divine. I move back to let him in. I don’t have my heels on yet and he’s taller.
Bigger.
Smells very nice as he walks by. Some kind of sparkly fresh cologne that I shouldn’t even be noticing.
And he’s grinning. Of course. The charming billionaire coming to tempt me with a million dollars and something in a to-go bag that smells like heaven wrapped in butter. I inhale and exhale as I shut the door. I need to be strong and say no.
As Gran would say,Jesus, be a shield.
“Plain black with milk, right?” he asks, handing me the same options as yesterday morning.
“With half and half usually. I add sugar if I’m stressed. Sometimes I splurge and get heavy cream.”
“Heavy cream! Madness!” he teases.
“What’d you get? Some fancy concoction with fifteen syrups?”
“Same as you actually. But Ialwaysadd sugar,” he says and he winks.
“We said no winking.”
He just stares at me, “You said no winking. I never agreed.”
“Looks like I’m going to need to chug this,” I snipe into my large paper cup.
“Nonsense. I come in peace. With pastries.”
I narrow my eyes at him and open the bag he offers. I feel him studying me. Like he’s memorizing my preferences? It makes me twitchy. So, like a child, I make a point to take out both a savory bacon thing and a sweet cinnamon roll thing.
“And?” I ask, looking at the other box he brought.
“A gift.”
“A what?” I choke on my danish. The box is rectangular and flat and looks way too much like a fancy necklace box.
