“Snooty?” he says, surprised. “I’m not snooty.”
“Your name is. How rich are you anyway?”
“I’m comfortable.”
I roll my eyes again and attempt to pull away from him, but he pulls me back, so we’re still wrapped up together. He’s not being truthful, and it bothers me. “For the record, I don’t care about your stupid money, but I’d like to know what I’m dealing with. Are we talking Bezos kind of money or merely the Waltons?”
“Nothing like Bezos or the Waltons. My grandfather was in oil. He struck it rich when he was in his 20s. After that, he diversified and invested in some other companies.”
“Like?”
“Well, IBM was one of them.”
That’s it. I push away at his chest, and he lets me go. “I need a shower.”
Billy jumps up and follows me into the bathroom. Hell, he follows me into the shower. I should tell him to go away, but I like him. “We’re just showering. No funny stuff.” I point a finger at him, wagging it around a little bit.
“I’ll scrub your back if you scrub mine.”
The shower started off to be just a shower but ended up with his hands all over me. I didn’t protest, not when his fingers were almost as magic as his tongue.
After that, we dry each other off and I dress in my warm pj’s. Taking my hand, he pulls me out of my room and into the living room. I hesitate at the entry to the room, not wanting to see the quilt again. But it’s gone. I feel panic overtake me. “Where is it? You didn’t throw it away, did you?”
I watch him walk into the kitchen as he responds, “No, of course not. It’s in a box. I just didn’t want you to have to see it right now.”
“Oh. Okay. Thanks.” See how sweet he is? “So, back to your money.”
“I’m really not all that rich. My grandfather had eight children. His money and companies were all split up equally. My dad inherited two businesses and one-eighth of the estate.”
I’ve got so many questions. “Do you have siblings? Where do your parents live? Are you close? What does your mom do?”
Handing me a bowl of ice cream that appears to be two-thirds chocolate, one-third vanilla, he says, “Wow, so inquisitive, little JoJo.”
I shrug. “I don’t know a thing about you, baby daddy.”
I must have caught him off guard because he chokes a little bit on his ice cream. I peek into his bowl and see he’s got about the same ratios as me, only in reverse. He prefers vanilla. “My parents live here in Chicago. I have one sister, Faye, who’s two years older than me. She works with my dad. My mom met my dad at the company. She was fresh out of college, but now she’s what they used to call a homemaker. She does sit on the board of several nonprofits though. She’s busy raising money for causes that are close to her heart.” His smile is wide and proud.
“You think a lot of your family.” It’s not a question.
“I do. They all work hard. Faye just got married last year, and she’s got a baby on the way. Due in February. We’re all excited for that new addition.”
Oh, he’s so dang sweet. “Do you like her husband?”
“Mark? Sure. He was my best friend growing up. He’s a good guy. Although, if he fucks up with my sister, I’ll have to beat his ass.”
Giggling feels good. “I suspect you told him that, right?”
“Many times. Every time I see him, actually. But my sister seems happy.” He shrugs.
“Are you going to tell me the name of the companies?”
“Sure. One of them is called Imitech. It didn’t start off as a tech company, obviously, but my dad is a data guy, so it evolved into a company that collects and analyzes data for other companies.”
“What’s the other one?”
“Well, you may have heard of this one. USA Foods Corp.”
I blink at him a few times. “USA Foods Corp.?” Of course I’ve heard of them. “You produce party pizzas.” Not my favorite brand, but the one I go to when the store doesn’t carry Totino’s.
