“Not a problem. I couldn’t help but overhear you talking to him—a drug addict?”
“Yeah, long story,” I sighed. “And now I’m stuck with him because I was stupid enough to get knocked up by him.”
“I believe it takes two to make that decision. I wouldn’t carry the blame alone if I were you.” He smiled. “You appear to be a good mom. I’m sorry if I was overstepping boundaries—being a stranger and all, but I do hope it helped?”
“I’m Avery,” I said with a smile.
“I’m Jim,” he extended his hand out toward me. “I guess we’re no longer strangers, then?”
“Easy as that.”
God, I wanted to join the mile-high club with this guy, but we just became friends over me telling him that I made the mistake of screwing a drug addict and got pregnant with his kid. I mean, that was three years ago, but still. I highly doubted this guy would stoop to anyone less than a socialite, much less some random chick who got upgraded to first-class that was drooling over him. Who knew, free drinks were in first class, and he just ordered two for us.
Please, God, don’t let me start my trip off to London by screwing some guy while I was drunk on an airplane. I’ve done crazier shit, yes, but this trip was meant to be fun, but I suppose a girl could have fun, especially with a man like this dreamboat sitting next to her.
Chapter One
Jim
I sat in my office, going over the last of my emails from this long yet productive day at our London headquarters. My meetings with our associates and one new investor were finally over. The only shitty part of this day was that Alex and I couldn’t come to an agreement and sign with a new business we flew out here to acquire. We could’ve offered them a million fucking dollars as a promise to his company’s future success, and he still wouldn’t have taken the deal.
We still had another week and more time, we would get the deal. I wouldn’t sit here all night and worry over today’s events. I learned a long time ago that I was running this business that I’d inherited from my father; this machine wasn’t running me. That’s what I always told myself anyway.
I weaved my pen through my fingers, reading the last of the man’s prerequisites on his term sheet for Mitchell and Associates. This guy was a stubborn ass. I had to get together with Alex so we could find a way to close this deal. Our London employees had families too. They had to eat. All of that rested on my shoulders with every transaction we did.
A highlight of this particular trip to London was that my brother was here to bring more insight to our new program on behalf of Saint John’s Hospital. Thank God he was not only a world-renowned heart surgeon, but Jacob was also a man who could charm a room full of snakes if need be. Jake was a genius with his words, and sometimes I wished he would have taken on the family business with me after Dad died. Then again, this was me at the end of a long-ass day, thinking selfishly. The world needed more heart surgeons like my brother and probably fewer corporate dicks like myself.
Jake had successfully pleased every investor in the room with his presentation to start up an online university, performing live surgeries and instructing students while doing so. With this first part of our plan moving forward, Jake was on track to have a new, innovative way to bring medical students and interns from the UK into his surgical room, looking over his shoulders while his brains and hands went to work on his patients for heart transplants. The Heart Institute was finally getting past the permits phase with the city, and once that was operational, Jake would be able to bring in more interns to work under the finest doctors who were ready to come to us.
“Mr. Mitchell?” my assistant called over the intercom.
“Yes, Becky?” I answered, pressing the button on my desk phone.
“I’m leaving for the day. Before I go, I just wanted to let you know that Adam is a bit concerned about today’s staff meeting.”
“Excuse me?” I said, picking up the receiver. “What did he have to say?”
“Well, you walked out of the room with a frown on your face during the acquisition questioning for Middle Group.”
I rubbed my forehead and sighed. “I’ll make sure to have another staff meeting with the acquisitions team tomorrow before I take off to work remotely. Have a good evening, and I’ll see you on the next visit.”
“Thanks, Mr. Mitchell. I look forward to it. Cheers.”
Shit. Every expression that crossed my face was analyzed, even as I did mundane things like walk to my office. If I smiled, then someone took offense to that and found a way to link that expression to me having to fire someone. If I frown, everyone thinks things are going to hell, and they’re going to be out of a job the next day. I’d dealt with plenty of that shit and had to quell rumors before they burned the place down.
This didn’t just happen at our London headquarters; it occurred in the Los Angeles one as well. It was all part of the lovely job of being a CEO.
I picked up my cell and dialed out to the company’s president, and my best friend, Alex.
“Hey,” Alex answered, already at our usual dining joint. “Is your sorry ass still at the office?”
“Yeah,” I answered. “Adam in acquisitions is concerned over a goddamn look I had on my face when I left the meeting this afternoon. I was taking off for the estate so I could work from there. I thought it would be nice to have some sort of reprieve after three days of living in this hotel and office. It looks like we’re in early tomorrow for a six o’clock meeting.”
“Good God, man,” Alex responded. “Jake is taking off, and his flight is in an hour. I’ll let him know. You want me to send out the message to the team about the meeting?”
“I’ll handle it. My laptop is open.”
“All right. Are you showing up tonight, or are we closing out the tab early?”
“I’ll swing by for a bite and a drink. I’m sure the ladies are already entertaining enough for you.”
“Right.” Alex laughed. “Handle your shit, and we’ll see you in a few.”
After sending out a quick meeting invite to the team to correct any insecurities over my expression in the meeting today, I shut the laptop. I was not going to leave for the estate with anyone in our London office feeling uneasy, so hopefully, the meeting would do the trick. I put the laptop in my briefcase, and a dark shadow appeared at the entrance of my door.
I glanced up. “Jules?” I questioned the knockout brunette I usually hooked up with when I came to London. “What the hell?” I smiled, and before I could walk over to her, she rushed to me. My face was in her hands, and her lip gloss was choking me as she impulsively kissed me.
She took my hand and walked me over to my leather sofa, which was positioned under the windows to give a sweeping view of London at night.
“Jesus.” I chuckled. “Slow the hell down.”
“It’s been too long,” she said, playfully pushing me to sit on the couch so she could straddle me.
Oddly, I wasn’t in the mood for her or this for some reason. She loosened my tie, and I spotted a diamond ring on her finger. I pulled her hands down from where they fidgeted with my shirt.