Page 24 of Nailing the Billionaire

She’d never supported my revenge project, and this would turn her even more against me. I’d tried to reason with her about it, but there was no bridging the gap of our views on the subject.

Usually I found the shower a calming place to think through a problem, but today I climbed out no more sure of my path forward than when I’d entered. If anything, I was more mixed up.

Billy was already eating his cereal, Cocoa Puffs again, by the time I finished dressing and got out to the kitchen.

“It’s Tuesday today,” he announced.

I poured a glass of grapefruit juice for myself. “That’s right. Want some juice?”

“It’s hamburger day.” His tone was more dejected than excited. He didn’t answer my juice question.

His school served burgers at lunch on Tuesdays like clockwork. One of the parents owned a local burger place and sold patties at a discount to the school.

“If you want, I can make you a sandwich instead.” I poured him a small glass of juice.

“No, I want a cheeseburger, but last week they only had ones without cheese left, and I didn’t want the pickle either.”

I brought the glasses over. “You were late?”

“Yeah, a little, but they know I always want a cheeseburger and no pickle.”

I sat opposite him and drank from my juice. “Sometimes the early bird gets the worm.”

He pushed his cereal around in his bowl. “Mommy told me not to complain.”

“She’s right about that. You don’t want to be labeled as a complainer. You could always take the pickle off and get almost what you wanted.”

He gulped down the juice I’d poured him. His cereal didn’t merit the same attention.

“It’s your turn,” he said.

I stood to get some cereal for myself. “For what?”

“It’s Tuesday. You take me to school, and Mommy said we could have pizza night tonight.”

I checked the time on the microwave.

Shit.

This would mean no breakfast for me today. “Get your backpack. We have to go.” I quickly moved the ball of pizza dough I’d made last week from the freezer to the refrigerator.

Ramona hadn’t shown her face yet. If I’d wanted to switch, I should’ve arranged it with her last night.

I hustled him out and we made the drive to school. Unfortunately, work was in the opposite direction.

Take off the pickle. I needed to talk to the man who could change the options—the man who could take off the pickle. That was the solution to my problem.

Billy exited the car with a quick goodbye. I didn’t pull away from the curb until I saw him make it safely inside the school.

I needed the new position with the big raiseandto negotiate access back into the Vipersoft building. With seven people moving over, that had to leave holes somewhere in finance that I could help with after hours or on weekends, thereby keeping my badge with access to the building. Part-time weekend work would also ease my access to the file rooms.

I made a U-turn at the light, and the sun broke through the clouds—a definite omen that things were improving.

My skills were broad enough that there had to be something I could help with at headquarters—something between take it or leave it. I refined my sales pitch to Fisher as I drove in to work.

Chapter 8

Jennifer

---