Page 6 of A Billionaire Gentleman

“About anything in particular?”

I started to shake my head but changed my mind. Maybe, if I was honest with him, I could get some answers. Every time I tried to talk to Dad or Davin about when I’d start at the company or what I’d be doing, they’d brushed it off, telling me I didn’t need to worry about it yet. Telling me to enjoy a bit of a break.

I didn’t need to take a break. My brothers never had. Neither had my dad or grandad. Sure, Damon didn’t have a ‘regular’ job, but he still worked hard. Why did everyone keep thinking I needed to be coddled? I’d never expected it or asked for it. I wanted to prove my worth. Now.

“I’m thinking about when I’ll start work. What I’ll do once I begin.”

“Actually, I was just going to talk to you about that.”

I would’ve thought he was lying, but Dad didn’t lie. Ever. He hadn’t even done the little white lie thing when we were kids. After Mom died, he’d gotten more involved in the church, stricter about following all the rules. Never abusive or anything like that, but it did make things awkward more often than not.

“Great.” I smiled at him. “I’m all ears.”

“Over the next few months, you’re going to be working with your grandfather,” he began.

Grandad? “I didn’t think he came into the office anymore.”

“He doesn’t, really, but this isn’t exactly office work. You and he will be doing some preliminary scouting of holdings in different states. He will show you what we’re looking for, the types of properties we buy and sell.”

I stifled my annoyance. Did he think I hadn’t done my homework? That I didn’t watch and listen? I might not have been in board meetings or know all the inside information, but I wasn’t completely clueless either.

“We haven’t decided on a specific destination or date yet,” Dad continued, either oblivious to or ignoring my annoyance, “so I have something I’d like you to do while you’re waiting. A special assignment.”

Okay, that sounded better.

“An old family friend is moving back to Houston, and I want you to handle showing him the properties I’ve selected for him to look at here.”

I gritted my teeth and gave myself a moment to think before I spoke. I didn’t want to sound ungrateful. “So, I take this family friend to the addresses you give me, and that’s it?”

“It sounds simple, but Ronall Kane isn’t just a random family friend. He’s important to our business too. Having him as one of our clients will only help our reputation.”

I could tell he was being earnest, but it didn’t matter how much he believed what he was saying. He was giving me busy work.

And I would do it. I’d show everyone that I could follow directions, and I’d absorb everything I could possibly learn. Then, when they finally gave me something real to do, I’d show them that they should have trusted me all along.

“Sounds good, Dad. Why don’t you run me through the properties so I can process it all and not sound like I’m reading someone else’s descriptions.”

“There’s my boy.”

As he started, I wondered just how much time it would take and what I would have to do to get him to start treating me like an adult, because I didn’t know how well I could work with him if he kept talking to me like I was still a kid.

Five

Sofi

I’d stayeduntil close last night, sipping water and turning down drinks as I watched one dance after the other. Every so often, Sanders had stopped by to ask if I had any questions or concerns.

At first, I’d thought he was hitting on me, but he’d never once been anything but a gentleman, and I appreciated that more than he could ever know. He’d been surprised that I’d been taking notes, which I hoped meant he’d cut me a little slack if I screwed up tonight.

My stomach clenched again, and the little I’d managed to eat threatened to make an appearance. It’d been a toss-up as to whether it’d be better for me to not eat anything and risk passing out if my blood sugar dropped too low, or if I should stick with something light and bland.

I suddenly regretted using the word “toss-up.”

Instead of going in through the front door like I had yesterday, I walked around to the back where Sanders had told me to go. The alley was dingy enough that I had to squint, and the faint scent of cat urine made me wrinkle my nose, but the door itself was illuminated by a bright ring of light. That, plus the mountain of a man leaning against the wall next to it, made me feel better about coming in this way.

Sanders had explained yesterday that most of the dancers preferred to use this entrance to avoid customers trying to talk to them or hit on them when all they wanted to do was go to work and then go home. Some used it only on the off days when they didn’t feel like talking to anyone when they came in to check the schedule or pick up their paychecks.

Even though Sanders claimed the girls who chatted with patrons got bigger tips, I had no intention of mingling. It might hurt my individual tips, but it was safer than giving anyone even a hint that I’d be romantically interested. I was done with men.

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