Page 76 of Betrayal of a Billionaire
“No, Juju, you come on. You should be here,” Bill said.
“With us,” Bob added.
Bill patted her shoulder. “You can have your old job back with The Herald.”
Bob nodded. “And we’ll give you plenty of time to write your books still. I know they’re getting popular.”
Heat rose in her cheeks as they complimented her books. If she ever got back to writing them, maybe they’d continue their rise to popularity. “That’s a lovely offer, guys, but–”
“But nothing. Now, come on, Ms. Julia,” Bob said, taking one arm as Bill took the other. “We’ve still got your old desk.”
“And that typewriter you loved,” Bill said.
“And we got a new coffee machine,” Bob added.
“And–”
“You two wouldn’t be strong-arming our little Julia into anything she hasn’t agreed to, would you?” a voice boomed behind them.
Julia smiled as she recognized the voice of Charles Whitmore.
Bob and Bill spun to face him, their eyes wide. “Hi, Chief,” they said simultaneously.
“We were just reminding Julia,” Bob began.
“Of what she was missing out on here,” Bill said.
Bob raised a finger in the air. “The paper.”
Bill mirrored the action. “Her friends.”
Bob stuck up a second finger. “Her family.”
Bill arched an eyebrow. “Luke.”
“You fellas didn’t hear she got hitched?”
“We did,” they said together, then Bob added, “but he’s an outsider.”
Charles bobbed his head up and down as he reached for Julia, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. “I heard. Even met him.”
“Really?” they both said in unison.
“Uh-huh. Now, don’t you two fellas have a paper to run?”
“But–” Bill began.
Charles waved them toward the door. They nodded before they backed their way toward it.
“Nice seeing you, Juju,” Bill called.
“Think about our offer,” Bob shouted.
They disappeared through the doorway as Charles squeezed her shoulder. “You looked like you needed a rescue, sweetheart.”
She grinned up at him. “Thank you. They can get a little overzealous.”
“I know,” Charles said with a wink. “You okay?”
