Page 14 of BillionHeir
“I will give you a million dollars to be my private nurse.” I didn’t expect to be quite so frank, but for some reason, I can tell that my usual powers of persuasion aren’t going to work on her.
Her eyes immediately meet mine. “You can’t be serious!”
“As a heart attack. Or a helicopter crash.” I gesture to my mangled body. “Take your pick.”
“I don’t think so,” she says after a few long seconds.
“That wasn’t a no. That is progress.”
“You are not a snarling evil beast today. That is progress,” she says. I can see the immediate regret on her face as soon as the nastiness is out. She reaches up and covers her mouth with her hand.
I suppose I deserved that, but I would like to see her in my shoes. “I can’t stay here another night, Chloe. I hate it here. Please,” I plead, looking into her eyes as I beg.
“I just . . .” she trails off as she searches for a reason to tell me no.
What Chloe doesn’t know is that I am well aware of her student loan debt, as well as the fact that she lives alone in an expensive part of the city. She has plenty of money coming in, but she is still struggling to pay the bills. A million dollars is nothing to me. I make more than that in a week these days. But to her? It could mean staying afloat in this city and being debt free. If she is smart with it, it could mean a whole different future for her.
“I can’t,” she finally finishes, looking distraught as she says it.
“Why not?”
“What am I going to do if you get mad at me for some random reason and fire me? The situation is too unstable. It would be reckless. I just can’t.”
“The doctor says I will need six weeks of recovery so here is my offer. I will wire you half of the money right now and the other half after a month. If you quit early, for any reason, you can keep whatever you have earned.”
“This is absolutely mad. I can’t just quit my job that I have worked so hard for, with amazing benefits mind you, to come be your private nurse.”
“Sure you can. And when the doctor finally releases me, I will give you a glowing reference. With my connections, you could find another job at the drop of a hat, if that is what you want.”
“What else would I want?” she asks with her hand on her hip and an annoyed look on her face.
“Maybe you would like to take a vacation? I am just saying, with that kind of money you could probably afford to take a little time off.”
Chloe relaxes, but she is still not convinced. How can I make her agree?
“Five million,” I say, without really thinking about it. I know that with the original terms I just offered her, she could take me home, drop me off, and run away with the money I am going to pay her in advance. I don’t think she is going to do that though. I have the distinct feeling that she is not that kind of girl, and I am rarely wrong about this kind of thing.
“I accept,” she says, looking a little shocked at what just came out of her mouth.
“Perfect,” I answer quickly, giving her no time to reconsider. “Now, go quit this job and get me the hell out of here.” I look up at the clock on the wall and do a little math. “The traffic shouldn’t be too bad this time of day. We can probably get to my place in Maine in about three hours if we get out of here soon.”
“I can’t just quit in the middle of my shift,” Chloe says, looking gobsmacked.
“You can, and you will.” I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Ethan instructing him to transfer the money to Chloe. It is more than I was expecting to pay, but it is nothingto me if it means getting out of this place. I can’t stay here another minute without going crazy.
Desperation is quite the motivator.
Chloe closes her eyes as she tries to gather her patience. I am not an easy man to deal with, of that I am well aware, and I am even worse as a boss. She might not have known quite what she was getting into, but she will figure it out soon enough.
What I say goes. No ifs, ands, or buts.
“Why me?” Chloe asks as she watches me carefully, probably trying to get a better sense of who I am.
“Because you are the only person I can trust to do this for me.” I am completely honest with her, not only because I can sense just how fragile our new agreement is, but also because I want her to trust me as well.
She cocks her head to the side. “That must be really lonely.”
All the thoughts in my head come to a complete stop. That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. She is right, though. It is.
