Page 19 of The Billionaire and His Driver
Brina was floored. “But I can’t work at night. I’ll miss the van, Mrs. D. How will I get home afterwards?”
Elvira knew she was putting the younger woman in a tough situation, but it couldn’t be helped. Service workers provided service. And the boss needed service that night. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” she said. “But you’ve got to do it. There’s nobody else.”
“There has to be. Couldn’t Tex drive him?”
“Tex is his bodyguard when he chooses to use him, which is only on trips out of town or out of the country. Tex doesn’t hang around here when the boss doesn’t request him. He’s atCorporate and has been all week. Besides, Mr. Bradshaw doesn’t want his bodyguard driving him around.”
“But he doesn’t mind his maid driving him around?”
Elvira shook her head. “You’re wasting your time arguing about it. You were assigned Jockey’s duties this morning. That includedallof his duties no matter the time. There’s nobody else to do it.”
“But just for tonight, right? Jockey will be back tomorrow. Right?”
“If Mr. Bradshaw gives the okay, yes, he will.”
That was a new line to Brina. “What okay? He’s his driver.”
“He’s his driver who didn’t show up to work this morning, and who has been known to show up drunk before.”
“But that was three months ago.”
“That’s the only reason I haven’t fired him yet. But I had to let the boss know about it. And besides,” Elvira added, “Mr. Bradshaw requested you personally.”
Brina’s heart dropped. “He did?”
Elvira nodded. “Unfortunately yes.”
Brina didn’t mean to display it, but a part of her was pleased to hear it.
“Don’t do that,” Elvira said quickly. “Don’t you dare do that.”
Brina frowned. “Do what?”
“Get your hopes up over that man. That would be the height of foolishness on your part, Brina. Don’t you dare do that.”
“I don’t want him! Why would you even fix your lips to say something like that, Mrs. D?”
“I’m just telling you. He’s got more ladies than he can handle already. Why did he ask for you? Maybe he likedthe way you drove him around three months ago. Maybe he remembered your name.”
Brina recalled how he remembered her from that nothing encounter they had nearly a year ago. He certainly would have remembered her crying in his arms.
“I don’t know why he asked for you,” Elvira continued, “but he did. Just don’t let it go to your head. Just don’t make it out to be more than it is. That’s all I’m saying.”
Brina could see the concern in Elvira’s eyes. And she got serious too, and nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
“And most importantly of all, Brina: If he asks to sleep with you, tell him no.”
A look of horror came over her face. “Sleep with me? He sleeps with his maids?”
“He doesn’t sleep with anybody on his staff,” Elvira said bluntly. “But he’d never requested anybody by name before either.”
Even Elvira could see that Brina had that special something about her that a man like Ronny would find compelling, and that a man like Ronny would also exploit and then cast aside. “If you need this job, you’d better say no,” she said, “because sleeping with the boss will be a sure way to lose it when he doesn’t want you around anymore.”
Brina frowned. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’m not like that.” Then she leaned her head back. She didn’t want to be his driver. She didn’t want to go to all those fancy-dancy places and be reminded of how far she’d fallen. She didn’t want people staring at her as if she was less than. And, if she were to be true to herself, she didn’t want to rekindle those feelings she felt for him when she sat on that couch in his bedroom three months ago. Because she knew Mrs. Dash was right: it was a dead-end street. “Couldn’t you drive him, Mrs. D?” It was a question she knew wouldn’t be answered favorably.
Elvira gave her thatdon’t play with me, girllook. “Go put on Jockey’s uniform, and I’ll have the valet bring the car around.” It wasn’t answered at all.
Brina, defeated, made her way to the locker room.
