Page 16 of The Billionaire's Romance

“But you didn’t build it,” I said, my tone obviously less patient. “You told me yourself that it was handed to you the same way you handed it to your children….”

The old man pushed back angrily from the table and stood up. He leaned down close to me and said, “You don’t understand a thing. Yes, my granddaddy founded this company and my daddy made improvements, but I made it what it is…and I did that through hard work and something you might not know anything about, boy…compassion. I expanded my own company without destroying someone else’s. You aren’t the businessman that the magazines and papers laud you to be. You’re just another snake in the grass waiting to strike. If you want my company Mr. Winters…come and get it!”

He left me sitting there in the bar, a couple of interested business people looking at me, wondering what kind of Ogre I was for upsetting such a nice little old man. It was the second time that day I’d been walked out on. The first time was Robyn and I hadn’t stopped wondering what kind of Ogre I must be myself since that encounter.

“Can I get you anything else Mr. Winters?” the little cocktail waitress startled me; I hadn’t even seen her walk up.

“Yes, a scotch on the rocks,” I told her. I didn’t know what the hell to do about Robyn and I knew what the businessman in me would likely decide to do to Harvey Yard ell…at this point I just wanted to be numb.

I had three…or maybe four more drinks. I couldn’t remember how many I’d already had and I didn’t care. I also couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten drunk…maybe it had never happened. One thing I was good at…really good at…was staying in control. I made sure that I had control over everything in my life. I tossed back another drink and thought about how I’d tried to control my relationship with Robyn. I’d tried to keep it between just her and I and in doing so, I’d made her feel badly…I swear, that had never been my intention. I was about to order another drink when I looked up and saw Jeffrey.

“Jeffrey! Sit down and have a drink with me!”

“No thank you sir, I’m your designated driver, remember?”

“Then get me another one,” I told him.

“I’m afraid the bartender has asked me to let you know he thinks you’ve had enough, sir.”

“What? Does he know who I am?” I didn’t use that one often, but I was kind of an ass when I got drunk.

“Yes sir, he’s well aware. That’s why he asked me to deal with it.”

“Well, I’ll just have a word with the snot-nosed little punk….” I tried to stand up and I stumbled into Jeffrey. He caught me and sat me back down.

“I’ll get you some coffee sir,” he said.

“Wait! Jeffrey…sit down for a minute, please.”

He didn’t look like he wanted to, but he did. I looked at him for a long time and I realized that I had been riding around in a car with this man every day for years and I hardly knew him. I suddenly reached out and hugged him. He looked horrified when I finally let him go.

“Jeffrey, am I a heartless ogre?” I asked him finally.

He looked like he was suppressing a smile as he asked, “May I ask why you inquire, sir?”

“I know that you and Robyn got close…you talk to her about…normal things. You don’t talk to me, Jeffrey. Is it because I’m an ogre?”

That time his lips twitched. He wasn’t going to be able to hold his straight face much longer. “No sir, of course it’s not. You’re just a very busy, important man. I doubt that you have the time for idle chat with the likes of me.”

“The likes of you….Damn it! I’ve made you feel like because you work for me that I think myself above you. That’s so untrue….Damn it! That’s just not true.” God forgive me…I hugged him again. He didn’t look like he could take another one. “I don’t think I’m better than you…we’re just…different, Jeffrey. I don’t know how to do different. Robyn…she’s so different too. I should have left her alone. I should have known….”

He’d stood up, out of my reach and he said, “Can I speak freely, sir?”

“Of course you can, Jeffrey!”

“Miss Robyn cares very much about you. I personally think the one thing that might turn you into an ogre would be if you choose to turn your back on her.”

I realized that I’d just been very nicely called an idiot by my chauffeur. I started laughing and I couldn’t stop. I laughed as Jeffrey loaded me into the back of the car and until I passed out. Then I slept until I woke up and puked my guts out the rest of the night. Then I slept again. By the time I woke up the next day and began to feel alive…it was after noon. I had twenty missed calls…my colleagues were freaking out; I never just didn’t show up.

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