Billionaire Unloved

I racked my brain for any information I had retained in my memory about the company. I didn’t know much about Lawson, but I did remember reading that one of the headquarters was in Seattle.

“You’re really one of those Lawsons?” I squeaked.

He nodded, not taking his eyes away from my face.

“Then you’re one of the richest guys in the world?” I asked.

He nodded again.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I questioned, feeling a little hurt that he hadn’t told me everything. Being a Lawson of Lawson Technologies was a pretty big deal.

He shrugged. “I guess I wanted you to like me without the billionaire stuff.”

“I’d like you either way,” I informed him. “You’re a pretty likable guy. But it kind of freaks me out that you’re that rich. And it hurts that you thought that I was that superficial.”

“I don’t,” he explained. “That was how I felt in the very beginning, and after that, it really didn’t seem to matter. I’m sorry. I should have told you earlier.”

I glared at him. “I would have felt a lot better knowing I hadn’t put you into a difficult situation when you’d shelled out so much money for me. Not that it would have changed the fact that I owe you, but I wouldn’t have felt quite as guilty if I’d known that you were going to be okay without it until I could pay you back. I was afraid I’d left you with no savings.”

“I told you it wouldn’t break me,” he argued.

“I thought you were just being nice,” I admitted.

He grinned at me, the cocky grin I hadn’t seen in the last few days. “Do I have to apologize because I’m really, really rich?”

I folded my arms in front of me. “I suppose not. You already said you were sorry that you didn’t tell me earlier.”

I thought about some of the things he’d said, and it all made sense now, including his claim of being the best cybersecurity guy in the world. Since he owned Lawson, and they were known as the best, then his claim was definitely valid.

I felt a little silly that I hadn’t put all the facts together earlier, but who expected a guy as influential as Jett to be on a rescue mission?

Okay, maybe that wasn’t fair, but most guys like him were schmoozing with other rich guys, not helping the homeless personally.

“Does it really matter?” he asked.

I thought for a minute. Did it make a difference about how I felt about Jett?

After careful consideration, I decided it really didn’t matter. But it was nice to know that helping me didn’t break him.

I shook my head. “Not to me. But I’m guessing I’ll get a room with a view in Seattle?” I joked.

He nodded with a relieved expression. “Best views in the city,” he admitted. “Am I forgiven, then?”

I shrugged. “I’ll let you know. I’m still trying to absorb the fact that I’m hanging out with one of the richest guys in existence.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Jett answered gravely.

“What’s it like in Seattle? Does it really rain all the time?”

Jett looked pretty happy that I’d changed the subject. “No. It’s overcast most of the winter, but it only rains about fifty percent of the time,” he answered with humor in his voice. “The traffic is horrible, but the food is fantastic, especially if you like seafood. And if you’re a coffee lover, you’ll find a coffee shop almost anywhere in the city. It has plenty of water and there are mountains on the opposite side of the city, so it’s good for almost any kind of activity you want.”

“Do you like it there?”

“I do,” he admitted. “It’s different from living in Colorado, but Seattle has a life of its own, and there are computer nerds everywhere.”

I laughed. “So you fit right in,” I teased.

He shrugged. “Pretty much.”

I stood and started collecting dishes. Jett got up to help just like he always did.

Honestly, Jett seemed pretty normal for a man who had so much money. Maybe that was why I never really connected the dots with him.

As I loaded the dishwasher, I tried to wrap my head around the fact that I’d been staying with one of the most influential businessmen in world.