Counting the Days (Counting the Billions 1)

I gave the cabbie my address. As the cab made its way down the street, I couldn’t help looking back to see Daniel. He was standing there on the curb watching after me, a slight frown drawing his brows together as though he was thinking hard. For a moment, I imagined that our eyes met. But he probably couldn’t actually see into the interior of the cab, I reminded myself.

After a moment, the cab turned a corner, and Daniel disappeared from view. I sat back in my seat, heaving a heavy sigh. This might be more complicated than I had expected, for reasons I could never have anticipated. But all the same, I couldn’t deny how excited I was to really get to work with Daniel by my side.

Chapter 11

Daniel

I SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS and locked the door as I left the office on Friday evening. Everyone else had already gone home. Abby had lingered, asking me three times if I was sure that I didn’t need anything else from her. I had assured her that I didn’t, that I had everything under control. Finally, I had actually ordered her to head home for the day.

I didn’t want to admit how badly she distracted me. I knew it wasn’t her fault. No, it was my own fault, for picturing what it would be like to slip that loose red top off to the side and kiss the smooth skin of that bare shoulder. My fault for wanting to lock her there in the office with me, press her up against the wall and have my way with her.

Her second day of work had gone well. She was quick on her feet, and I could tell that she was already learning my values as a CEO. She wasn’t just telling me what actions she thought I should or should not take; she was fitting those actions into the broad picture of the company and deciding what would be best for everyone.

I was really glad that Erin had talked me into going through with her interview, when I’d thought about just canceling the whole thing.

Of course, she didn’t know the company as well as Gerrard had. The man had worked here for almost as long as Abby had been alive, so there was no faulting Abby for making a few mistakes and miscalculations. But she had proven that she was eager to learn and eager to improve, and I appreciated that.

I just had to keep my feelings out of things.

I headed to a nearby restaurant to meet Austin for dinner. He had been my best friend growing up, and he had spent a lot of time at our house through high school and college so that he wouldn’t have to go home to the fucked-up situation that was his own family life. Now, he had his own start-up company and worked in an office building right around the corner from McGregor Enterprises, so we met up pretty regularly for drinks or dinner.

“I’m starving,” I announced, dropping into a seat across from Austin.

“Already ordered appetizers” was the response.

“You’re a fucking hero,” I told him, and Austin grinned at me.

“Still working yourself into an early grave?” Austin joked, making a show of glancing at his watch. He clucked his tongue. “Seven p.m. on a Friday night, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

I sighed and shook my head. “It’s been a long week,” I admitted. “I’ve been busy.” Because I’d had all those interviews early in the week, I had gotten behind on everything early on, and it had taken a bit of work to get caught up again. Again, there was no rest for the wicked, or the CEO.

“Yeah, how are things going?” Austin asked. “You find a replacement for your advisor?”

“I did, actually,” I told him. “At least, I’ve found someone that I was willing to give a try-out to. But she’s doing a pretty good job.” I wrinkled my nose. “She apparently studied me in college, though. How weird is that?”

Austin laughed. “You must be getting old, man,” he said. “But she? You hire some sexy pair of legs that you can bend over your desk every time no one’s looking?”

I rolled my eyes. Of course that was what he would latch onto. “It’s not like that,” I insisted. “I mean, she’s cute and all, but she’s my employee. I would never go there.”

“Never?” Austin asked teasingly. I gave him a look, and he just laughed, holding up both hands. “Just teasing, man. I know the kinds of things the media always says about you, but you know I know you better than all that.” He paused. “What’s she like?” he finally asked, a glint coming into his eyes. “If you’re not into her, maybe I might be.” He grinned at me. “In fact, maybe I’ll find a reason to drop by your office on Monday just to see her.”

“Don’t you dare,” I told him, but I couldn’t help snorting with amusement at the idea of it. I didn’t like the idea of Austin going anywhere nea

r Abby, admittedly. I felt inexplicably jealous, even though I didn’t even know if he was Abby’s type. And it wasn’t like I could claim her as my own.

A broad grin broke out on Austin’s face, though. “You’re totally into her, aren’t you?” he asked me. He held up both hands as I started to protest. “I get it—you’re never going to go there because you’re the boss and whatever. But you’re totally into her.”

I shook my head, but I knew that any denial I made would only make him more sure that I was interested in Abby. “So how’s your work coming anyway?” I asked, trying to change the subject. And aware of just how guilty that made me sound as well.

Sure enough, Austin continued to grin at me, but he didn’t press it. “Things are going well,” he told me. His start-up company helped young entrepreneurs market their businesses, and I knew that he viewed it as his way of giving back to the community. If it hadn’t been for my father, Austin might never have a chance at starting a business of his own. He’d grown up on the wrong side of the tracks, and it would have been just as easy for him to drop out of high school and really fucked up his life.

As Austin told me about his latest triumphs with his business, I thought back to the conversation I’d had with Abby the previous evening. I had meant it when I told her that I hadn’t really had a chance to properly mourn for my father. Sometimes, I thought my father’s death had hit Austin harder than it hit me. Of course, Austin was practically a brother to me, and my father had been the father figure he had never had. But it went beyond that.

Sometimes, I had to wonder whether everything that the tabloids said about me was correct. Maybe I really was heartless and only focused on what was best for the bottom line, and for myself, at the expense of everything else. Maybe I really shouldn’t have all these lives in my hands.

But I had a feeling that Abby would have called me on it if that was the case. Instead, all of the things she had suggested for McGregor Enterprises made it clear that she could tell I cared for the people more than for the business side of things. Or was it just that that was what she believed in?

“You okay?” Austin asked suddenly, and I became aware of the fact that I was frowning. Not only that, but I had barely been listening to him.