Counting the Kisses (Counting the Billions 3)

Like Daniel had said, things had just really started to seem good between the two of us. Things had finally settled down, and we were finding our rhythm. And now it was all thrown off again. Could I keep doing this? Could I continue to let the drama change my life every time I turned around?

But on the other hand, could I quit doing this? Leave Daniel and leave a position that I loved, all because I was too scared or inflexible to change? That seemed just as out of the question.

I just didn’t know what to do, and unfortunately, I was no closer to thinking up any solutions by the time I finally drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 3

Daniel

I SHUFFLED ANOTHER set of papers together and looked around, grimacing when I saw how much information was scattered around the office. I was trying to get everything ready to hand control of the company over to Abby, but I just didn’t know what she might need, and trying to anticipate all possible occurrences was proving challenging. It would be easier to come up with a better organizational system, I was sure, if Abby were there helping me. But she still hadn’t given me an answer as to whether or not she was willing to take over as temporary CEO, and I didn’t want her to feel any sort of pressure over it.

That said, I didn’t have any time to waste. The trial started the next day, and although I really did want to get this over with sooner rather than later, at the same time, the pressure was on. If it wasn’t Abby taking over for me while I was gone, well. Someone was going to have to step up to the plate.

Another thing that I hadn’t talked to Abby about: I had discussed th

ings with a few of the guys I did business with. I had a backup guy in mind, an old friend of mine who usually built startups and sold them off. He was in between projects right now, and he had the time to take over for me. I wasn’t sure that I really trusted him with my company because I knew he was a lot more cutthroat in business than I usually was.

No, he wouldn’t be my first choice. But again, I was trying to prepare for all possibilities here.

I was pretty sure it wouldn’t come to that, though. Abby hadn’t given me an answer yet, and I knew there was a lot for her to think over. But I was pretty confident that she would rise to the challenge. She was the kind of woman who liked a challenge in her life, though, and I knew she wanted to be a CEO eventually anyway. What better way to learn than to try her hand at this now? The learning curve might be a little steep, but I hadn’t lied when I told her that I was completely certain that she could do this.

I glanced impatiently at my watch. Abby was at lunch with her best friend and sister-in-law, Leanne, now. I strongly suspected that she would come back with an answer one way or the other. As certain as I was that she was going to agree to take over for me, there was still the slight chance that she would decide not to. And by now, I just wanted to know one way or another. There was too much else that was up in the air about this trial, and I honestly just wanted one thing sorted out.

Erin knocked on my door, poking her head into the office. “Hey, boss, how’s it going?” she asked. I could see the sympathy in her eyes; she’d been my assistant for long enough to know all the chaos that my job really entailed. She looked around at the piles of papers and shook her head, a grin on her lips. “Abby’s going to have her work cut out for her. The first thing to do will be sorting through all of this!”

I grimaced. “I just feel like I have to prepare her for anything that could happen,” I said.

“Has she agreed to take over for now?” Erin asked curiously.

“Not yet,” I said. “I’m expecting an answer when she gets back from lunch. I think she’s discussing things with her sister-in-law as we speak.”

Erin nodded sagely. “Well, whoever steps in for you, I think you’ve given them access to the total archives of the business, from the look of things. In paper form, no less.” I gave her a look, and she laughed, holding up both hands. “Relax,” she said. “I’m sure things will be fine. Even without the stacks and stacks of research you’ve compiled.”

I sighed. “Just be as helpful to Abby as you can. That’s all I ask. She’s probably going to be nervous, and she’ll need a sounding board and someone to hold her hand if necessary. You’ve been with this business for longer than she has, and you know things that no one else in this company does.”

“Sure thing,” Erin said easily. We’d already had this conversation but I couldn’t help reiterate the thought. It made me feel better to have her assure me again that she’d be there for Abby as needed.

“I’ll do my best to be there for her,” I said, promising that to Erin as much as myself. And as much as to Abby, although she wasn’t there to hear it. “I just have no clue how messy this thing with Gerrard could get.”

“I’ll do everything I can to help her,” Erin said again.

“Thanks,” I said gratefully.

“Good luck to you,” Erin added. “But I know everything will work out. Gerrard’s just being an ass because he knows you have money and because he knows that the media loves a story like this.” She shrugged. “But we’re all rooting for you.”

I sighed and shook my head. “Thanks,” I said, watching as she left. Then, I sank back into the seat behind my desk, pressing my fingertips against my eyelids, feeling the start of a migraine brewing behind my eyes.

She was right, Gerrard was just being an ass. I was still shocked that things had gone so wrong with him. He had been my trusted advisor for years, and he had worked for the company for more than two decades. I never would have suspected that he would start selling stories about me to the media, or that he would start giving them tip-offs as to my location or upcoming business decisions. I was still reeling from that betrayal.

And now, this. It was like he just couldn’t get enough of tormenting me. It made me wonder what the hell I had done to get on his bad side. But it wasn’t like I could just ask him that.

Maybe it really was all about the money. I had thought that I was paying him a fair salary, but maybe it just wasn’t enough.

I shook my head again, trying to forget those thoughts. It didn’t matter if Gerrard was just being an ass; I still had to go through this trial and everything that came with it.

I couldn’t help feeling a bit worried. Unfortunately, people like Gerrard just seemed to have a way of finding me, and of taking advantage of me. Because although I might think that he was just an ass, I knew that the underdog—Gerrard in this case—usually had the support of the public.

The trial would be tricky. I had beat up Gerrard; that was a fact. After publically firing him, no less. And I knew that no one really believed that I had hired Abby for her brains and business acumen. No, they were all sure that the media had it right, that I was just looking for someone to fuck. So they would believe Gerrard when he said he had been wrongly fired, that I had only ousted him so I could put a young, leggy blonde in his place.