Her Billionaire Boss by Gena Snow
Chapter 4
Nick
I arrive at my new office extra early today because Valley Mall is close to my house and because I’m eager to see Harper. Has the feisty girl come up with a good promotion plan, or has she given up the job?
The office smells coffee when I step in. When I see Harper typing at her desk, I can’t help but smirk. Very well. She’s taken up the challenge.
“Good morning, boss,” she says as she looks up. She isn’t smiling, but not as hostile as she was the day before. Her light hazel eyes seem dreamy when they meet mine, and I can’t help but feel warm all at once.
“Good morning, Harper.” I try to sound professional, but my voice comes out a bit scratchy. “May I have some coffee?”
She raises her eyebrows. “Am I your personal assistant as well, sir?”
Damn. Is she complaining or flirting? I narrow my eyes on her for a moment and say, “You’ll do whatever I say in my office.”
She presses her lips together for a moment and stands up. “Do you have your own mug?”
“Not yet,” I say as I go into my office. “The paper cups are fine, and I like it black.”
I’m positive I hear a huff before her heels clack on the floor. My lips twitch as I enjoy teasing her.
When she brings me the coffee, I drink in the sight of her in a tight-fitted lavender shirt and a black A-line skirt. Her curly hair is put into a ponytail, and she wears glasses in a large red cat-eye frame that makes her look hot and mature. Damn.
“Here you go,” she says as she places the coffee right in front of me. “Do you need anything else?”
Yes, baby. You can’t even imagine what else I need. I deliberately scan her from top to bottom, watching her blush first and then shiver. And then I take a sip of the coffee and ask, “Do you have a promotion plan for me?”
“Yes, I do,” she says, lifting her chin. “It’ll be ready in just a minute.”
“What’s going to be?”
“It’ll be a rock concert.”
It doesn’t take a genius to guess what she has in mind. I frown slightly at the idea. I support my brother’s music career, but having a loud band here in the mall? I’m not sure how many shoppers would appreciate it. I personally couldn’t stay in a loud place for long. But then, the festivity would for sure attract people.
“Sounds good,” I say. “But are you sure Tristan is happy to do it? He hasn’t given a concert in town for years.”
“I haven’t asked him, but Avery says no problem.”
“Okay, then. Go ahead and finish the promotion plan.”
After Harper leaves my office, I answer some emails and then check the listings of commercial properties for sale. Because of the recent economic downturn, many businesses, from retail to service, are closing down. There were ten new listings in the Alton area within just the past two days. It’s a golden opportunity for my company to expand.
I browse through the website, looking for shopping centers in particular because we more or less specialize in them.
Halfway through the lists, however, the picture of a resort catches my eyes. Seaside Resort—I know this place. My uncle Jack owns it! How come I haven’t heard a word about it? Jack and my dad meet weekly at the golf course. Is he keeping it a secret from us? Why?
I click on the listing to check the details, just to verify it is indeed Uncle Jack’s property. The location and descriptions all fit. I phone my dad right away.
“Dad, are you aware that Uncle Jack is selling his Seaside Resort?”
Dad pauses. “No. But he mentioned that he wanted to retire, and Robert wasn’t up to managing it. Did he contact you?”
“No, I saw the listing.”
“What? That’s strange. Why did he do that? How much is he asking for?”
“Ten million.”
“Wow, that’s insane. We’re in a buyer’s market now.”
I agree with my dad. The resort is worth at most five million. “Maybe that’s why Uncle hasn’t told you about it. He wants to see whether he can get lucky with that price first.”
“Maybe,” my dad mumbles. “I’m going to give him a call anyway.”
My dad calls back an hour later, telling me Uncle Jack had no idea the sale is listed. It’s my cousin Robert’s doing, who hasn’t bothered to tell his dad about it. In the meantime, my dad says, my uncle invited us to go check out the resort, and if we were interested, he would be glad to sell it to us.
Although it sounds odd that my uncle didn’t know about such an important decision, I’m happy about the invitation. The resort is an hour’s drive from where I am. I check my calendar. This weekend is out because of all the work dealing with the newly acquired mall, and we’ll have to organize the promotion event next week. The trip will have to wait. There shouldn’t be any hurry because no one in their right mind will pay for that price. My cousin Robert might be good at surfing but certainly not for his business management skills, which is probably why the resort isn’t doing well in the first place.
