"Really?" Jennifer laughed easily as she watched James relax in front of her. He shook his head again and shrugged his shoulders.
"Really," he stated thickly. "You'll see. I was born in Summit. My family worked in New York. We weren't poor, by any means, but we didn't have the type of wealth I have now."
Jennifer nodded eagerly, hanging onto James's words. She hadn't known anything about his past. In fact, she had never even wondered why it was always New Jersery he escaped to.
"Your parents? Are they still alive?"
James chuckled and nodded. "Very much so. Yours?"
Giggling, Jennifer nodded. "Yes. It'd be a shame if I were orphan so young, wouldn't it?"
James's eyes twinkled. "I wouldn't let you be alone so young," he said softly. The smile faded from Jennifer's face as he spoke. The lightness that had found them was suddenly gone. She coughed to clear her throat and tucked hair behind her ears.
"So, Chicago has an executive airport?" She asked, hoping to change the subject.
James's smile remained. He nodded. "There's a wonderful lot you could learn about the wealth that's in America. It's simply amazing."
Jennifer nodded and looked down at her fingers. They were professionally painted and polished with no chip bright secretary pink. She thought of James's words and felt her skin crawl. All these years of working beside a millionaire and talk of money still bothered her.
Running a thumb over her index finger, she lifted her eyes curiously to James. He watched her quietly and when their gaze met, he smiled kindly.
"What's it like?" She asked softly.
James frowned. "What's what like?"
"Having all your money? So much money?" She sniffed and looked around at the car. "I can't imagine it. Do you ever spend too much?"
He laughed at her. It was so deep and startling that it drew a giggle out of her. Within a few seconds, it was a chuckle and a little while later found her laughing just as full and free as James.
As their laughter died, James wiped beneath an eye. "I don't mean to laugh at you," he said softly. "You're just so cute."
Jennifer frowned. "Cute?"
He nodded and sniffed. "Talking money has always made you uncomfortable, hasn't it?"
With another giggle, a little more timid this time, Jennifer nodded. She felt the bit of tension that was bunched in her body beginning to unwind. She was starting to remember that James wasn't a man she had to be uncomfortable around. She knew him, after all. She had worked with him for five years.
"Maybe a little bit," Jennifer said with a sigh.
James laughed again. "Try a lot. Remember when we flew to the New York silent auction?" He nodded towards Jennifer. "I remember you kept asking about the suite. ‘What should I wear' and ‘So is it formal business casual or formal business whatever'," as James tried to imitate her questioning voice, he started laughing again. Jennifer laughed this time with him too.
"Hey," she pointed a finger at him, "wanting to dress the part doesn't make me scared of money."
"I never said you were scared of money," James said quickly. His face turned serious. "I just said it's always made you uncomfortable. Like you were afraid you didn't fit in with the rest of us."
Jennifer thought of how awkward she felt eating with the mayor's crew after she had given the benefit speech. Maybe James was on to something. She had never really given it much of a thought.
"Maybe," Jennifer began softly, "maybe I don't belong with you guys," she said softly, surprising herself with the bit of raw honesty.
James raised an inquistive brow. "Poppycock."
"What?"
"You heard me," he smiled and nudged at her arm. "Poppycock. Money wouldn't make you fit in with my crowd, Angel," he stopped short after breathing his pet name for her. Jennifer felt her heart swelling. He held her eyes and she didn't look away. "It's an attitude," he said softly. "And a way you carry yourself," James was solemn and grave. "You have both, angel," he nodded surely. "I mean that."
Jennifer blinked repeatedly, unsure of when her hand had found her chest to touch her heart. James had never said anything more touching to her before. She wasn't sure what that meant. She tried to speak, but her voice croaked. James chuckled, keeping the air light.
Trying again, Jennifer managed, "Does that mean one day I can be a millionaire too?"
He laughed. "I'm surprised you're not one already."
"Too busy working for you," Jennifer quipped readily.
At that line, James smirked and raised a brow. "Are you kidding me? I've seen the car you drive. And what about that suite on North Canal Street?"
Jennifer frowned. "How do you know where I live?"
James stared at her increduously. "Have you really forgotten the past five years you've worked with me?"
Forcing a chuckle, Jennifer shrugged. "I don't remember inviting you over," she paused. She didn't invite him over. Instead, he had come to her. It was on a Saturday morning when she had attended an event in his place. It started with a champagne flute, and then a bunch of other stuff she had no business drinking.
Jennifer wasn't sure how she had gotten home, but somehow, she had arrived saftely and had fallen asleep with all her clothes on so she could only assume that she wasn't taken advantage of. James had come to check on her in the morning, and said she had been talking "nonsense" the day before. Something he would never tell her exactly what it was, but apparently, it had been enough to make him come to her home to see if she was okay.
Lifting her eyes to meet James's gaze again, she frowned when she saw his face. He sported a look that made Jennifer's cheeks flush with heat.
"You remember that night now, don't you?" He asked her with a soft chuckle.
Lowering her eyes, Jennifer, shook her head quickly. "No, not that night. Maybe the morning. I remember you came to see if I was okay."
"I ordered you breakfast too. I stayed for a bit."
Jennifer took a deep breath. "Yes, you did," she paused, "That was before Katie."
"And apparently after Dick."
She giggled and struggled to clear her throat. Deciding to take an interest in the blurred scenery outside the vehicle, Jennifer turned to watch the world swril past them. She ran a hand over her hair, running her fingers through and playing with it absently. A smile still lingered on her lips, something she wanted to get rid of but found she was unable to stash away.
"Didn't you ever wonder how you got home that night?" James asked her with a tease in his voice.
Jennifer whirled to him. "You?" He smiled and nodded silently. Jennifer shook her head, confused. She didn't remember how she had gotten home and presumed someone must have called a cab, but that didn't explain how she would have ended upstairs in her bed …
"You called me, remember?" James's smile taunted her. Frowning, Jennifer shook her head.
"No, I don't remember. I just remember waking up to you at my door."
They held eye contact studiously, with James's smile growing by the second as the silence between them swelled. Jennifer frowned and combed her fingers through her hair again.
"So tell me about your money. How'd you make your first million?"
James chuckled and glanced to the right of her head and out the window. "It was more like my first ten million, but it's a pretty boring story."
"Tell me anyway. How do I work for a multimillionaire for five years and not even know his sob story?"
James laughed and met Jennifer's eyes confidently. "It's hardly a sob story."
"Tell me," she prodded, attempting to hide her smirk. "I'll be the judge of that."
Clearing his throat, James took a deep breath. "Well, I started with less than ten grand. I had two thousand saved, my parents gave me two thousand and an angel investor gave me five to start my own tech company. This was back in the late 90s. I started a tech company and less than two years later it sold for $10 million."
Jennifer's mouth dropped. "How does that even happen?"
"IPO," James answered back. He watched Jennifer's face morph and change with the information. "I formed the company as a corporation. By the time we went public, we had no debt and a worth of just $100,000. Our IPO doubled the worth of the company first day," James smiled. "That was one hell of a party."
Nodding, Jennifer shook her head in awe. "I'll bet. Sounds incredible."
James smiled. "It was. I was the CEO. Just me. I had all the shares at 60% and the two others I brought on at 20%. Someone offered to buy us out at the height of it and I wasn't going to say no. I made my first million with that company and I've steadily grown my wealth since then."