In Love With My Personal Assistant(15)

     



 

James snapped his eyes to hers, mouth open. His lips moved, but no sound  formed. Rolling, her eyes, Jennifer slowly lowered the glass.

"I guess what I really mean is if that's something men like you do?"

"Men like me?" James frowned.

Jennifer sat the glass down. "I mean men with the type of weatlh you have."

"We're not all alike, Jennifer," James said softly. The air was still  heavy, despite James's attempt to lighten the mood. He didn't honestly  understand what Jennifer was trying to say, but he didn't like the way  it sounded, whatever it was.

"No, I know that," Jennifer struggled. "I just," she paused and took a  deep breath. She didn't readily try to speak again, but turned from  James and leaned her legs towards the left side of the plane and further  away from him.

"There is something men with your kind of wealth have in common,"  Jennifer tried again, a bit more somber. She didn't meet James's eyes  and spoke lowly, as if she didn't want Carolyn to hear. James glanced  towards the front of the plane. The older woman was seated comfortably  in the bucket seat working on something involving a crocheting hook and  two skiens of yarn.

"You guys aren't limited in the way that average people are," Jennifer  said slowly, as if chosing her words carefully. She turned to James and  watched him. "I mean, we're in a private jet, James. Money like that  gives you priveliges."

At length, James nodded. "You're right."

"Do you think it changes the way you think sometimes? Like that man  thinking I could be bought with his money? What does that even mean?"

James blinked and forced a deep breath. This conversation took a sudden turn into an area he wasn't planning on treading.

"Can you answer that?" Jennifer looked over James's face. "Can you answer that honestly?"

Wetting his lips, James rubbed his hands together to buy himself some time. He didn't think he honestly knew the answer to that.

"I can try," he said at length, meeting Jennifer's eyes again. She smiled weakly.

"I'd like that. I want to know about the kind of man that has so much clout they think they can just buy us."

"You know, some do."

Jennifer frowned. "What?"

"You know, there's the sex trade. Human trafficking."

A sound escaped Jennifer's throat that was a mixture between a growl and groan of disgust.

"I hear you," James said, "I'm not one of those guys. But," he shrugged,  and considered Jennifer's question thoroughly. "When you start to amass  the type of weath that "men like me have" to use your words," he  chuckled, "you'll find that we do look at the world differently, I  think." James's chest heaved up as he inhaled deeply. "When we're met  with resistance, we don't crumble because we don't live pay check to pay  check."

"You can make thousand dollar purchases in cash."

James looked at her and nodded. "Some of us. Others can be worth millions and be kind of broke."

"What?"

With another sturdy nod, James pressed his back into his chair. "Yes.  It's called a cash flow thing. They might own tons of real estate but  not actually have enough monthly cash flowing in to sustain their daily  way of living."

Jennifer considered James's words. She turned to him then, and leaned on  the console between them. It was the closest she had dared to get to  him since they had taken off.

"And what about the men that have no such problem? Is life just a game of money and clout to those guys?"

James chuckled nervously. "What are you talking about?"

"Would you ever use your money to try and seduce a woman into liking you?"

James would have spit out his drink if he had had any in his mouth. He sat up suddenly and faced Jennifer, completely confused.

"What?"

Jennifer watched James with a face that changed from determined to  withdrawn. She sat up straight, and then back towards the left side of  the plane and away from him. She stared out the window listlessly.

"Nevermind," she muttered.

James eyed her. "Are you talking about me?"

"No."

"Hey," James tapped her forearm. He didn't know if it was a good idea to  follow her into this type of conversation, but there was something  about the way she questioned him that unnerved him. He had never in his  life offered a woman "the world" for love, sex, or time. The very  question was offensive.

"What?" Jennifer tried to shrug his hand away, so James pulled it back.         

     



 

"We're both adults. If something's troubling you, why don't you just tell me?" James kept his voice calm.

Jennifer didn't bother to maintain James's eye contact. She stared  straight ahead. She didn't even aknolwedge that she had heard him. After  several seconds had passed, James sighed and started to turn away. It  was then that Jennifer lifted her head and turned to him, her mouth  open. James faced her quickly, eager to hear what she might say.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent into Summit, New  Jersey. As we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and  trays have been replaced to their original position," Carolyn's voice  was a smooth interjection over what Jennifer had started to say. When  the older woman stopped speaking, Jennifer met James's eyes with a soft  smile.

With a deep breath, Jennifer shrugged. "Looks like it's time to get into  business mode." James let his gaze linger on Jennifer's for a little  longer before he answered her.

"I guess you're right." He ran his eyes over his face. She had already swtiched gears. Play time was over. His heart sank.

"Can you brief me on this client?" Jennifer asked after finishing off  the contents of her glass. She motioned to Carolyn. "Please, Miss. A  bottle of water and a glass of ice?"

"I'll have the same," James cut in. He ignored the side glance Jennifer  had given him and closed his eyes, trying to get his thoughts together.  He needed to be carefulif he planned on playing his cards right.  Although he really didn't want to discuss business just yet, he decided  that perhaps this was just the type of distraction they needed.

There really wasn't much to do in New Jersey with Tim. He imagined they  would discuss more about what the company needed, but he already had a  fail safe plan for the young training firm to utilize. The rest of the  board members were over cautious of stepping state boundaries into New  York City, but that's because they were just cautious individuals. If  they knew the true potential that stepping over the state lines would  mean for their business, they would have done it yesterday.

A personal visit from himself would give the board the confidence they  needed to try out an office in New York. They wouldn't regret it. Their  client list would probably triple, their annual profits would more than  likely double, and each board member would probably make an extra  million within the year. That type of money calling had a way of  changing perspectives. Sure it wasn't much, but a buck was a buck and  snagging an extra mil on top of an annual salary that grossed six digits  was nothing to shake a stick at.

James cleared his throat and eagerly accepted the water as Carolyn  brought them the requested refreshments. They each poured their water in  silence, drinking a full cup in the same manner before they turned to  each other and acknowledged that they were ready to work.

It wasn't necessarily a disappointing end to the plane ride. There was  still the trip back to Chicago, not to mention the time they'd spend in  Summit together.

James cleared his throat and began to relay the information about their  potential newest client. This was the easy part. Talking business with  Jennifer was always a pleasure because she kept herself so knowledgable  about their industry, trade, and practices as a consultating firm.

They created a list of information they would need to make certain  reports that would reveal the information needed to sway the rest of the  board members. If all went well, James believed they could be back in  New Jersey at the beginning of the following week to make a presentation  and seal the deal. That thought excited him.

He didn't need their little contract, although he was certain he'd get  it. He just liked visiting his old home. It put his mind at ease when he  came back. He was certain that Jennifer couldn't know that about him,  but he frequented New Jersey often. There were even some months when he  went back as much as every weekend.

Of course, whenever he was in town, his heart ached to see his old  friend, Melony Richards, but there was nothing romantic there. They had  gone to school together and had remained the closest of buds ever since.  If there was any other woman on earth who might have known him as much  as Jennifer did, it was Melony.





Chapter Nine

Unmasked, Unveiled





The plane landed within thirty minutes after the descent announcement  had been made. It was just before 3 pm in the new time zone when they  touched down. The time seemed to bother Jennifer, but James wasn't too  worried about it.