Stolen:The Billionaire Deception(5)

     



 



"Oh no."



"Oh yes. I'm innocently testing the cheesecake when I look up to see her   standing at the edge of their table. She has that silly smile she gets   on her face; you know which one I mean?"



"I do know the one," I said.



"Well that wasn't the bad part. The bad part was that the "date" looked   shocked she had no idea she was out with a married man. My boss had   probably just picked her up at the hotel bar. The boss was obviously   pissed and he was looking right at me."



"She said something about his wife, obviously."



"She told his girlfriend that she applauded her and the wife's ability   to get along and not be jealous of one another and she thought the whole   world could learn a lesson from their example."



"Oh my god! Did she use that one when she was in the Miss Universe   Pageant …  like World Peace?" I was laughing, "What did they say?"



"Nothing, to me. I have no idea what they said to her because as soon as   she came back and told me what she said, I got her a cab and I left. I   guess I will know on Monday if I still have a job."



"Wait, before you left, did you pay the bill?"



He laughed, "Of course I did. What kind of cheap swine do you think I am?"



I was laughing again. When he finished his story I gave him a hug and said, "Thank you."



"For what?"



"Making me laugh. It was the best distraction all week."



"Better than naked Wednesday?" he said.



"You were naked on Wednesday? I didn't even notice." He acted like his   feelings were hurt and then we both laughed again. It was a fun end to a   miserable week. I loved my friend, and since he was the only one left   in the world who knew the real me …  that made it even better.









CHAPTER FOUR









I woke up Monday morning determined to just call my boss and tell him   that I had decided one week of vacation was more than enough. Grant had   nursed me through the weekend with a half dozen rounds of miniature   golf, two chick flicks and the worst two games of bowling that were ever   played. I loved him for it, but he had to go back to work today and   another day home waiting for the phone to ring was liable to put me over   the edge. I sat up in bed and looked at the time; it was about   eight-fifteen. I reached for the phone just as it rang. My stomach   pulled up in brand new knots when I saw the caller I.D., it said,   "Hunter Corp."



I took a few deep breaths and on the third ring I pushed answer and   said, "Hello," in what I hoped was a very professional voice.



"Hi is this Erin Summers?"



"Yes it is."



"Hello Erin! This is Harlan Broderick from Hunter Corp."



"Hi Harlan, how are you?"



"I'm fantastic, and yourself?" I am dying to know why you're calling man!



"The same Harlan. It's good to hear from you."



"Well, I think you'll be even happier to hear from me when you hear that   I am calling you to offer you the position you applied for with our   company."



I was trying not to squeal and in the process, I let out a little   squeak. I composed myself as much as I could and then I said, "Thank you   so much! I'm so happy about this, Harlan."



"You're very welcome; we're going to be very lucky to have you aboard.   I'm going to have you call Brenda in Human Resources and she'll lead you   towards what you need to get done to start."



"Thank you again, Harlan."



"You're welcome. Young Mr. Hunter was very impressed with you, and I'll   tell you that he is not the easiest man in the world to impress."



I thanked him one more time and allowed myself a squeal when I hung up. I   was finally on my way to claiming what was rightfully mine and I   couldn't wait. I didn't realize it just then, but it was going to be   another long week. The first thing I did was give my notice to Mr. Lyons   who looked like he might cry when I told him. He tried everything he   could think of to cajole me into staying, but when the meeting came to   an end at last, he hugged me and told me that as soon as I wrapped up   whatever loose ends I may have that I was free to go. He had a daughter   that had just graduated NYU and he would train her for my position. I   felt better about leaving him knowing that.



Then, I called Brenda. She had me come in the next day and I spent hours   going over the paperwork and signing at least a hundred documents. I   watched welcome videos and read internet articles about the company. It   was all part of the new employee orientation that even executives can't   escape. I lived through it all. On Sunday I noticed Grant scrutinizing   me with those deep brown eyes of his.         

     



 



"Can I help you?" I asked him. I knew he had something on his mind and he wasn't sure if he should bring it up or not.



"I know that we had this conversation before, when you applied at Hunter Corp … "



"You're worried about me."



"I am. I just keep thinking that this man who was smart enough to seize   an entire company under the guise of paying off its debts within weeks   of the owner dying …  He's not going to be an easy one to fool."



"That's true. But you know me, Grant. You know me better than anyone   alive. I'm not going into this thinking it will be easy, or that it will   be quick. I'm prepared to work hard for the company. I'm only helping   myself there in the long run, right? I'm also prepared to be content   with doing that for as long as it takes for me to be in a position to …find things."



"What kind of things do you think you'll be able to find?"



"The best that I can hope for probably are the old financials on the   business. When James Hunter took it over, he inherited all of the old   books. I want to see for myself that my father was not in financial   straits. I don't believe it for a second. I didn't believe it when I was   thirteen years old."



"You don't think that Hunter would have been smart enough to get rid of them?"



"Well you and I both know that he probably doctored them to begin with   or he wouldn't have been able to say my father was in the red. Then he   would have had to keep them for the IRS for at least seven years …  I'm   just hoping that by that time he was so comfortable with what he'd done   he didn't even think about going back and shredding them. If they've   been doctored, I'm sure there's a way to prove that, right?"



"Sure, yeah I'm sure. I just have a bad feeling about you putting   yourself in this position. Couldn't you have the SEC investigate?"



"No, this is a civil matter according to everyone I've talked to, not   criminal. I have to do this myself. But don't worry. I have a good head   on my shoulders," I told him with a smile.



He kissed my cheek and said, "Just keep that pretty head low if and when the bullets start to fly."



"Absolutely."





***





I woke up Monday morning with butterflies the size of pterodactyls in my   stomach. I tried to have my morning coffee and toast, but it was   evident there was no room in there for anything else. Not being   interested in throwing up at my first executive weekly meeting I decided   on water. While I was getting ready to go, I had to keep reminding   myself that I was well qualified for the job and that was all that   mattered. Beyond that, no one knew who I was or what I was doing there,   and I wasn't giving them reason to suspect otherwise.



After I showered I put on my navy blue pants and blazer with a power red   blouse underneath. I braided my hair into a French braid that went  from  one side of my head to the other. That would keep it neat, but it   wasn't quite as severe as a bun. I didn't want to look like I was  trying  too hard my first day. I slipped on my red heels and took one  last look  at myself. Picking my compact back up I lightly dusted the  light brown  freckles that ran across my nose. I'd been told that they  made me look  like a teenager. That was definitely not what I wanted  today.



I parked my car in the employee garage this time, feeling proud when I   flashed my badge. Then I saw the spot marked "CEO" and the Aston Martin   that was parked there. I got angry all over again and for the first  time  in my life I considered scraping my keys along the side of a  vehicle. I  did a lot of self-talk and simple breathing exercises whilst  I walked  into the conference room a few minutes early. It was an  extravagant  place with dark wood walls and a long, shiny wood table  surrounded by  plush looking burgundy chairs. The wooden blinds were  open and the  morning sunlight was streaming in. The room smelled like  coffee and  cinnamon and I saw the pastry and beverage cart in the  corner and knew  why. No one else was in yet and my stomach was feeling  slightly less  offensive, so I helped myself to a cup of coffee. Instead  of sitting  down, I carried my coffee over to the window and looked out  at the  Manhattan skyline. It was a beautiful view and I almost got  tears in my  eyes as I thought about the fact that my own father  probably stood in  this very spot years ago and looked out at the same  buildings and  sidewalks. That thought made me sad for two reasons, one  because my  parents had died way too young and my father should still be  here to  reap the rewards of the company he built himself, and two  because if my  father had to be gone, this was a view that I should own  right now. This  was my building …  my company …