When the time came to meet with Jasper, he was inside the pool house, so I knocked instead of walking inside.
"Come in," he called.
I opened the door to see him on the sectional leather sofa with a computer on his lap, his right ankle resting on his left knee to prop up the computer and a cup of coffee in his hand.
He smiled. "Punctual. Good. Please have a seat."
I walked over and sat on the chair that faced the sofa. There was a large wooden barrel that was once filled with Makers Mark Whiskey according to the black labeling on its side. Now it was a coffee table.
"This morning with Portia went about as smoothly as I had imagined. I know you were hoping for a more definitive answer. But if there is one, I'm afraid we will never know it. That isn't why I asked you to meet me out here, however.
After breakfast, I was out here going through emails and the endless bills, investment, and correspondence with Van Allan Industries that have come through just this week. It's a lot of paper filing I don't have time for. Jed Bankhead has been handling everything since my father's death. My father's personal secretary became Jed's. She was to become mine when I was ready to completely take over next year but two days ago his wife walked in on Jed and Bethany, the secretary, naked on Jed's desk in the Chicago office," he paused and took a drink of coffee. "Gotta love marriage and happily ever after's, huh? Anyway, I can't run Van Allan industries yet. I am still learning; working in the Savannah offices now to learn, which are the smallest of the three and the newest. There will be sexual harassment filed by Bethany I am sure when Jed let's her go. More bullshit that he has to handle. But here in Savannah I need help.
The actual building was serving as a meeting location when personnel from the other officers came into town to meet with my father after he relocated here. After his passing, it hasn't been used much. That's what I've been doing. Moving people here to make it a functioning office. An office so Van Allen Industries can expand into the southern states and have a central location. I need some help with organizing all the piles of paperwork that have been ignored at the office here. I am looking for a qualified administrative assistant, of course, but for now I just need some extra hands. I know you need another job. Working nights isn't going to be enough for you if you want to keep Heidi in the home she's currently in. I'd like you to work in the offices for three hours a day Monday through Friday. You'd continue your duties here of course. I'm willing to pay you fifty dollars an hour which will average about $750 a week. This would help me and fix my current problem as well as help you."
Seven hundred and fifty dollars a week was a lot. It would be more than I needed to take care of Heidi when added to my income from cleaning. If I kept my night job then I could put money away for college. "Are you offering this intending for me to quit my evening job?" I asked.
He frowned. "I'd hoped you would. You looked exhausted this morning. But I'm not demanding you do anything. That's up to you."
"I could cut back my hours there if the manager would be okay with it. If I worked there a couple nights a week then I would be able to save for college."
He nodded. "Fair enough."
It was that easy. He was giving me a way to make more money. He wasn't demanding anything of me. I took a long, easy breath. The first full breath I'd taken in three days. Heidi was going to be fine. And now I'd have a chance to get my nursing degree.
"Thank you, Jasper. Thank you so much."
He grinned. The kind of grin that I was sure made most women lightheaded. It made me feel a little swoony. That was a bad thing though. I couldn't look at Jasper that way. He was my boss. He held the power to break me. His smile, the way he wore a pair of jeans, and his sculpted chest that I still could picture clearly after his never ending pool party were of no consequence to me.
"You can start tomorrow. However, after you're done inside, we can ride over to the office and I can show you everything. Introduce you to the staff there."
"Okay," I said as I stood up. "I should be ready to go in two hours."
"Very well. See you then."
As I hurried out of the pool house, I couldn't get the silly smile off my face. I was going to be okay. We both were. I'd make cupcakes this week. Heidi would never understand we had a reason to celebrate, but that was more than okay.
This Jasper was so different than the one I thought he was when he arrived. He was all business and mature in there. But the party he had held was a much different Jasper. At the party, he was the spoiled trust fund kid with nothing to worry about in life. I liked this Jasper much better. I just couldn't figure out his choice in friends.
The next two hours flew by as I hurried to get everything done, then changed into the only nice dress I owned. My mother had made the pale blue sundress for me three months before she got sick. She'd made it for me to wear to a job interview at the bank. A job I didn't get because I needed Saturdays off to take care of Heidi.
Mom would have been so excited about my new job. She'd love that I wore her dress. The silver flats that were my correct size and that I reserved for special occasions had also been bought by her. I slipped them on and my toes thanked me.
I quickly made my way to the doors leading to the pool house to meet Jasper, passing Portia as she came down the staircase with her white tennis outfit on. Her hair was pulled up neatly in a ponytail. But she was scowling at me.
"Why are you dressed like that?" she snapped.
"I'm going to the office with Jasper. He needs me to organize and file paperwork."
She rolled her eyes. "Sure he does. He's just like his father." She stalked past me and the expensive perfume she wore filled the air.
I wanted to defend myself and tell her that Jasper did, in fact, need me to organize for him. But she was gone. Maybe I should have apologized earlier.
WHEN JASPER SAID THE OFFICE was new and small I imagined something much different from the twenty-story building made of glass we were walking into. Van Allan Industries was written on the front door and the sign out front. There was a doorman and a front desk where you check in upon entering.
A young attractive brunette, whose eyes locked on Jasper the moment we entered, smiled brightly. "Good afternoon, Mr. Van Allan."
He paused at her desk. "Brandy Jo, I'd like you to meet Beulah Edwards. She will be coming in for a few hours every day to do some work for me."
Brandy Jo gave me a tight smile. "It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you, too," I replied with a sincerer smile, hoping I could thaw her iciness.
Her gaze swung right back to Jasper. And her bright smile returned. "Can I get you coffee?"
"That'd be wonderful, Brandy Jo. Thank you. I'll be in my office. Send someone up with it in about twenty minutes."
Brandy Jo blushed. I couldn't help but wonder what else Brandy Jo did for Jasper. He hadn't seemed very upset about Jed having an affair with his secretary. Maybe all Van Allen employees hooked up in the work place.
Frowning at my thoughts, I figured that wasn't fair to assume. Besides Jasper wasn't married and could sleep with whomever he wanted.
When the elevator doors closed behind us, Jasper turned to me. "I slept with her last week. It was late, and we'd been working all day, we had some wine. She got naked and climbed up on my desk with her legs spread. It was a one-time thing."
"Oh," I said wondering if I had said my thoughts out loud.
He gave me a crooked grin. "You're expressive Beulah. I could see where your head was. I thought I'd clear it up for you."
Because my mouth had a mind of its own, I blurted out, "Do your employees often get naked and get on your desk?"
He laughed loudly. "No. But I've only had employees for two weeks. I'll let you know in a couple months."
I nodded as if that were a reasonable response. He laughed harder then. "God you're fun."
The doors opened at the twentieth floor. Jasper's floor was fancy and impressive. There was a large area with sofas, tables, and magazines. A chandelier hung from the ceiling. There were two large wooden doors ahead of us that seemed to hold the rest of this floor of the building behind them. Jasper pulled a card out of his pocket and touched it to the metal box on the door. A light turned green and the door opened.
"I'll get you a key before you leave," he said, holding his up.