Jenna picked up on the third ring. “Yeah, boss?”
Stone chuckled. “Didn’t I tell you to stop calling me that?”
“Can’t help it,” she said, laughing into the phone. “I happen to enjoy teasing you. What can I help you with, Stone?”
“Good news. I’ve finally found the perfect person to replace you.”
He heard Jenna’s happy gasp then the words came tumbling out in a breathless stream. “Oh my Lord, that’s great news. Who is it? When can he start? Or is it a she? Get them on the plane right away because this baby is not gonna wait-”
“Hold on, not so fast.” He practically had to shout to get the words in above hers. “It’s a her and I haven’t hired her yet.”
Silence on the other end of the line. A full five seconds passed before Jenna spoke again. “What do you mean you haven’t hired her yet?” Then, before Stone could respond she continued. “Oh, you’ve done the interviews but you just haven’t told her she’s hired.”
“No,” he said, dragging out the word. In her state he didn’t want to give her too many shocks. “I haven’t actually asked her yet.”
“What? Stone, I’m going to have this baby any day now. You need to find me a replacement. Like yesterday!”
“I know, Jenna.” He rubbed the back of his neck. Damn him for being such a perfectionist. There were so many other people he could have hired to cover for Jenna but no, he had to find the perfect one. And it had taken him this long to identify her. He'd be up the creek if he reached out to Indiana Lane and she said no.
“Don’t you worry your little head,” he said, his voice sounding a whole lot more confident than he felt. “I’ll be back on a plane to South Africa in no time and I’ll have your replacement with me.”
CHAPTER THREE
“Oh… my…gosh.” Tessa stared at the computer screen, her mouth falling open. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.”
“What?” Indie gave her a stony-eyed look. Tessa, ever the drama queen, was famous for getting all excited over nothing at all.
“Come here, Indie. Come look at this.” Her eyes glued to the screen, Tessa waved Indie over. “You’ve got to see this.”
In no hurry at all, Indie laid down the list she’d been working on – a list of tactics to snag Stone Hudson, no less – and got up from the armchair then walked over to the computer desk where Tessa perched on the edge of the rolling office chair. If she wasn’t careful, that thing would roll back and she’d find herself flat on her face.
Indie pushed Tessa’s chair closer to the desk and set her foot behind the wheel so it wouldn’t run back. Just one more thing in her constant task of keeping her accident-prone friend out of danger. “What’s up?” she asked, as she bent down to see the screen.
Tessa reached out and turned the screen so that Indie could have a better view. “Is this the guy who ran into you?”
Indie leaned forward. “Yeah. Is he a criminal or something?”
“Did you know,” Tessa said in a voice rising higher with each word, “that Stone Hudson is the owner of Hudson Broadcasting Corporation?”
Indie jerked upright then fixed her friend with a narrowed gaze. “Get outta here.” Tessa was a flighty one but this story took the cake.
“No, it’s true,” she said, her eyes wide. “Look.”
As she pointed to the screen Indie’s eyes followed her finger. Wikipedia. And the heading read. “Gladstone ‘Stone’ Hudson, chairman and CEO, Hudson Broadcasting Corporation". And there, staring back at her, was the face of the man she was busily planning to catch.
“Well, hot damn.” The words escaped her in a whisper that was breathless with disbelief. Who would have thought…
“You know, we should have put two and two together,” Tessa said, still staring at the screen. “I’ve heard the name Stone Hudson before. Why didn’t it come to me that it could be him?”
Indie gave a snort. “Probably because you wouldn’t think that, of all the people in the world, it would be a billionaire who would slam into my car. How many billionaires do you know?”
“None.”
“Me neither. And that’s why you wouldn’t expect…” Indie’s voice trailed off as another thought came to her. “Now that I think of it, his car seemed pretty darned expensive. All black, sports car type, with a funny-looking symbol like a crown with three points.”
Tessa gave her an incredulous stare. “A trident?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”