Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

J une 23 rd

Monday. Shit.

To Paige’s surprise, first thing Monday morning, she got a text from Fraser confirming their date for the weekend. Saturday evening in the park. She couldn’t focus on how she felt about it because she was riding the elevator up to her office—the office she supposedly still had.

Paige kept an eye out for Mrs. Griffin. She was sneaky and always appeared at the worst time. Was Paige going to be labeled with a big red S for slut? Maybe she was too stuck on the Scarlet Letter , but she felt as if everyone were looking at her and whispering as she walked down the hall to her office.

Kendrick and Miriam were waiting for her in her office, which only made Paige worry more. “Good morning,” Paige said, trying to feel out the situation. “Is anything going on? ”

Miriam frowned. “Are you alright, dear?”

“Oh, no.” Paige’s stomach hit the floor. “You all heard? What did you hear?”

Kendrick frowned now. “What’s going on, Paige?”

“Does everyone know?” Paige whispered as she plopped down in her chair, her legs just not able to hold her up any longer.

“Paige,” Miriam said with concern. “Is something going on that you need to talk about?”

“Isn’t that why you’re here?” Paige asked them.

Miriam nodded. “Yes. There’s no reason to be so worried. I think we have two more potential books to put on the main line. Here they are.”

Paige stared at the manuscripts Miriam placed on the desk. “You wanted to talk about books? That’s why you’re here?”

“Paige, you’re really worrying me. You’re late for our scheduled meeting this morning, you aren’t focused, and I don’t understand what’s going on.” Miriam reached across the desk and felt Paige’s forehead. “You aren’t running a fever. Do you feel okay?”

Meeting? Paige groaned. She’d forgotten about the weekly Monday morning meeting with her team. No wonder they were all staring at her. She was twenty minutes late and didn’t know what was going on. Paige shook her head to try to clear the embarrassment. Jack was starting to mess with more than her virginity. He was messing with her life, and that had to stop. “I’m sorry I was late. I didn’t sleep well. Now, tell me about the books.”

The meeting concluded when Jack knocked on the door forty minutes later. “Sorry, I thought you’d be done by now. I can come back later if you’re still going. ”

Here it was. The time when she was going to be fired. How did you even face your boss who you let spank you only to be interrupted seconds before losing your virginity by his mother? Paige knew Jack had told her she wasn’t fired, but the look on his face didn’t bring her any relief either. There were dark circles under his eyes and a strain on his lips.

“Paige?” Kendrick asked.

“I think we’re done. Thank you both.” Paige wiped her sweaty hands on her skirt as Kendrick and Miriam left and Jack closed the door and took a seat across from her. Did he say something? Her heart was beating so loud she couldn’t hear anything.

“Paige!” Jack snapped in his dom voice. That cleared the sound of her beating heart. “Are you okay? You look ready to pass out.”

“I thought I could handle being fired, but I can’t. I love my job. I love my team. I don’t want to be fired.”

Jack frowned and leaned forward. “Paige, I told you that’s not happening.”

“I’ll pack my things,” she said, pushing back tears. “Wait, what?”

“You’re not fired.”

“Then why do you look so upset?” Paige asked, feeling as if her mind and body weren’t synced.

Jack frowned and looked down at his lap. “My mother said I can’t see you anymore, and you’re not allowed to work late ever again. You have to leave when Kendrick leaves.”

“What?” Paige had so many questions, but she couldn’t say them all at once, so she led with that.

“I shouldn’t be in here with the door closed either. Mother said the doors must remain open, but this is a private conversation.”

“Jack, you look like you got grounded. Start at the beginning and tell me what’s going on.” Paige began to relax when she saw how nervous Jack was. She wasn’t fired so now she needed to find out why she suddenly couldn’t be alone with Jack.

“My father was an adulterous bastard. He’d screw anything with a pulse and didn’t care if I or my mother knew about it. He controlled all the money, so my mother stayed with him. Sure enough, he died from syphilis. Who dies of syphilis anymore? But, since Mother couldn’t control Father, she controlled me. She was determined I wouldn’t end up like him. But in turn, I rebelled the only way I could when I got older. With sex. It’s the only thing I could control. At least that’s what my therapist tells me,” Jack told her.

“Oh, Jack. I’m so sorry. That must be very hard for you and your mother.”

“We had an intense therapy session this weekend and set some very firm ground rules. I’m going to move out of her house.”

Paige blinked. “You live with your mother?”

“Yeah. She runs the house for me. I need to find a new place, hire new staff, and learn how to run my own calendar. It’s going to be really stressful.” Paige had no words, so she just nodded. “But I’m determined to do it. However, it’s give and take. She’s giving me more independence, but I had to promise to never engage in a relationship with anyone who works for me. To prevent the temptation, I can’t be alone with you. At least for a while.”

“Jack,” Paige said as she suddenly realized something. “Do you have any friends?”

“What do you mean?”

“You came to book club with me. Do you have any friends like that in your life to help you right now?” Paige asked.

“I have my cousin, Patrick.” Jack smirked a little. “I still laugh thinking of you kicking him the balls. Then there’s the guys from my fraternity that I see occasionally and, of course everyone in the social scene.”

Paige shook her head. “No. I mean, someone you would call to play pool, have a drink, watch a movie, tell your secrets to . . . that type of friend.” Jack frowned and that answered her question. “Okay, the deal is you can’t be alone with me, right?” Jack nodded. “But nothing about us getting together outside of work in a group of people?”

“I guess not. Why?” Jack asked.

Paige smiled at him then. “Because I think you need me as a friend, Jack, more than anything else. And I know I really like talking to you too. You’re a good friend to me. So, let’s make a deal. No sex, no more dirty talk. Just friends. Friends who tease each other, friends who help each other out, friends who are there for each other in ways our parents can’t be.”

Jack relaxed and even smiled a little. “How do we do that?”

“Easy,” Paige said, pulling out her phone and sending a text. “Meet me in the garage at five.”

The day flew by. Gone was the doubt. Gone was the anxiety. Paige wasn’t going to be fired, and she knew how to thank Jack for all the things he’d unknowingly done for her. He helped her gain confidence, explore her sexuality, and given her a promotion. It was time to thank him with friendship.

She’d always known billionaires lived different lives, but not this different. What was crazy was how many rich kids never left home. Their parents might be in the Miami home while they were in the New York home, but it still wasn’t their own place. Jack ran an empire, but business wasn’t life. It was time to show him there was more to it than work and hiding behind a mask at a sex club .

Paige heard her friends before she saw them. Eli, Felix, Amelia, and Leah walked in, talking full speed ahead, not giving Paige any time to answer.

“Are you for real?”

“You’re not fired?”

“He still lives at home?”

Paige held up her hands and gave a brief rundown before the elevator opened and Jack strode out. He had his billionaire boss vibe going on, looking severe and sexy as he took in the group standing near his car.

He raised one eyebrow. “I guess I’ll need the limo?”

“You can never go wrong with a limo,” Eli answered.

Jack sent a quick text and then looked up, meeting her eyes. “What’s going on?”

Paige smiled at him. “We’re going house hunting.”

“Mother already sent a realtor to find a place for me,” Jack said, looking confused.

“Bruh,” Felix said, stepping over and pulling Jack to the side. “I’ve lived on my own since I was eighteen. Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want your mother picking your house. You’ll want to do that. We’re just here to help. And you certainly don’t want your mom’s realtor picking because then they’ll just report everything back to your mom. I know it’s scary going out on your own. We’ve all done it. That’s why we want to help you find the perfect place.”

Paige looked at Amelia and saw her friend looking with such love at Felix. He was talking quietly, giving Jack the allusion of total privacy, all the while not talking down to a billionaire who still lived with his mom.

“Jack,” Paige said as she saw the young woman in a sleek sheath dress and heels striding toward them, “your new realtor is here. Thanks for coming, Moxie.”

Moxie looked completely different when she wasn’t in furry dress. Her hair was in a bun. Her makeup was flawless. She looked as if she stepped right off the pages of a fashion magazine. “I thought you were joking, but that’s Jack Griffin,” Moxie whispered, all the while keeping a smile on her face.

“Jack,” Paige said, “this is my friend, Moxie. Moxie, this is my boss and friend, Jack Griffin.”

Moxie shook Jack’s hand. “It’s an honor to assist you in buying a new place, Mr. Griffin. I didn’t even tell my boss. I was so surprised you chose me.”

“Moxie is a relator at one of the large firms but is usually only the assistant. I know how you like to give people a chance to prove themselves, so I thought she’d be perfect to help you,” Paige explained.

Jack was quiet as he took them all in. Finally, he nodded. “Then let’s go,” he said as the limo pulled up.

They all clamored inside, and by the time Paige slid in, Eli was already popping a bottle of champagne he’d found in the mini-fridge.

Moxie had her tablet up and was running off a list of questions for Jack. “I pulled some places based solely on the fact you’re—” She caught herself, and Jack smiled.

“Rich?”

Moxie relaxed and nodded. “I also took into account that you’re single, which restaurants you’re photographed at most often, and the places with the best security and privacy. Is there anything else you’d like me to add to the list?”

“Let’s see a couple, then I’ll let you know.”

Paige loved her friends. No one acted strange that they were taking a thirty-something year old billionaire house shopping. Not a single one. Moxie gave the driver a list of addresses, and off they went .

Jack was forced to listen to everyone’s dream homes, homes he could practically buy with the money in his wallet, but he commented on each and listened intently.

“Here we go. This is the first place. It’s the penthouse,” Moxie said before rambling off a long line of details as they headed up the private elevator after getting through security in the lobby.

“Safe and private,” Paige told him. “I think the guard would even keep your mom out for you if you had a woman over.”

“You think?” Jack asked seriously.

“Oh yes. They’re known for their loyalty to residents,” Moxie told them. “And here we go.”

The elevator doors opened and they were all speechless. But not Jack. “Can I paint the door red?”

“You can do anything you like. You would own the penthouse but just pay a monthly homeowners fee. Now, let us start in the kitchen.” They toured the place and stopped in the living room. “What do you think?”

Jack didn’t say anything.

“I don’t like that there’s not a balcony. I mean, I just use my fire escape,” Amelia said and then looked embarrassed. “I mean, this place is twenty million and you can’t sit outside and have a glass of wine?”

Jack nodded. “Very good point. I enjoy doing that too, Amelia. Moxie, do you have any places with a private outdoor area?”

“I sure do. Let’s go.”

The sixth place was the One. Close to work, but not too close. Far from his mother, close to The Red Door and Jack’s favorite restaurant, penthouse, private terrace, former secret service as building security, and a promise they’d keep the president himself out, never mind a society matron. The place came with five parking spots in a secure parking garage that had its own security team. Four bedrooms. A movie theater. A vast living room with views of Central Park. It was truly a dream.

“I know it’s late,” Jack said, looking at his watch as Moxie talked with the sellers’ agent. “But I want to thank you all. Can I take you out to dinner?”

“You got a deal. I’ll send over the paperwork right now,” Moxie said with a huge smile on her face. “You got it for five million under the listing price.”

Jack frowned. “I told you I’d pay a million over the listing price.”

Moxie rolled her eyes. “Never overpay for jewelry or real estate. I made sure you didn’t overpay and that you got a deal. I’m always telling my boss I’m good at negotiation, but he doesn’t look past the fact I’m ‘cute.’”

Jack smiled. “I think your boss’s eyes will be opened now. Let’s go celebrate.”

“I have to get these contracts in. I don’t want to jinx it. I’ll celebrate when the penthouse is in your name. Thanks for trusting me with this, Mr. Griffin.”

“If your boss doesn’t come to appreciate you, call me. Thank you, Moxie. I hate to say it, but this was actually fun. Maybe I should expand my real estate portfolio.”

Moxie beamed. “Happy to help you anytime you need it. I’ll call with the closing date tomorrow.”

Moxie shook his hand and then hugged Paige. “I owe you big time. You just made my career.”

Eli hooked his arm through Jack’s as they followed Moxie out of the penthouse. “So, billionaire boss, where are you taking us to celebrate?”

Jack tossed back his head and laughed. “Billionaire boss? ”

“We’ll tell you all about it over dinner,” Leah said, hooking her arm through Jack’s other arm.

Jack led them to a restaurant they’d all only read about. He treated them to dinner and drinks, and then drove them all home with the promise of having them over as soon as he moved into his new place.

“Goodnight, Leah,” Jack called out as Leah went to their apartment building door. “And Paige,” he said, placing his hand on her wrist, stopping her from following Leah. “I’ve never had a female friend before, but I think you are the best one I could have. Your friends are pretty great, too.”

Paige smiled and squeezed his hand with hers. “They’re your friends now, too. Good luck keeping Eli out of your new house. Congrats on the new place, Jack. And Jack? You’re a really good friend, too.”

Jack placed a kiss on her cheek and let her go.