The Billionaire's Bitch

Seven

I stepped out onto the sidewalk with Mr. Kingsley, not knowing what to expect, and to my surprise, a black Lincoln town car was waiting for us at the curb. With a chauffeur, of course; people like Mr. Kingsley didn't drive themselves, I supposed.

The driver, an elderly white fellow with a neat mustache and cap - just like in the freakin' movies! - opened the back door for Mr. Kingsley, then eyed me like I was a stray cat or something. "Another one, Mr. Kingsley?" The driver said in a dry tone I didn't appreciate.

My skin prickled. Another one? PAs sounded more like sacrificial victims in a cult more than they did a reputable job holder!

"It's hard to find good help these days." Adrian answered casually from inside the vehicle. He was already engrossed in today's paper.

I slid in past the driver with an attempt at a smile that he didn't return.

Then I was sitting in the cool, dark confines of the vehicle as we pulled away from the curb.

Driving through downtown Chicago during daylight hours was always a nightmare and today was no different; we oozed through traffic in the congested downtown area.

There was a black divider panel and we couldn't even see the driver, though there was a little window Adrian could slide open if he wanted to speak to him.

Adrian Kingsley really hated socializing, didn't he?

Can't say I blamed him. I only had a few close friends myself.

There wasn't any music playing and Adrian had his chin on his fist as he stared out his window with a closed expression. The dark blue jacket of his suit was unbuttoned, but his shiny black shoes remained flat to the floor. He didn't relax easily, I imagined.

And besides, I was a stranger who had just entered his environment.

I swallowed and made a point to relax a little myself, exhaling slowly as I gazed out the window at the tall silver buildings slowly passing by outside. All the little people; some with umbrellas, hurrying along. The weather changed quickly here in the windy city, as did people's moods.

I thought I understood Adrian Kingsley; just a little. He hated human contact, he was rich and could afford to avoid it. He'd been struggling to find a good PA; someone who understood him, someone he could trust; someone who was quick enough, sensitive enough, and thoughtful enough to keep him safe from the world. It was what he was essentially paying me for, and I also understood now why I didn't need to be more qualified. He didn't need help with his business, it was clearly thriving, what he was willing to pay me $180K for was to be a shield against the world outside his glass walls.

I jumped when his phone vibrated in my lap. "You got a text!" I blurted out, as if I had never witnessed the phenomenon before.

He glanced over at me with a rueful expression. "That happens from time-to-time. My pin is 6193. It's the same for my tablet, which I will give you later."

"Right." I muttered, biting my lip in concentration as I typed in the code and his home screen opened before me.

I selected the text box and scanned the message.

It was from someone named Herman.

'Package arrived on time. 2:30pm Eastern. Slight flurries upon touchdown.'

I blinked my eyes, bored before I'd even finished reading. Then I frowned.

Flurries?

It was late springtime, where would it be snowing?

"Uhm, should I read it to you?" I said hesitantly. "It's an invoice of some kind. From Herman."

"Yes, yes." Adrian said impatiently. "Why wouldn't I want to be informed of my invoices? I'm not busy at present, no need to stand on ceremony so." He eyed me again with something akin to amusement in his blue eyes.

I gulped. "Right, sorry." I said, then imparted the message from Herman verbatim.

"Ahhh. Give it here." he held out his hand and I immediately placed his phone in his palm.

He took it and texted something swiftly, then passed my phone back to me.

The message had been deleted, I saw as I locked his device. In fact, his whole inbox was now empty.

*~*~*~*~*

Already wondering about his personal life, eh? ;) Haha! What a little snoop!

Thanks for reading!

HRH