Page 9 of Billionaire In Vegas

“Actually, I’m sure that’s exactly what you’re paying me for.”

He laughed and said, “You’re right.”

I reached for my purse and pulled out my tablet. I turned it on and said, “So should we start off with a list of tasks you would like me to complete and perhaps we can share calendars and sync your contact lists?”

“All that sounds great. I love technology. My previous personal assistant wrote everything down on a notepad.”

I laughed as if I didn’t do that too. I only reached for my tablet before I left the house because I couldn’t find my notepad.

Oliver and I covered the basics of the job for about an hour. I asked a lot of questions that he really couldn’t answer, but I got to know more about him. He was a really dear old man. I didn’t know what he’d been like as a father, but as an employer, it was clear that he was going to be one of my favorite clients. Thanks, Kadija.

Afterward, he gave me a tour of other areas around his home, the stables, guest house, swimming pool and gardens, and a series of passwords he wanted me to commit to memory; he insisted I didn’t write them down.

Later that afternoon, I packed my purse ready to leave.

“So what time tomorrow would you like me to stop by?”

“Don’t you have a birthday coming up this weekend?”

I looked at him, surprised. “How did you know?”

He replied, “Your personnel file.”

“Oh yeah. I have some plans but nothing really concrete.” I was lying. I didn’t have anything planned. Even though Emmaline and Misha had offered to take me out for the weekend, we hadn’t actually come up with exciting stuff to do. We’d probably just sit around my house and drink some beer.

“That’s too bad. A young girl like yourself should celebrate. Do something special. After all, you only turn twenty-one once.” He winked at me then and it reminded me so much of Jude’s wink earlier. Maybe he had gotten his rakishness from his father after all, I thought, amused.

“I’m turning thirty, as we both know, and honestly, it’s no big deal.”

“Maybe not to you...” Oliver said turning away from me and walking towards the study. I followed behind him, wondering where he was going so abruptly.

He found his phone and tapped a few buttons and the next thing I knew, my phone beeped. I reached for it and my eyes grew wide at the message there. It was an alert from an app that we had agreed upon for payment purposes and according to the notification, Oliver had wired me $5000.

I opened my mouth and sputtered, “Is this some sort of payment advance?”

“No. It’s a bonus.”

“But I haven’t even done any work yet.”

He shrugged it off. “I’m sure you’ll do great. Consider it an investment. A happy, rested assistant is a good assistant. So take the weekend off, on me. Do something fun. Go to Vegas! Or Monte Carlo!”

I laughed. “Hold your horses. You gave me five thousand, not ten thousand.”

Oliver laughed, “I have a hotel in Vegas, if you want to go there you’ll have free accommodations and of course, you have access to my private plane.”

I shook my head. “I couldn’t—”

“I insist.”

I was about to say no and then thought to myself – why not? I didn’t have any solid plans. And that had been my own fault since I’d insisted on not having a party even though both Emmaline and Misha were more than willing to plan one.

I frowned as I thought about the choices I tended to make. For some reason, I always deprived myself of any fun. When had I become such a stick in the mud? Oh yeah, I’d always been one. But no more. I was turning over a new leaf, with my employer’s blessing and money, obviously. I would be stupid to say no and so I said yes.

I thanked Oliver profusely and waited while he called me a taxi. As I walked to meet the taxi, I pulled out my cellphone and texted Emmaline and Misha. “We’re going to Vegas, ladies!!!!”

As expected, they didn’t text back. They called. Emmaline called first.

“Lacey,” she said without preamble. “Please tell me you’re not joking because Dora is driving me crazy and I need a break from being a mom like right now.” Emmaline had gotten pregnant during our senior year in college and Theodora had arrived shortly after Emmaline turned twenty. They had an unusual relationship, more like sisters than mother and daughter. And that had seemed to be working until recently; Emmaline mentioned on more than one occasion that Theodora was turning into a crazy tween and they barely agreed on anything anymore.