Usually Cindy stopped me at the door, but today she had a smile. “Go right on in. He's expecting you,” she said.
Apparently Carter was as excited to see me as I was to see him. I walked in the office, looking at his desk. He wasn't there.
I wondered where he could be when I heard a loud POP to my left. Carter had a bottle of champagne in his hand, which was quickly overflowing. I rushed to grab the nearby towel, but he laughed and grabbed it himself, wiping the bottle.
“How does it feel to make your first million for this company?” he asked.
I frowned. There was no way I had made a million dollars already, based on the stock price. “Carter, I-”
“I saw the press conference just now. You were right. Well, you forgot one thing.”
“There's nothing proprietary about their process, so I didn't think-”
“I know, Jane. So now I'm going to play the swings while the company's stock plays see-saw for the rest of the day,” he said.
I hesitated. “That's more your forte than mine,” I said carefully.
He shrugged. “Well then, we can split the credit.” He poured champagne into two glasses. “To the first half million you've made for this company,” he said as he handed her a glass.
I felt like I should protest again, since I didn't really feel like I made the company a half million dollars. It all felt kind of unreal. I mean, a half million dollars could pay off every student loan I had. It was kind of absurd.
Then I realized that I shouldn't argue with the boss. “To my first half million,” I said, clinking my glass against his. I tilted my head back and let the sparkling liquid slip down my tongue. Without thinking, I downed the entire glass. When I finished, I realized that, as I tilted my head back, I pushed my breasts out a little too far. For at least half a second, my boss's eyes were fixed on my tits. He quickly recovered and made eye contact, but the attention sent a shiver of anticipation through my body.
He seemed to think for a moment, then he seemed to do a quick nod to himself. “You know what? You only get one 'first victory', and I want to make sure you celebrate this one right.”
I didn't know what to say, but I managed to choke out an “Oh?”
“Yeah. I'm going to take you out tonight. I know you're new to town, so think of where you want to go out. Any place you want, I can get reservations.” He seemed proud of this fact. His eyes remained locked on mine.
I was shocked. Was he asking me out on a date? I wasn't his type. I wasn't a supermodel. All I had was...
Big boobs. Which I had just flaunted in front of him. On accident.
My heart began to race. This sexy billionaire was actually checking me out, had actually asked me out on a date. Was this possible? Was this real life?
Is it possible to die from nervousness? I thought for the second time while in this building.
I guess I hesitated for too long, because he continued. “You can take the rest of the day off to get ready, and I'll expect you back here after the market closes.”
I laughed. “Leave work early?”
“Of course,” he said. “You're not wearing that to a fancy restaurant.”
I looked down at myself, at my pencil skirt and button-up blouse. “What's wrong with what I'm wearing?”
He shrugged. “Nothing. It's a fine outfit for the work day, but not for after work. Just put on your favorite dress and meet me back here at six o'clock.”
With that, he drank the rest of his glass of champagne and put the rest of the bottle on ice. Where he got ice from, I had no idea. Maybe he had an ice maker in his office for all the champagne he drank? Who knew what a billionaire had?
He turned and went back to his desk. “Go,” he said. “I have to earn the other half a million that you made me.”
He picked up his phone and began to dial, making it clear that we were done for now. I quickly left his office. I thought about going and telling Maddy, but instead I just walked to the door. I knew she'd never believe me anyway.
This was going to be a night to remember.
Chapter 9
I drove home carefully, more nervous than I had been in a long time. Carter Winthrow, one of the sexiest bachelors in the world, wanted to take me out. To celebrate. To congratulate. And, by the way he had looked at my body, to do much more.