Billionaires in New York Boxed Set: Billionaires in the City Books 1-3 by Laura Burton (learn to read books .TXT) 📕

Emily’s phone vibrated. She dabbed her salty lips with a napkin as she put the last of her pretzel down on her lap and picked up the flashing phone from her Gucci purse.

“I’m on the subway. What is it, Jaqueline?”

“I just wanted to check that you wanted to set Mr. Marks up with Mandy Price?”

“Yes, what’s the problem?”

“I’m surprised, looking at her profile…”

Emily smiled wickedly to herself. “Oh, you don’t think she’s passionate and opinionated?”

“Sure, she’s very opinionated, but I thought—”

“Do I pay you to think, Jaqueline?” Emily asked bluntly.

“Well, I like to think that—”

“There it is again. I don’t need someone to think for me. What I need is someone to run errands, and I also did not ask for you to second-guess my decisions.”

“Sorry, Ms. Stewart.”

“Do not let it happen again.”

“My apologies. I’ll make those reservations and send out the details to Mr. Marks now.”

“See you in the morning, Jaqueline.” Emily sighed. She was tired of having to act like a dragon. Yet, this young Jersey girl so often pushed the line. An assistant should not be second-guessing her boss’ decisions. She was a confusing girl to Emily, one moment acting timid and shy, then aloof and snappy with her the next. If this was going to work, she figured that telling Jaqueline about the plan was inevitable. With that thought, she puffed out her chest, picked up her pretzel again and she plotted a most-evil plan.

Chapter Two

A Disastrous Date

David clutched the edge of his seat so tightly, he could feel the veins in his arms bulging. He tried not to look bewildered as he watched the young woman sitting across the table order her food.

“I’ll have the salmon, but I don’t want it smoked, and do you have those little rice rolls wrapped up in leaves?”

The waiter inclined his head and scrawled notes on the minuscule notebook in the palm of his hand.

“I gather you don’t eat sushi very often?’ David asked politely. Mandy shook her head and offered a laugh in response. David’s brows twitched as he resisted the urge to raise them.

“Oh, and be a doll”—she turned back to the waiter again—“get me a tonic water, but not the sparkling kind, it makes me kind of gassy, and we wouldn’t want that on a first date!’ She threw her head back and roared with laughter, which got caught somewhere in her throat. She coughed and smiled as the waiter walked away.

“So, tell me about yourself. The agency said you’re stinking rich!” She flashed a toothy grin. David tried not to look at the red lipstick staining her front teeth.

“Oh, they said that, did they?” He subconsciously ran a tongue across his own teeth.

“Well, obviously they didn’t say that, but I didn’t need them to. I already knew.” She twirled her thick hair between her fingers and eyed him like he was a plaything.

“Really?” David cleared his throat and tried to smile.

Mandy adjusted her pink scarf, the bangles on her arms jangled, and she fluttered her giant false lashes at him.

“I am very intuitive,” she murmured. “I have a super power. Do you want to know what it is?”

David shifted uncomfortably in his chair and looked wildly around the room for an escape. He briefly made eye contact with Joffrey, who stood resolutely by the door. Giving a curt nod, Joffrey responded with a small smile.

“Oh, sure…,” David said, wondering how quickly he could get out of this situation. From the moment Mandy walked into the secluded dining room, a flume of sickly-sweet perfume flooded the place. It was as if hands were draped around David’s neck, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

Mandy leaned forward, with her ample bosom pressed against the table, and stared wide-eyed at David as if offering confession.

“I can read auras,” she breathed. Garlic fumes floated through the air as she spoke, his nostrils flared instinctively.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Mandy sat back in her chair and surveyed David with look of total seriousness. “You are the kind of guy with a big heart, you know, and even though you have bags of money, you’re totally down-to-earth,” Mandy said with her Bronx accent.

“You can tell that by reading my aura?”

The waiter returned with their drinks and silently placed them on the dinner table. Mandy ignored him and nodded fervently at David with a dramatic smile.

“We have a connection you know. I felt it as soon as I laid eyes on you.” David nonchalantly shifted his gaze to Joffrey, who smirked.

Firing him tonight.

“You did?” he asked faintly as he took a sip of his drink. “Well, I don’t really know anything about you, perhaps—”

“I thought you’d never ask about me!’ Mandy exclaimed gleefully; her blue eyes flashed as she smiled up at the ceiling. “I’m a Gemini, and I have my own business selling crystals. I offer life coaching too.”

“Oh, interesting,” David said politely.

Mandy nodded appreciatively at him as if she were accepting an Oscar.

“I couldn’t be where I am today without my cat.”

“Your… cat?”

Mandy pulled out her phone; the back was bedazzled and twinkled in the candlelight.

“Sparkles, he got me through some very dark times.” She thumbed through her pictures before holding it out for David to see. What he saw was the grumpiest-looking cat he had ever laid eyes on.

“Isn’t he the best?” Mandy said. David looked to see her eyes tearing up. He wanted to cry as well… for different reasons.

“He really helped me go through a nasty divorce.” Mandy sighed as she put her phone away. David swallowed and shifted his weight in the creaky chair.

“You’ve been married?” he asked, glancing at his watch. It seemed like an eternity had passed since they ordered food, when in fact, it had only been ten minutes. Mandy tilted her head to side and shrugged.

“I’ve been married a few times. It’s hard to find a guy to really commit, you know? And a lot of men find my success intimidating,” she simpered, pouting her oversized lips at him.

David held his breath as an