I pull out my car keys and unlock the front door, opening it. I suppose the security is because he’s a billionaire, but I refrain from mentioning it. There’s no point in reminding the man that he could bathe in a tub of money.
Does he worry that he could be held for ransom or his home burglarized because he has enough money to buy the entire state of California if it were for sale?
I’m surprised he doesn’t own a chain of islands. Someplace quiet and remote.
Maybe he does, and I just don’t know about it? It’s not like he’s telling me his secrets, revealing himself to me. He doesn’t have to. I work for him, not the other way around.
Jace stands just a few feet away, watching as I climb into my car. He folds his arms across his chest. His eyes tighten, and he shakes his head, coming around to the driver’s side.
Did I forget something?
He leans down just as I start the engine.
I roll down my window while reaching for my phone to input the address into GPS.
Jace glances at the dashboard. “Do you have enough gas to get you to the apartment?”
I don’t know how far a drive it is to where I’m going yet. “Let me see,” I say and punch in the address that he gave me.
It’s a few miles, with traffic twenty-five minutes is what GPS estimates on the screen. I have less than an eighth of a tank. The empty tank indicator light hasn’t come on yet.
I should make it to the apartment, but anywhere else will be tough until payday.
Jace reaches in through the open window and hands me a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill.
I didn’t even see him reach into his wallet. I was too busy punching in the address of the apartment he was sending me to.
“Take it,” Jace says, offering me the money that I asked for last night to cover gas for the car.
“Only if it comes out of my pay.” I oblige and retrieve the bill from his fingers, slipping it into my wallet. While I’m not looking for a handout, I am relieved he’s willing to help by giving me an advance.
He cocks a sideways grin. “Don’t worry. The contract will all be laid out, including a payment schedule, expectations, and contractual requirements. I’ll come by this evening to your apartment with the paperwork,” Jace says.
He makes it sound quite overwhelming. “Do I need a lawyer?” I ask. It’s not like I have the money for one, but I don’t want to get in over my head again. I’m still paying the price for the last mistake that I made, marrying John.
I thought I needed him in my life to help me raise my son, but all he did was make things worse.
Much worse.
“I will go over everything thoroughly with you, but if you want to bring a lawyer, I won’t stop you. I’ll swing by this evening when I get off work. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”
“All right,” I say. There’s no way I can afford a lawyer.
He steps away from my car, and I manually roll up the window with the crank. There’s nothing fancy about my vehicle. It was a bottom-of-the-line model, the cheapest I could get my hands on and afford.
* * *
After I fill up my gas tank and tuck the remainder of the money back into my purse, I head straight to the apartment.
I’m not sure what to expect. I follow the directions and parallel park out on the street. There’s a parking garage, but I don’t have a vehicle pass to get inside.
I grab my duffel bag of clothes and sling my purse over my shoulder as I step out of the car. I lock the car doors and use the key Jace gave me to enter through the main entrance.
I head up to the elevator. I glance at the apartment number scribbled in Jace’s handwriting. I ride the elevator up to the fourth floor and then step out, glancing around for 4B.
The hallway is well lit. The building smells of new construction, like fresh paint. It appears well maintained from the interior of the hallway.
I find my apartment quickly enough and shove my key into the lock, opening the door. I flip on the light, surprised by the magnitude of the apartment.