The Billionaire and His Driver

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Brina pulled up to the security gate at the mammoth Bradshaw Technologies compound on the outskirts of Eugene. Knowing the boss’s car, the guard immediately opened the gate and Brina drove through. Tex directed her to a private elevator on the side of the massive property where they entered onto a platform. Then the car, with them inside, was transported all the way up to the top floor: the forty-second floor. It was amazing to Brina. She’d never seen anything like it.

When they stopped at the top floor, it was as if they were in a normal parking garage. Brina quickly got out to open the door for the boss, but a valet was already there and waiting and opened the door as Ronny tapped on it. Brina got out anyway and made her way around to the passenger side.

Tex had gotten out, too, and made his way to the double doors at the floor’s entrance. And he stood there buttoning his suitcoat with one hand while holding his briefcase with his other hand. “Come with me,” he said to her without looking at her and then made his way toward the entrance.

Brina glanced at the valet, who was surprised himself, but she didn’t hesitate. She hurried behind Ronny.

Tex opened the entrance doors for both of them and then followed behind them.

Brina looked back as Tex remained at the entrance doors while Ronny made his way down a long corridor. Brina didn’t know if she was supposed to stay with Tex or go with Ronny, but since Ronny said for her to come with him, she went with him.

At the end of the long corridor she could see FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD WARREN brADSHAW written above an office door. But they walked around a corner, walking past that office. She had Googled him before and knew that he was the founder and Chairman of Bradshaw Tech and therefore it would not have been his late father’s office, who bore the same name, but she wondered why he didn’t stop there. She was just curious.

But as they headed down another long corridor that led to a door with BOARD ROOM written on top, she was more than curious. She was happy to see chairs on the outside of the room, where she would gladly sit and wait on him if that location was his destination. But when a man standing outside, presumably the boardroom attendant, opened the board room double doors for Ronny, he stopped and motioned for Brina to go in ahead of him.

Brina didn’t want to go in AT ALL, but she knew she was on his dime and on his clock. She did as she was ordered.

But as she walked up to Ronny, that feeling that always overwhelmed him whenever she was close, took over again. The same feeling that always overwhelmed Brina when he was near, overtook her again too. They glanced into each other’s eyes as she brushed past him, which heightened the sensual part of him too.

Inside the boardroom, three white men in suits were seated at the long table. She knew immediately that they were related to Ronny: all three looked like him. They were talking amongst themselves when she and Ronny walked in. That conversation abruptly stopped when they saw Brina.

Ronny motioned for Brina to have a seat against the wall behind the roll of chairs where three attractive young women, two white and one black, were seated with iPads in their hands. Brina assumed them to be the assistants to whom she assumed to be the Bradshaw brothers. A lot of assuming, she knew.

“New hire?” one of the young ladies whispered to Ronny when she sat down.

Ronny didn’t know what to say. “I don’t work here,” she said.

The young woman looked at her as if she wanted to ask the next logical question: Then why are you in a board meeting?

Ronny sat at the head of the table while his brothers all waited for an explanation. But Ronny began the meeting.

“I spoke with Latimore last week,” he said. “The deal is too top loaded, he says.”

“Wait a minute, Ronny.” It was the one who looked older than the other two men at the table. “Who’s this?” He was motioning toward Brina.

“That’s Sabrina Hawkins. Sabrina, please meet Sullivan, called Sully. Zackariah, called Zack. And Perry. Yes, you guessed it: Called Perry. They are my brothers and business partners.”

Brina smiled at the men with a nod of her head. “Nice to meet you.”

Only one, the one that appeared to be the youngest, smiled back. “Nice to meet you, Sabrina,” Perry said.

“You didn’t answer my question,” said Sullivan. “Who is she?”

“She’s my driver,” Ronny said, although he wanted to add, and so much more , but he knew that would shock, not just Brina, but himself as well.

“She’s your driver?” asked a confused Zack. “Why is your driver in this meeting?”

“Let me see. Oh here’s a reason! She’s in this meeting because I own eighty percent of this corporation and can have in this meeting whomever the hell I want to have in this meeting. That’s why!”

Zack gave Ronny a hard look. Brina could just feel the tension between the two brothers.

“What was Latimore’s bottom line?” asked Sully. He could feel the tension too.

“He wants more concessions,” Ronny said, still staring back at Zack.

“And what did you tell him?”

“I told him the deal’s off.”

“Off?” Sully was astounded. “Why would you tell him that, Ronny? We need that slice of the market.”

“I told you he’s the worse negotiator ever,” said Zack. “He doesn’t give anybody a chance to bluff, even for pride’s sake. Now we lost a great deal.”

“We haven’t lost a damn thing. He’ll be back.”

“And how do you know this, Ronald?” Zack asked.

“Because he no longer has a supplier,” Ronny said. “I purchased that supply company first.”

All three brothers hesitated. And then they smiled and laughed. Perry shook his head. “Good move, big brother,” he said. “Good move!”

“Okay you got me on that one,” said Zack, smiling too.

“I got a call from Governor Grisham,” said Sully.

Ronny looked at him. “And?”

“He’s waiting for you to put a ring on Fallon’s finger. He wants a marriage before he agrees to any collaboration.”

Ronny wanted to take a glance over at Brina when Sully mentioned a ring and marriage, but he kept his composure.

But Brina was a little shocked. Was Fallon that young woman that stared her down at that country club three months ago? Was she Ronny’s girlfriend ? Somehow it never occurred to her that he would have a steady lady in his life, or she never would have slept with him! She somehow got caught up in believing him to be her great rescuer that she never even thought about it. He didn’t glance at her, but she was staring at him.

So much so that Sully noticed her stare.

“I’ll give him a call,” Ronny said to Sully. “If he phones you again, tell him I’ll be in touch.”

“What are you waiting on?” asked Zack. “Just give her a ring for crying out loud. You don’t have to marry her. Old Man Grisham will give in if he knows you’re at least trying to do your part.”

“That’s horrible advice,” said Perry. “You don’t play with people’s emotions like that.”

“A way to an end,” said Zack. “And shut up, Perry.”

“You shut up!” Perry fired back.

“Both of you shut up,” said Sully, and they both stopped the conversation. Although Ronny was the head of the family by age, Sully, only one year younger than Ronny, was the enforcer: What he said went. Even with Ronny. “Call him today,” he suggested to his older brother. “He seems desperate to me. Ready to make a deal. If you play ball.”

“He desperately wants to get his hands on that Ronny Bradshaw fortune,” said Perry. “That’s all that’s about.” Then Perry smiled. “He’s willing to put Ronny in the White House to get there too.”

The White House ? As in President of the United States ? Another shocker for Brina. She slept with the future President of the United States? She looked at Ronny as if she was staring through the looking glass. It felt just that bizarre.

But Ronny dared not look at her. He moved on to other topics as the assistants seated with Brina kept meticulous notes for their individual boss at the table. But Brina kept staring at Ronny. So much so that she had no idea Sully and Zack were staring at her. That both of them wanted to know what it was about her that a man like Ronald, who did not suffer fools well or women at all, would have her tagging along with him.