Read Online Ambition: A Dark Billionaire Romance Anthology by Lauren Landish, Lauren Landish - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauren Landish, Lauren Landish
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wouldn't give up though, I'm kind of hard-headed like that. "But if you really want, next time I'll send my sister. Lin's the sort who'd pocket a five without telling Dad."
James disappeared out the door while Vanessa sat at her desk, amused. "You do that at least once a week," she said when the door closed. "I thought you'd have learned by now."
"Come on Vanessa. I'm getting paid an obscene amount of money to run this place, the least I can do is help out the kid," I replied. "Gratitude or not, he deserves an extra little bit for risking the lunchtime traffic to get the shrimp here while it's still hot and crispy. He's on a fifty cc scooter for God's sake."
"You never know how people will react to generosity," Vanessa replied. "You remember the story about the CEO who raised all his employees pay to at least seventy thousand a year as a gesture of income equality or something? It made the national news a while back, a software company I think."
I turned away from the door after closing it behind me. "Yeah, I remember something about it. Why?"
"Did you know the average amount of happiness and worker satisfaction in his company actually went down after that? Seemed a lot of people started worrying about if they were really earning their keep, and then there was jealousy and a lot of other issues cropping up. He actually had to rent out a room in his house to make ends meet for a while, because he had so much turnover and problems that he couldn't get work done and was losing money. I guess what I'm saying is, I know you feel bad about the money you're making. But it doesn't help to spread it around so much. That is, unless of course, you want to buy a very expensive gift for Secretary's Day. I hear that gold is nice, but platinum is all the rage this season for the well-respected executive assistant."
I turned and looked at Vanessa with a smirk. "Okay, okay, point taken, joke noted, and comment filed away for April. Just don't be surprised when you get something that is platinum coated. Now all I'm missing is a City Councilman to share this food with."
"Just remember the General Tso's chicken set is mine," Vanessa said as I heard footsteps on the stairs leading up to the third floor. I was slightly surprised, I'd expected him to use the freight elevator. It was very old school, and you had to pull the security gate down, but it had that sort of retro feel that I personally loved using, especially when my legs were tired. "Your cute date is here."
Rolling my eyes, I took a moment to admit to myself that yes, Patrick McCaffery was cute, and yes, I'd had much worse-looking lunch meetings. I went over to Vanessa's desk and pretended to be at least not looking like I was waiting for the door to open when he came in. "Sorry, I know I'm a minute or two late, I didn't realize that you had a gym downstairs. I got caught up in watching someone do some pretty impressive stuff with the kettlebells. Well, that and I ran into the delivery kid coming down the stairs."
"Then you're right on time it seems," I replied. I opened the bag and took out Vanessa's lunch. "Vanessa, while I set up the table in the other room, can you give Councilman McCaffery those hints on how to find someone like you to help him out? I'm afraid if you don't, we're going to be failing in our civic duty."
"Of course," Vanessa replied, taking out a three page document from her desk drawer. "Councilman, I typed this up for you this morning actually."
"First off, it's Patrick. The only time someone calls me Councilman is when I'm usually not looking forward to the rest of the conversation. As for the document....." I heard, before going into my office and setting up the table. It was the same table, I noted that Bishop Traylor and I had our meeting at. I considered shifting to the conference table, but decided against it. The chairs there were too uncomfortable for anything other than straight business meetings, and I didn't want that.
As I arranged the
James disappeared out the door while Vanessa sat at her desk, amused. "You do that at least once a week," she said when the door closed. "I thought you'd have learned by now."
"Come on Vanessa. I'm getting paid an obscene amount of money to run this place, the least I can do is help out the kid," I replied. "Gratitude or not, he deserves an extra little bit for risking the lunchtime traffic to get the shrimp here while it's still hot and crispy. He's on a fifty cc scooter for God's sake."
"You never know how people will react to generosity," Vanessa replied. "You remember the story about the CEO who raised all his employees pay to at least seventy thousand a year as a gesture of income equality or something? It made the national news a while back, a software company I think."
I turned away from the door after closing it behind me. "Yeah, I remember something about it. Why?"
"Did you know the average amount of happiness and worker satisfaction in his company actually went down after that? Seemed a lot of people started worrying about if they were really earning their keep, and then there was jealousy and a lot of other issues cropping up. He actually had to rent out a room in his house to make ends meet for a while, because he had so much turnover and problems that he couldn't get work done and was losing money. I guess what I'm saying is, I know you feel bad about the money you're making. But it doesn't help to spread it around so much. That is, unless of course, you want to buy a very expensive gift for Secretary's Day. I hear that gold is nice, but platinum is all the rage this season for the well-respected executive assistant."
I turned and looked at Vanessa with a smirk. "Okay, okay, point taken, joke noted, and comment filed away for April. Just don't be surprised when you get something that is platinum coated. Now all I'm missing is a City Councilman to share this food with."
"Just remember the General Tso's chicken set is mine," Vanessa said as I heard footsteps on the stairs leading up to the third floor. I was slightly surprised, I'd expected him to use the freight elevator. It was very old school, and you had to pull the security gate down, but it had that sort of retro feel that I personally loved using, especially when my legs were tired. "Your cute date is here."
Rolling my eyes, I took a moment to admit to myself that yes, Patrick McCaffery was cute, and yes, I'd had much worse-looking lunch meetings. I went over to Vanessa's desk and pretended to be at least not looking like I was waiting for the door to open when he came in. "Sorry, I know I'm a minute or two late, I didn't realize that you had a gym downstairs. I got caught up in watching someone do some pretty impressive stuff with the kettlebells. Well, that and I ran into the delivery kid coming down the stairs."
"Then you're right on time it seems," I replied. I opened the bag and took out Vanessa's lunch. "Vanessa, while I set up the table in the other room, can you give Councilman McCaffery those hints on how to find someone like you to help him out? I'm afraid if you don't, we're going to be failing in our civic duty."
"Of course," Vanessa replied, taking out a three page document from her desk drawer. "Councilman, I typed this up for you this morning actually."
"First off, it's Patrick. The only time someone calls me Councilman is when I'm usually not looking forward to the rest of the conversation. As for the document....." I heard, before going into my office and setting up the table. It was the same table, I noted that Bishop Traylor and I had our meeting at. I considered shifting to the conference table, but decided against it. The chairs there were too uncomfortable for anything other than straight business meetings, and I didn't want that.
As I arranged the
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