Read Online The Gift: Book 1 (The Billionaire's Love Story) by Lily Zante - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lily Zante
Tags: Put the Genre Here
Ads: Link
she had any illusions about ever becoming something more, he wasn’t going to risk her getting any ideas.
“You’re sitting with the board of directors on Table 1.” She informed him, sobering up immediately.
“Another night of fun,” he muttered under his breath as he looked around the huge foyer. Just a walkway away there was the Centennial foyer filled to the brim with more employees. Food was served, buffet style, and people were spread out all over the hotel, mixing, flirting and enjoying themselves. Even if Savannah Page had been here, it would have been hard to find her.
Scanning his gaze around, he caught sight of the shock of auburn hair and recognized Briony talking with her friends, all with glasses of champagne in their hands.
“Excuse me,” he said, and without even looking at Candace, he left, and cut his way across the packed room to where Briony stood. People greeted him as he moved past them, so that it took longer than it should have to get to her. She turned to him in surprise. “Tobias?” They both knew he wasn’t one to seek out others, not in social situations. He usually preferred to watch from a distance, and keep his distance too.
“Is something wrong?” Briony asked.
“No,” he replied, wondering if he instilled the fear of god into everyone. The other two women smiled and looked into their glasses, but he remained silent, and they soon disappeared, as if on cue.
“I got it wrong with the Dalton file,” he said, finally.
For a moment Briony looked puzzled. “Oh, that.” She threw her head back slightly and he knew she considered it odd for him to bring that up now. “Yes, you did.”
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since that day. I wanted to clear up a few things.” He found himself in the awkward position of having to explain himself for he knew that whatever he said stood a chance of getting back to that Page woman. For some reason which he didn’t even understand himself, he’d been thinking about her lately and seeing her earlier in the line at the food bank had made him more curious.
“It was remiss of me to assume that your temp had taken the file.”
Briony was quick to nod her head. “Savannah wouldn’t do anything like that. She’s a hard worker, and she’s honest and reliable. She finished the original job I hired her for within two weeks. We’d taken her on for three. She could have taken her time, but she didn’t.”
“You’re not easily impressed,” said Tobias.
“That should tell you something. She’s the best temp I’ve ever hired.”
Tobias lifted his face and stared across the room. “She’s not here.”
“I know she didn’t like the accusation you made but she was planning to attend. I think she decided against it at the last minute.”
Tobias nodded his head. Maybe she was still mad. He knew he would be if someone had accused him of something he didn’t do.
“Just out of curiosity,” he asked, trying to sound casual. “When do temps get paid?” This was uneasy territory for him, not just making small talk, but the kind of information he was after—and it had nothing to with hedge fund transactions.
“Not until January.” Briony replied. “Apparently it’s how the agency works.”
Tobias narrowed his eyes. So that was why. The bastards. He was certain the agency had most likely already invoiced his company for the bill.
“That’s a shame. Some people need the money before Christmas. I pay my employees before Christmas and I’m sure it would help her.”
“Now that you mention it, I think it would. She seemed a little shocked when I told her.”
“Are you in the office tomorrow?”
Briony shook her head. “No,” she replied. Then after a moment, “You’re not inhumane after all, Tobias. It seems as if the Christmas spirit has touched you, too.”
“Don’t push it,” he warned but couldn’t help let a smile slide onto his lips. The image of Savannah Page lining up to get food from that
“You’re sitting with the board of directors on Table 1.” She informed him, sobering up immediately.
“Another night of fun,” he muttered under his breath as he looked around the huge foyer. Just a walkway away there was the Centennial foyer filled to the brim with more employees. Food was served, buffet style, and people were spread out all over the hotel, mixing, flirting and enjoying themselves. Even if Savannah Page had been here, it would have been hard to find her.
Scanning his gaze around, he caught sight of the shock of auburn hair and recognized Briony talking with her friends, all with glasses of champagne in their hands.
“Excuse me,” he said, and without even looking at Candace, he left, and cut his way across the packed room to where Briony stood. People greeted him as he moved past them, so that it took longer than it should have to get to her. She turned to him in surprise. “Tobias?” They both knew he wasn’t one to seek out others, not in social situations. He usually preferred to watch from a distance, and keep his distance too.
“Is something wrong?” Briony asked.
“No,” he replied, wondering if he instilled the fear of god into everyone. The other two women smiled and looked into their glasses, but he remained silent, and they soon disappeared, as if on cue.
“I got it wrong with the Dalton file,” he said, finally.
For a moment Briony looked puzzled. “Oh, that.” She threw her head back slightly and he knew she considered it odd for him to bring that up now. “Yes, you did.”
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since that day. I wanted to clear up a few things.” He found himself in the awkward position of having to explain himself for he knew that whatever he said stood a chance of getting back to that Page woman. For some reason which he didn’t even understand himself, he’d been thinking about her lately and seeing her earlier in the line at the food bank had made him more curious.
“It was remiss of me to assume that your temp had taken the file.”
Briony was quick to nod her head. “Savannah wouldn’t do anything like that. She’s a hard worker, and she’s honest and reliable. She finished the original job I hired her for within two weeks. We’d taken her on for three. She could have taken her time, but she didn’t.”
“You’re not easily impressed,” said Tobias.
“That should tell you something. She’s the best temp I’ve ever hired.”
Tobias lifted his face and stared across the room. “She’s not here.”
“I know she didn’t like the accusation you made but she was planning to attend. I think she decided against it at the last minute.”
Tobias nodded his head. Maybe she was still mad. He knew he would be if someone had accused him of something he didn’t do.
“Just out of curiosity,” he asked, trying to sound casual. “When do temps get paid?” This was uneasy territory for him, not just making small talk, but the kind of information he was after—and it had nothing to with hedge fund transactions.
“Not until January.” Briony replied. “Apparently it’s how the agency works.”
Tobias narrowed his eyes. So that was why. The bastards. He was certain the agency had most likely already invoiced his company for the bill.
“That’s a shame. Some people need the money before Christmas. I pay my employees before Christmas and I’m sure it would help her.”
“Now that you mention it, I think it would. She seemed a little shocked when I told her.”
“Are you in the office tomorrow?”
Briony shook her head. “No,” she replied. Then after a moment, “You’re not inhumane after all, Tobias. It seems as if the Christmas spirit has touched you, too.”
“Don’t push it,” he warned but couldn’t help let a smile slide onto his lips. The image of Savannah Page lining up to get food from that
Similar Books
