Billionaire Grump by Misha Bell

Author:Misha Bell [Bell, Misha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mozaika Publications
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Lucius

As we sit across from each other in the limo, I study Juno.

Her assist at the meeting was amazing. I was caught off-guard by it, even though I shouldn’t have been. She has a razor-sharp mind and an obvious love for plants. In my defense, even a trained botanist might not have been able to spout off facts about Florida’s native flora so easily.

“Are you sure about going for that Botany degree?” I ask as the limo starts moving.

“Why?” She looks squinty all of a sudden. “You don’t think I can finish it?”

Fuck. Have I put my foot in my mouth? “I view degrees as a means to an end,” I say carefully. “Usually, the end is something to put on your resume. So what I meant was: are you sure you need to learn more about plants for the job of your dreams? Based on what you did at our meeting, you may be able to skip to the next step.”

In a breath, her narrowed eyes widen to the size of quarters. “Was there a compliment in there?”

I resist the urge to grunt in frustration. “That wasn’t clear?”

She bites her lip. “Not exactly, but thank you. To answer your question, I don’t feel like I know everything there is to know about plants. I doubt I’ll ever feel that way. Most of the jobs I want require a degree, so I wouldn’t even get an interview without one. Besides”—her chin dips down—“I want to finish college just to prove I can.”

“That’s silly,” I say, then see her frown. Clearly, my foot has dipped into my mouth again. Quickly, I add, “Obviously, you can.”

The radiant expression on her face tugs at something deep inside me that I would rather remain buried. “You really think so?”

I nod.

She looks at the limo floor. “I’m not so sure.”

“Why?”

She sighs. “Did the dossier you collected on me not mention my dyslexia?”

“No,” I say. “But so what? Albert Einstein was dyslexic. So was Steve Jobs. And Henry Ford. Walt Disney as well. It’s a long, industrious list, and they all got far in life long before text-to-speech technology.” I grab her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. “I have no doubt someone as determined and clever as you will finish college summa cum laude.”

She beams at me. “I hope you’re right.”

“I know I’m right.” Reluctantly, I let her hand go.

She looks at me with a strange expression—one that reminds me of the kiss I’ve been putting out of my mind. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” I say.

Her breath catches, making me realize I’m staring at her chest. “A surprise?”

I force my eyes up. “A surprise is an event where you don’t anticipate the outcome.”

“Ah. So an example would be a whole minute where you’re not an ass?”

I sigh. “We’re going to The Florida Museum of Natural History.”

Her eyes light up, like a jar of honey hit by a sunray. “Isn’t that on the University of Florida campus?”

I can’t resist a self-satisfied grin. “I figured you might like that.

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