A Miami Affair

Chapter 2

Josh smiled as he watched Becca concentrate on the packet he’d given her. He got the feeling that she was the type to never act too affected by a man, but he hadn’t missed the hint of appreciation reflected in her eyes.

“I apologize if you had to change any plans to see me today. As I stated over the phone, I wanted to meet before I head out of town. I have big plans for the benefit, but I want to make sure my ideas work for Aunt Penny.”

“I guess I should explain the foundation in a little more detail,” Becca said, turning toward Josh. “Unless you prefer to dive right into the plans.”

“No, please continue. I’d like to hear more about the foundation.”

“Well, as you know, I’m the director of public relations for The Aunt Penny Foundation, which was founded by Haley Adams. Haley and I aren’t just colleagues, but friends who share the same vision. And while Aunt Penny is a real person, she doesn’t actually work at the foundation or oversee its activities.”

“But Aunt Penny contributes financially, right?” Josh asked. “I believe I read an article about her being a key sponsor for the foundation.” Josh reached for the water bottles he’d placed on the table before Becca had arrived and offered her one.

“Thank you,” she said, opening the water bottle and taking a sip. “Yes, Aunt Penny is definitely a key supporter and the reason the foundation exists in the first place. Aunt Penny was Haley’s next-door neighbor when she was growing up and although Aunt Penny isn’t actually Haley’s blood relative, she became somewhat of a surrogate grandmother to her. Aunt Penny’s emotional encouragement and financial support are the reason Haley earned an Ivy League diploma.”

“Aunt Penny sounds pretty special.” Josh hadn’t had the benefit of meeting his paternal grandmother, but he imagined that she would have been like Aunt Penny. Unfortunately, he couldn’t say the same for his mom’s mother, who didn’t have a nurturing bone in her body.

“She is.” Becca nodded her head in agreement. “There will always be a special place for Aunt Penny in my heart, too. One day, Haley came to me and said that she wished every girl could have an Aunt Penny, and thus, the foundation was born. Our nonprofit organization helps students who otherwise couldn’t afford it raise money for college. We provide mentoring, as well.”

Josh knew what the foundation did and had researched them at length, but it was nice to hear the words from Becca directly. “That’s a great story and one that I believe should be shared at our upcoming Prescott George meeting. The history of the foundation is also one that the media would truly love.”

Becca squinted. “Haley and I would be happy to share the foundation’s story with the organization, but I’m confused. I don’t recall any of the previously chosen charity recipients receiving media coverage.”

“That’s because they haven’t. But I’ve thought at length about your foundation and the increased number of donations you would receive if we invite celebrities to the gala. Celebrities will not only be willing to break out their checkbooks, but also speak with the media about the event and your organization.”

Josh vaguely thought about the fact that the Prescott George board had yet to understand his vision for the gala. However, in due time he was hoping a few key members would begin to see things his way.

“I’m all for increased revenue, but I don’t want The Aunt Penny Foundation to be subject to a paparazzi circus, either.”

“More paparazzi mean more donations.”

“I’m surprised this is the route Prescott George wants to take.” She was studying him carefully, but Josh didn’t care. He was confident that publicizing the gala was the right move and getting Becca to agree would only help him pitch his argument to the board.

“Sometimes, in order to get the larger population to donate to a cause, you’ve got to take risks.”

“Sometimes the risk isn’t worth the reward.”

“And other times it is.” Josh sat up straighter in his seat. “We have less than two months before the gala, so we need to act fast on a few of the ideas I have if we’re going to solidify the appearance of celebrities.”

Seeing the skepticism on her face, Josh thought she’d probably get along with Ashton extremely well. Both were afraid to take chances. Ashton Rollins was the current president of Prescott George and Josh had no doubt that Rollins would host operations out of a dark cave if he could. Ashton lived and breathed boring traditions and was never willing to take risks that could potentially benefit the organization.

Becca pushed her packet aside and turned her entire body toward Josh. “Would I be correct if I assumed you’re one of those people who believe that there is no such thing as bad publicity?”

“You’d be correct,” Josh said with a smile. “As long as you’re leading an honest life, you should have nothing to fear from the media. Photos and articles about me pop up on newsfeeds all the time. Something about me is constantly floating around on some form of media, whether it be false or true information. Yet, instead of letting what’s portrayed define me, I use the media to my advantage. The publicity only fuels my success.”

Becca was already shaking her head in disagreement. “I can’t imagine every part of my life surfacing on newsfeeds. Especially if it’s depicted in a negative or false manner. If I wanted to be in the media all the time, I would have taken up acting.”

Josh laughed. “In today’s connected world, you have to be willing to put yourself out there. In regards to the gala, we would control media coverage as opposed to the media controlling us.”

“I understand your point, but I’d much rather be known for what I accomplish, and based on coverage I’ve seen where celebrities attend fundraisers, it’s more about who they may be dating or what they’re wearing rather than the cause.”

A quick glance at the time let him know that he needed to wrap up the meeting. He should have ended it ten minutes prior, yet strangely enough, he was enjoying his debate with Becca too much to end the conversation there.

“Becca, I can promise you that Prescott George has The Aunt Penny Foundation’s best interests in mind.” He leaned a little closer to her. “What you and Haley are doing for less fortunate students is admirable and I appreciate the vision and history behind your organization. I only want to help others see the amazing work you’re doing. You don’t just have the support of Prescott George for the gala. You have our support in all your efforts for the future.

“If you allow me to implement some of my publicity ideas for your foundation, I promise that you will not be disappointed. So what do you say? Are you on board?”

For a few seconds, he wondered if she’d been listening to what he’d said. She was looking directly at him, but her mind seemed to be miles away. The silence gave him the chance to observe her a little more closely. She looked a lot better in person than she did in her pictures.

“Okay,” she finally said. “If you think that having the media present will result in additional donations for the foundation, then I’m willing to give it a try. I’m sure you have to leave for your flight soon, so I’ll review the rest of the packet and discuss it with Haley before getting back to you.”

“Sounds good. I’ll also send you the information electronically before my flight.” Josh extended his hand to her.

Becca glanced at his hand, but didn’t shake it. “If I disagree with any of your ideas, then we’ll rework the plan before you take action, right?”

“I’ll agree to that.”

“Good. Then we have a deal.” She finally shook his hand and when she did, he briefly relished how soft it was.

After he led her off his yacht and back through the gate, he smiled as he watched her walk away. You surprised me, Becca Wright. He couldn’t quite place his reasoning, but he had a feeling he’d just met his next big challenge.

* * *

Becca glanced at the clock on the wall. 9:00 p.m. She should have left the office hours ago, but she still had a mountain of paperwork to enter into the intranet and loads of mail to organize before she could call it a night.

“I think I’ve zapped all my brain cells for one day,” Haley said, standing near the doorway of Becca’s office. “I think you should tackle the rest of your to-do list tomorrow.”

Becca ran her fingers down her face. “I wish I could, but I forgot to call the temp agency about Stacy and I really want to get some more work done.”

“I figured you’d say that.” Haley walked to the front desk and came back with two cupcakes and two coffees.

“You read my mind,” Becca said accepting her coffee and cupcake. “Is this from the new bakery down the street?”

“Sure is. I asked Leanna to get it for us before she left.”

“For this, I can take a break.” Becca cleared a small space on her desk as Haley took a seat across from her. As usual, they were the last two in the office. In the span of one year, The Aunt Penny Foundation had gone from twelve dedicated employees to five, including Becca and Haley and the part-timers. In a way, Becca couldn’t even blame their receptionist for abruptly quitting. To say that the foundation had seen better times would be an understatement.

Becca took a bite of the cupcake. “Oh my God, this tastes so good.”

“It does,” Haley agreed. “Gooey red velvet goodness. The perfect carbs for a long day. Which reminds me... The temp, Stacy, showed me a picture of Joshua DeLong this morning. Does he look as sexy in person as he does in the photos online?”

Becca frowned. “We can’t get the temp to do actual work, but she shows off Josh’s picture with the same amount of dedication that we wished she’d put into her job?”

“Oh, so you’re already on a first-name basis with the Millionaire Mogul?”

Becca laughed. It was a well-known fact that the Prescott George organization was often referred to as the Millionaire Moguls. “Have you read the articles online about Josh?”

“Of course I have.” Haley took a sip of her coffee. “Stacy was eager to have me read a couple articles, as well.”

“Tomorrow I’m calling the temp agency for sure,” Becca said, shaking her head. “Anyway, most of the articles portray him as a cocky, arrogant corporate raider who can somehow ease the worries of even the most skeptical client. Those qualities—combined with his charm—are what make him a force to be reckoned with.”

“Did you get a different impression?” Haley asked. “Was he less impressive than what the articles say?”

Becca thought about the meeting she’d had with Josh, from the moment she introduced herself to him all the way to the moment he walked her back to the gate. “I wouldn’t exactly call the articles false.”

Haley raised an eyebrow. “Okay, bestie, what aren’t you telling me?”

Even now, Becca could feel those vibrant blue eyes watching her walk to her car. “He was exactly how one would imagine Joshua DeLong to be...cocky, arrogant and charming. He spent the majority of the meeting trying to convince me that inviting celebrities to the gala would give our foundation an opportunity to receive even more donations and offer unprecedented media coverage.”

“That sounds awesome,” Haley said enthusiastically. “I knew I had a good feeling about working with the moguls.”

“You would be okay with all the publicity? What if all the media coverage doesn’t truly capture the essence of The Aunt Penny Foundation?”

Haley shrugged. “Isn’t it better to give ourselves the free publicity and take every chance we can to try to save the foundation?”

That was exactly what Josh had said. “If you’re okay with it, then I’ll email you the information he sent me so that you can review it, as well. I’ll admit he has some pretty good ideas. I just want to make sure I understand his angle.”

“I know that look,” Haley said. “You don’t trust him.”

“I barely know him.”

“Exactly. So you don’t trust him?”

Becca thought about his perfect white teeth, soft-looking curly hair and grand yacht. “I’m just skeptical, and Josh is a smooth talker. By the end of our conversation, he almost had me convinced that I should just hand over the reins and let him drive the entire time.”

Haley’s eyes softened. “Listen, Becca, we both know that the past couple years have been difficult for the foundation. We aren’t getting the sponsorships and donations we were before. Economically, we’re facing a crisis, and you and I didn’t both get Ivy League educations and quit our corporate jobs to see The Aunt Penny Foundation fail.”

“We’ll figure something out before it comes to that,” Becca said as she reached across the table and touched Haley’s hand. “Do you remember what we used to say in college?”

Haley smiled. “‘At the end of the day, there’s always chocolate and coffee’?”

Becca laughed. “Not that one. I was thinking about when we used to say that one day, we were going to accomplish something that would change the lives of others.”

“Of course I remember. In college, we were bright-eyed and ready to conquer the world.”

“And now we’re doing just that. After only a few years, we’ve already helped over one hundred students get full scholarships to colleges and universities. That’s not even including partial scholarships. We’re making a difference every day at The Aunt Penny Foundation and we will continue to do so for years to come.”

“Then try to keep an open mind when it comes to Joshua DeLong,” Haley said. “Regardless of how you feel about him, keep your mind on the prize. I know how skeptical you are with men like him, but now is not the time to let your prejudices cloud your judgment. We need this, Becks.”

Whenever Haley used her nickname, Becca knew Haley was nervous or anxious about a situation. In this case, it was in Becca’s best interest to take her friend’s advice and focus on all the good that would come from being Prescott George’s charity recipient.

“Don’t worry, Haley. We have the opportunity of a lifetime right in front of us and I have every intention on The Aunt Penny Foundation reaping as many benefits as we can.”

Even if I have to work with a man like Joshua DeLong.

Chapter 3

“It’s about time,” Josh said as he crashed onto the long black sofa in the living room of his condo. He’d been in LA for a couple days, in back-to-back meetings with the shareholders of the latest corporation he’d invested in. Last night, he thought they’d finally reached an agreement, just to be sucked into an even longer debate.

The last time he’d been in several consecutive all-day and all-night meetings that concluded with little solution to the problem had been during the early stages of his career. Josh was usually better at conducting his business meetings, but this tech company wasn’t as agreeable as he’d hoped. Times like this really made his job difficult. Josh didn’t have any misconceptions about the type of work he was in, but in some ways, it still took a toll on him when he least expected it.

Since his meetings had run longer than expected, he’d also missed a call from Daniel Cobb, a Millionaire Mogul he’d been playing phone tag with. He really needed to set up a time to see Daniel in person. Their discussion about the current state of Prescott George couldn’t wait any longer.

Lately thinking about the organization left a bad taste in his mouth. As the Moguls grew across the nation, so did their rigid and old-school values that didn’t allow for much growth within the organization. According to the unspoken rule, a man like Josh would never be chosen as president of the organization. Current president Ashton Rollins—or Mr. Bland and Boring, as Josh secretly referred to him—was just another example of birthright rising to the top. The same affluent families holding the positions of power, subjecting the Prescott George members to the same snooze-fest that was guaranteed to keep the organization stagnant. Josh was ready to change all that.

It was no secret that Josh wasn’t the typical PG member. While most of the men followed the strict dress code and proper forms of speech when attending their meetings, Josh was the complete opposite. He wore what he wanted, how he wanted. Said what he wanted, when he wanted. His actions made many members feel as if he didn’t belong. However, Josh was learning that there were quite a few members who were just as fed up with the status quo as he was. Including Daniel Cobb.

It was past time for PG to have some new blood running the organization. Even though Josh was unhappy with their traditional values, he was still proud to be a member of Prescott George. The Moguls continued to do good work by providing college scholarships to less-fortunate students and funding to inner-city organizations. Honoring an organization such as The Aunt Penny Foundation was just icing on the cake. Being in charge of charity outreach and public relations for PG meant that Josh was able to make an impactful difference in the lives of others.

The gala could be the turning point Prescott George needed. Not only that, but The Aunt Penny Foundation would reap the benefits. Josh knew that Becca was skeptical, but he had no doubt in his mind that gaining media coverage would bring the foundation to the next level.

Josh yawned and took a long stretch before turning on his side on the sofa. He was more restless than he had been in months. Ever since he was a kid, he’d experienced nervous energy. His parents had noticed that he’d often had a difficult time concentrating on one thing at a time, but had thought it was something he’d grow out of. Josh could still remember all the doctor’s appointments when they were trying to diagnose him with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It had taken years for his teachers and parents to realize that he wasn’t suffering from ADHD, but rather wasn’t being challenged enough in school. His IQ was considerably higher than that of the average student his age and he was able to skip two grades.

Usually, Josh would call a woman he often contacted when he was in LA to see if she wanted to stop over and help ease his restlessness. Strangely enough, after a night like he’d had, there was only one person he wanted to see.

Without thinking about it, he pulled out his phone and began scrolling through the contacts on his Skype app until he found Becca’s contact information. Being that it was early in the morning, he didn’t expect her to answer, but surprisingly she did. And from the looks of it, she was wearing what he assumed was her normal work attire.

“Hello, Becca. I’m glad you answered.”

“Hello, Josh.” The way she’d said his name sounded a lot friendlier than the look she was currently giving him. “You didn’t strike me as the type to give 4:00-a.m. wake-up calls. Is everything okay? Are you calling about the questions I had regarding the paperwork?”

Shoot. Josh had seen her email come through about twelve hours ago and had been unable to review her questions. Typically he wouldn’t reach out to someone until he had answers for them.

“I’m sorry. I just got out of a consecutive forty-eight-hour meeting, so I haven’t gotten a chance to look at the email you sent yet.”

Becca leaned out of the screen and returned covering her mouth, obviously chewing. “I understand. Please excuse my chewing. I haven’t eaten for hours and I just got home from work not too long ago. I haven’t even been to sleep yet.”

“Wow! I didn’t know charity work could keep you up until the wee hours of the morning.”

Becca frowned. “I guess in your world, Mr. DeLong, what I do is of little importance and couldn’t possibly keep me up at this ungodly hour.”

Ouch. He was usually a lot smoother with the ladies. “Once again, I find myself apologizing to you, Becca. I misspoke. It wasn’t my intention to offend you. What I meant to say was that I’m curious about what you do at the foundation and I’d be interested in learning more. I can tell you’re very dedicated.”

“I am very dedicated, Mr. DeLong.” Her mouth clenched. “I’m intelligent too, so I know very well what you meant.”

Josh didn’t mean to laugh, but the way she was formally addressing him proved that in the course of twenty seconds he’d managed to piss her off. “I must say, Becca, it usually takes longer than a few seconds for me to rub someone the wrong way.”

“I’m sure your charm may work on most. However, you can’t insult me and then assume that an apology will make me forget those words ever came out of your mouth.”

“Jeez,” Josh said, still laughing. “Tough crowd.”

He watched the line in her forehead indent even more than it had seconds prior. Although she was annoyed with him, there was something cute about the way her nose crinkled when she frowned.

“Maybe I’m overreacting a little.”

Josh raised an eyebrow. “Just a little?”

“It’s been a long day, so I’ll just blame my mood on lack of sleep.”

“No worries. I should have thought about what I said before I said it. But as you stated, it’s been a long day.”

“Speaking of a long day, I was about to finish my food and go to bed. Is there anything I can help you with beforehand?”

Josh usually thought quickly on his feet, but there was something about Becca that made him pause and really think about the words he said next. “I don’t mind if you eat while we chat. I didn’t want to speak to you about anything in particular.”

She looked skeptical, but took another bite of her food. Josh liked the way her mouth moved. She was a slow chewer, which made the movement of her mouth downright hypnotizing.

“I’m being honest. I called you because I was exhausted, and for some reason you’re the only person I wanted to talk to. So if you need to hang up, it’s fine.”

If they hadn’t been on Skype, he wouldn’t have gotten a chance to see her almond-shaped eyes widen and her lips slightly open in surprise.

For a couple minutes, neither of them said anything. Josh welcomed the silence and took the moment to observe Becca more closely; she appeared to be observing him, as well. Staring into a woman’s eyes for more than a minute—especially one whom he’d just met—wasn’t a regular occurrence for Josh. As cocky as it sounded, when he set his sights on a woman, looking deeply into each other’s eyes for an extended period of time wasn’t a part of the deal. It tended to send women the wrong message and then they got attached too quickly. Yet Josh felt as though he could look into Becca’s light brown eyes all night.

Even though she was fatigued, her warm golden-mocha complexion glowed under the dim lighting of what he assumed was her bedroom. He could only see the edge of a white pillow propped behind her back and the corner of what appeared to be a nightstand where her plate of food was sitting. When Becca adjusted herself, displaying a little more of her clothing, Josh forgot about the pillow as his eyes dropped to her blouse, which was slightly open.

It wasn’t gentlemanlike to look down a woman’s shirt, but in his defense he hadn’t expected the top two buttons to be undone. He’d expected her blouse to be buttoned all the way to the neck, the way it had been in all the photos he’d seen of her.

He must have been staring too long, because Becca glanced down at her shirt and then proceeded to cover up her chest as if she was exposing too much skin. Josh hadn’t even seen a hint of cleavage, but he assumed it was still more than Becca wanted him to see. When she met his eyes, she shook her head at him.

“What?” he asked, feigning innocence.

“Nothing,” she said, taking another bite of her food. This time when she chewed, her food must have gone down the wrong pipe because it sent her into a coughing frenzy.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m okay,” she said, still coughing. “Sometimes, when I put something large in my mouth too fast, I choke. I should have done it slower.”

Does she have any idea how sexual that sounded? Amusement must have shown on his face because she choked even more.

“That came out wrong.”