Billionaire Alpha

The Deal

Bethany

At first, she was hesitant to order anything off the menu, the prices ridiculous for a simple graduation meal. Her mom ordered a salad for herself, and Bethany followed suit, but the bread bowl was calling her name. She waited until Kent reached out and took a piece, offering it to her next.

"So, Mom tells me that you're an accountant as well?" Bethany passed the bread to her mom, her eyes on the newest member of her soon-to-be family.

"I have a degree in accounting and a doctorate in law. It's a passion of mine, but my company is actually an accounting firm, which is something I wanted to talk with you about." He smiled and looked over at Bethany's mother as if asking permission for something. Her mom smiled shyly, and he reached over and took her hand under the table.

"Oh yeah? That's great news. I'd love to talk accounting with you; just don't tell anyone how nerdy I am. I keep that locked down most days." She smiled as her mother chided her.

Kent sat back, the look on his face giving her peace.

"Your mother tells me that you're headed to your master’s program in a month and are looking for some financial assistance."

She wasn't quite sure how to respond. His statement was completely true, and yet she felt like a beggar admitting that she couldn't pay her own way. She glanced at her mom, whose eyes seem to press her toward the message of honesty and transparency.

"Yes. My grants only cover a third of my expenses, and getting a job is my next step. I don't mind getting a job, but most firms would require me to work full-time. I could work somewhere non-accounting, that's part time, but I wouldn’t make nearly enough money to live off of."

Kent was nothing like she expected for a billionaire. Her mother might be aware of her new fiancé's wealth, but Bethany doubted it. She’d done her research, though, and knew that McKenzie and Bryant Accounting LLC was a cash cow. If Kent wasn't worth at least thirty billion dollars, Bethany would be surprised. Still, he was far too down to earth, far from what she expected a billionaire to act like. They were supposed to be greedy and self-serving, manipulative and spoiled.

Maybe he was exactly that, and they had yet to see it. Only time would tell.

"What about this—" He paused and sat up to the table, his eyes filled with something like excitement. "I'll pick up the tab for the funds that you're lacking, and you come work at M and Bs three days a week in the morning or afternoon, whatever your schedule allows you to commit to us."

Bethany sat in shock for a minute, his offer way more than generous. She looked at her mom, who was beaming like they'd won the lottery, and in a way, she guessed they had.

The smile on Kent’s handsome face caused Bethany’s lips to lift, and she nodded before she realized what she was doing.

"Deal. Would I be working for you?"

"No, your new brother, Damon. Smart as a whip, but you'll love him. The two of you have a tremendous amount in common. He's brilliant and driven, hardworking and very devoted to success."

"Sounds perfect, hmm, Beth?" Her mom beamed.

"More than perfect." She swallowed the lump in her throat, the bread from her plate helping to push down the feeling that perhaps she was making a mistake.

She hated spoiled, frat boy alpha males. Surely her soon-to-be stepbrother was more like his father and less like the image in her head. Of course, her mom had called him an ass, so maybe not.

"Good. You start on Monday."

*

Monday came far too fast. Bethany had spent the weekend packing up a few things to stay with her mom and Kent at his house for her week’s vacation. Too bad her vacation had turned into a new job and a possible asshole boss to deal with.

Her mom had taken her shopping on Sunday for some new clothes, Kent more than happy to lend his credit card to the adventure.

She finished buttoning the white short-sleeved shirt her mother had gushed over in the dressing room, her black pencil skirt accentuating the thickening backside she was starting to hate. Bethany growled and ran her hands over the curves of her rear, her hair long and loose around her shoulders, makeup light but still obvious. She had on black heels and various accents of crimson jewelry.

Her stepfather gave her the thumbs-up as she walked into the kitchen Monday morning. "Just let Martha know what you'd like to eat, and she'll whip it up for you. You look perfectly professional." Kent smiled and pointed to the kitchen, from which the smell of something delicious wafted toward her.

Bethany’s stomach growled in protest, and they laughed together as she turned and walked quickly toward the kitchen.

Nervousness sat heavy on her, her worry over meeting her new boss nothing compared to having to pretend to approve of her new stepbrother. She would play the game for a little while, but if he was a jerk like she imagined he might be, she would be more than happy to put him in his place.

After a quick breakfast of juice, eggs, and toast, she climbed into her small Honda, her mom blowing her a kiss from the front door.

Kent's house was a mansion three times over, the number of rooms making it feel more like a hotel. Her mom hadn't moved out of her own small, two-bedroom house on the other side of Dallas, and they had decided that, for the week of vacation, she and her mom would stay with Kent at his place. Good thing. Her mom most likely had stale cereal and low-fat milk as the most appetizing breakfast option. Bethany shuddered at the thought.

*

Bethany drove in nervous silence, the sound of the traffic around her offering a bit of balm to her beating heart. It had been a while since she’d had to try to impress someone. All of the professors in the business center knew her, and her reputation preceded her thanks to tutoring often and being part of the honors fraternity.

This was a whole new situation. She'd have to impress her new stepbrother, and something told her that would be more difficult than she wanted it to be.

Not having any siblings of her own, she wasn't even sure how to approach their new relationship but figured her best bet was to respect him as her boss, and if something familial grew from that, all the better. Forcing something wasn't her style at all, her heart set on impressing people with her intelligence and wit no matter the audience.

Bethany pulled into the visitor parking, an elderly cop moving toward her and motioning for her to lower the window. The large building above them reaching high into the sky, as most of the other buildings in the business district in downtown did.

"Where ya headed, miss?" He leaned down, a smile lifting the furry mustache on his upper lip.

"I'm starting my internship with McKenzie and Bryant today. I hope I'm in the right place." She looked around for a sign, nothing but plain concrete walls surrounding them.

"You're in the right place. Go to the fourth floor or above in the garage, and make sure you don't park in a reserved spot. Take the ticket the little machine up there spits out at you, and have the receptionist validate it for ya." He moved back and motioned for her to go on through. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Bethany mumbled as she rolled up her window, and the car crept toward the small ticket dispenser. Excitement mixed with fear rushed up her chest, her breathing reminding her of the need to exercise. She usually didn't get hyped up about things, but this was a whole new ballgame. Not having an interview with Damon left her without a clue of who it was that she would be answering to. Her mom's comments about Kent's oldest son left her stomach in knots.

She parked and reached in to pull her purse from the passenger seat, hitting her head on the rearview mirror and cursing at herself. She moved out of the car and walked quickly toward the elevator sign.

The heat in Texas in late August was painful. If she wasn't careful, her hair would turn into something Tina Turner might be proud to sport. Reaching up, she tugged her fingers through the silky strands and slipped into the elevator with the two million other people who were headed toward the large building above them. It looked like hell had opened its gates for a quick drink of ice water.

She filed out, people rushing around her and checking their watches. Bethany looked around, trying to get her bearings before noticing a large sign on the wall that displayed a map. She moved toward it, working not to get run over by the suits that filled the large lobby. McKenzie and Bryant was on the twenty-eighth floor, the view from their windows most likely incredible.

She walked toward the correct elevator and got in at the last minute, the door closing behind her. She turned to face away from the crowd and exhaled softly, fear of the unknown almost consuming her. The door opened a few times for other floors, and she shifted to the left and right, trying to be polite and waiting her turn.

Finally, the light for the twenty-eighth floor lit up, and the door opened, Bethany moving off with a short, squatty male who looked a little older than her. He pulled a badge from his waist and swiped it on the reader on the wall by the door. He held the door open and smiled at Bethany. "New today?"

"I sure am." She moved toward him, a smile on her lips as she held her purse on her shoulder. "I'm supposed to check in with the receptionist."

He moved into the large lobby behind her and shifted to her side. "I'm Ben. Nice to meet you."

"Bethany Miller. Nice to meet you, too." She looked around, realizing that the receptionist desk was just behind her.

"Well, good luck today, and if you need a tour, I'm in office 1014." He smiled and walked off.

Bethany turned to greet the receptionist. "Hi, I'm a new intern."

The receptionist looked up and held up her finger, her long red nail quite out of place for a professional environment. Bethany apologized and moved to sit in one of the small leather chairs just beside the woman's desk. A few minutes later, the lady called Bethany back up.

"New intern, did you say?"

"Yes, ma'am." Bethany stood and moved toward the desk, the woman standing and fiddling with some papers below her.

"Bethany Miller?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Stop calling me ma'am. Makes me feel old." The lady smiled, but it failed to reach her eyes. "You're going to be in that conference room right over there. Here's a packet of stuff you need to fill out, and Mr. Bryant will call you up when he's available. Human Resources will want some of your time today, so make sure to stick around after you see the boss man. We'll get you an office and all that good stuff, too."

Bethany thanked the woman and walked toward the room, her shoulders and back aching as stress stiffened her. Sitting down in the large black leather chair, she pulled out a pen and began to work on the items in front of her.

The receptionist poked her head in a few minutes later, her knuckles rapping on the door and causing Bethany to jump.

"Sorry. Mr. Bryant is ready for you. Just go up the elevator to the thirtieth floor. His receptionist, Linda, will get you in to see him."

She walked off, and Bethany stood, putting the papers together and shoving them in the folder. She hated like hell that her hands trembled. She'd have to keep them in her lap in front of Damon. No way was she letting him on to the nervousness that tore up her insides.

“Here goes nothing...”