The Billionaire’s Hidden Legacy

The Unthinkable I

The room went silent, Jasmine was speechless, and the two staff members, who were obviously straining their ears to listen, stopped what they were doing for a few seconds.

“Sorry, I don’t understand.” Jasmine was confused, and wanted to find out exactly what he meant.

“It’s exactly what you’re thinking, this would be a different contract from the one you had with my family, obviously. I’d pay any amount to have you cook delicious meals for me. I mean your pudding made me do this.” Gerald explained, a smile crawling up his lips.

Jasmine didn’t know how to respond, this was a huge offer, and it’d be stupid to reject it, but she didn’t want any problem with Loretta. That woman was wild, she thought.

“If Loretta would be okay with it, then there’s no problem,” Jasmine found the right words. Cooking for this man in his house would mean she’d be alone with him in a very big mansion. Thinking about it gave her Goosebumps. There was something about him, something she didn’t want to accept.

“Forget about my mother, I can handle her. I actually need you to start immediately; it would be a flexible job. I’m hardly at the house, so it’d just be dinner only and not necessarily every day.” Gerald said, turning to leave.

Jasmine still had a truckload of questions, but it seemed he wasn’t going to wait and answer them, and she wasn’t ready to listen to the answers either. She stood there like a maid who had just gotten instructions and watched as her employer walked out of the room.

“My address will be sent to your cell phone,” Gerald concluded as he opened the kitchen door and walked out without looking back.

Jasmine sighed, what had she just gotten herself into? It was looking like a blessing and a curse at the same time. She had a bad feeling that Loretta wouldn’t approve of it. She saw the way the woman looked at her and what she had said when she came out of the ladies was still ringing in her head.

She’d have to play it safe. This was the first time she was a vendor at a billionaire’s event. She couldn’t mess this up; it’d mess up her brand, and everything she had built. Gerald had said he’d take care of Loretta, she’d have to trust him on that also, because the way things were looking, he wasn’t expecting no for an answer, and she also wasn't thinking of saying no. Was she? Jasmine thought.

***

In a couple of days, Jasmine found herself in a large kitchen, almost as large as the one in the hall, but more beautiful and classy. She had thought it’d take a while but two days after the New Year’s event, she got a text from a private number; in it contained Gerald’s address and a short message seeking her service for dinner.

It was just the third day of the New Year, and she was thinking of spending time alone and planning out her year, but it seemed she would have to skip that.

It was 7pm in the evening, and she had started preparing the meals in the kitchen. The house was too big and Gerald had just one man as the housekeeper. It was the housekeeper who showed her in. Gerald wasn’t back yet.

Jasmine spent an hour thinking about what meal she should make, since Gerald didn’t specifically choose any, and she didn’t know what he liked. She finally settled for steak and mashed potatoes. She wasn’t surprised to find every damn thing she needed in the kitchen, it was a billionaire’s house after all.

The white-painted mansion was sitting on the outskirts of the city, on a hill, one would be able to see the rest of the city from the veranda, a very beautiful sight. One at night.

….

It was almost 9pm and Jasmine was just rounding up in the kitchen. She’d been expecting Gerald a lot earlier, and had been thinking how she’d get home if it got later than that. As if he was listening to her mind, the kitchen door opened and Gerald walked in with a bottle of champagne in his hand and two glass cups in the other.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting, I had several meetings. Oh my days, this smells so good.”

Gerald was dressed in a suit as always, but it was unbuttoned, and his shirt buttons were opened to his chest.

Jasmine's heartbeat went up ten times the way it had been beating. She wasn’t expecting him to walk into the kitchen. Wasn’t she supposed to serve him at dinner?

When there was no response from Jasmine, Gerald could see the uneasiness on her face. He smiled and popped the champagne, standing next to her at the kitchen counter where she was.

“Loosen up, Jasmine. You’re my private chef, not my maid.” He said, pouring champagne into both glasses.

“I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.” She responded softly, she had the steak and the mashed potatoes served already, she just needed to carry it to him, but it seemed she wouldn’t have to anymore.

“Surprised? Why?” Gerald asked, handing her a glass of champagne. The look in Jasmine's eyes was saying ‘no, I can’t take this,’ but Gerald insisted. “It’s just champagne, take it.”

Jasmine collected the glass, holding it with her two hands and resting her back on the kitchen counter. He’d tell her to loosen up, maybe she should just breathe and enjoy the moment. He was a very social person, but his presence was intimidating.

“Don’t know, a billionaire hasn't handed me a glass of champagne before,” Jasmine laughed while sipping her glass.

Gerald had a broad smile on his face, he was a kind of guy that hated showing his feelings. There was more to the reason he hired Jasmine as a private chef. It was more than the delicious pudding. He wouldn’t admit it, but it was because he was drawn to her.

He closed up the gap between the two of them and their bodies were now touching. Jasmine was wearing a short black sleeveless gown reaching her knees and an apron for the kitchen. She was so uneasy when she could feel his body touching hers, he was so close that she could perceive his cologne mixed up with sweat, and it shouldn’t, but it absolutely turned her on……