The Billionaires (#1)

09 || Potholes Down The Lane

“Hey, was that Sonya Smith’s lawyer?” A tall, dark-skinned Indian woman asked in awe as she barged into Logan’s office. Logan rolled his eyes as she threw herself on the black couch standing against the wall.

Logan briefly looked up and narrowed his eyes at her as she laid flat with her feet on the couch while her shoes were still on. “She can’t even afford to pay her rent upfront, how the hell would she even afford a lawyer?” He scoffed before he turned to his laptop screen and continued to type.

“Especially one as fancy as her, right?” The woman said dreamily, causing Logan to roll his eyes; a habit he had whenever she was around.

"She is not her lawyer; she is her sister," Logan said, and the woman threw her feet off the couch, stood up, and walked up to his desk before settling on the chair opposite him.

“I didn’t know Sonya had a sister.” She said, a frown masking her dark, beautiful face. She was a tall, slim young woman with long dark black hair and dark eyes. Her black hair was left loose, and she was wearing a knee-length summer dress, which exposed her long legs, a white cropped and half-sleeved jacket, and short white heels.

"Well, apparently, she does," Logan muttered under his breath. "Her name is May Smith." He said with distaste, and his friend leaned forward with unhidden interest.

“What did she do?” She asked.

"It turns out that she is the woman who humiliated me last night," Logan said as he slightly closed his laptop and leaned back against his chair. He sighed and rubbed his temples, obviously tired from staring at the laptop nonstop.

“Oh, I saw the article Sasha wrote on her website.” The woman said in distaste before an excited look ghosted her face. “She looks filthy rich!” She exclaimed excitedly, referring to MJ and her fancy suit and handbag.

“Take Dora, the woman who sells vegetables down the street, give her a makeover and buy her fancy clothes, and everyone will think that she is my loving, filthy rich mother.” Logan retorted sarcastically. “The woman is overconfident and acts as though she runs this place. Wait till I’m done with her.” He said with a calculative look.

“Oh, my word!” She exclaimed. “You are planning on using her to get rid of Sonya Smith for good.” She said, giving him an incredulous look.

"How observant of you," Logan muttered sarcastically, remembering that she was the second person who knew him well after his best friend.

“I am going to get my things, meet me downstairs in five because you are taking me out for lunch.” She said and pushed back her chair as she stood up.

"It is not even lunchtime yet, it has only been two hours since work started," Logan said, casting her an annoyed look.

She beamed at him and leaned over his desk. “But you are the boss.” She said in a singsong voice and shut down his computer.

Logan gritted his teeth in annoyance. “Natalia.” He grounded her name, but she just gave him a cheeky smile and grabbed his phone and car keys off the desk, and then jumped back before he could catch her.

“Meet me downstairs in five.” She said and ran out of the office just as Logan was about to get up from his chair.

Logan groaned as her booming laughter rang outside his office. “Natalia Naidoo, you are going to be the death of me.” He muttered under his breath as he slung his suit jacket over his shoulder and walked out of his office.

***

“Miss Billings?” Liam called, peering over at his boss from the rear-view mirror. “Where to?” He asked.

Her head snapped up and her dark brown eyes landed on her driver who had a worried look on his face.

They had been driving all around the city for two hours with no direction at all. Liam knew his boss was upset and doubted that she would want to go back to Sonya’s apartment after the episode they had.

When MJ did not give him any instructions, he decided to drive around the city to help her clear her head, but it would appear that she did not even notice. She had been quiet throughout the entire ride as she watched the city blur out in a flash.

MJ cleared her throat and shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She had been thinking a lot about Logan Parker since she left his office. She could not help but let her mind wander to their drastic past and how she was so close to a depressing and emotional draining confrontation. “You have no idea just how bad my fingers twitched to reach for the gun in my bag and blow both their heads off.” She said in a menacing voice and shook her head as if she could not believe that today had actually happened.

"We have been driving around the city for two hours," Liam said, glancing at her from the rear-view mirror. MJ was shocked to hear his words, she rummaged through her handbag and took out her phone to check the time, and it was 12 p.m. Had she been thinking for that long? "Are you okay?" Liam asked, a frown marring his face. MJ raised her eyebrows at him, struggling to recollect her thoughts. "You look pale," Liam stated.

“Stop asking stupid questions and just drive.” She gritted.

Liam just nodded and stared ahead of him. “So, where to, ma’am?” He asked, tapping on the steering wheel.

MJ folded her arms and continued staring out the window. A few minutes later, she gave him a location.

The location was not what Liam had expected. If anything, it was far from what he had expected. The place was dirty; the tall buildings around it were covered in dirty walls and there were litters all around. It looked like a deserted city; its eerie silence was enough to convince him of it.

This was a place well suited for poor people, especially homeless people and street kids. It was like one of those cities in movies where thugs hung around, waiting for big shots like MJ Billings to stand in the middle of the street and lean against their fancy cars.

"Mr Billings called while you were still in that office, he says he's been calling you since this Friday, but you are not answering his calls," Liam said, breaking the silence. MJ sighed and leaned against the car, staring at a building ahead.

Liam sighed and kept quiet. He was a happy soul, cheerful at all times. He loved people and treated them equally no matter what. He loved to be around people, but right now, he felt uncomfortable standing next to the one and only MJ Billings. He was used to her ruthless self that it was taking him time to adjust to her new self.

When MJ first asked him to refer to her by her name three years ago after working for her for five years, it had come as a shock to a point where he imagined that she had grown two heads. It had to be the only explanation for her change in attitude towards him. She now treated him as a friend and not just her driver as she used to. He was happy, but it was not an easy task because changing her attitude towards him or anyone else did not exactly change who she was. She was still the same person. MJ Billings - the cold, heartless, and ruthless billionaire.

“The last time I was here was more than seven years ago.” MJ finally spoke up and sighed loudly. Liam looked at her briefly and looked back at the building she was referring to. It was a huge and old decaying building that looked twice the size of the parliament. “I used to come here every day after school, and I would just stand here and look at it, imagining myself owning something as big as it was, in the future.” She paused as she recalled the memories.

She would bunk school and leave without her brother knowing. She gave a sad, distant smile at the thought.

Liam did not expect her to speak to him. She had never spoken more than ten words to him, and right now, it felt as if she was literally opening her diary for him; reading to him all those stupid thoughts she wrote down when she was twelve.

MJ could remember every single detail. Jorge was an accounting tutor at her school at the time; working to save money for the both of them to study. It was ironic since they grew up in a mansion, a ‘White House’ to be exact, but their father was never around- all he ever did was send them money every month end. He used to send the money to the caretaker, but she spent it most of the time and gave them pennies. After some time, the money stopped coming, and the caretaker quit.

Jorge was in his matric year at the time and MJ was in grade seven. He started working part-time at a nearby Spar and only worked for five hours a day because of school, and was paid in wages. The money was not enough, but it was better than nothing at all. The pecks of being a Billings at the time was that people would do anything for you, so it worked for Jorge.

After matric, Jorge started tutoring at their school while MJ was in grade 8 then.

He put his life on hold for MJ, and she wanted to do the same for him; I wanted to live for him because not only was he her brother, but he was also the only parent MJ ever knew. Thinking back on her life and all the hardships she encountered, she realized that this building gave her hope.

Liam knew that there was more to this building than when last she was here, and he could see that she was battling with her thoughts, but either way, he knew it was none of his business. Besides, it was getting late. “MJ, aren’t you hungry?” He asked before he could stop himself.

MJ’s head snapped in his direction and she narrowed her eyes at him. When he did not seem affected, she smirked and walked to the back of the car, but not before muttering in a slightly amused voice, “took you long enough.”

Liam did not miss the double meaning in her comment; he had driven her all around town and did not even think for once that they should perhaps grab something to eat, and although she had only said it once, she had been silently urging him to call her by her name. “Where to, MJ?” He asked freely.

“Anywhere you are comfortable with.”