Page 3 of The Billionaire's Heart

I’m eavesdropping now and probably should hang up, but I don’t. I want to hear Mrs. Wilcox kick this lady out.

Chapter 2

Ian

As I enter my country club, I see Lily isn’t at her desk. She must be at lunch or in the bathroom. The woman was about to pop the last time I saw her a week ago. I suppose there will be someone new at the desk soon.

I make my way through the frosted glass double doors towards my office. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a lot of scurrying around, but I hear almost nothing but keyboards. Sometimes I think that the staff just bang on their keyboards to make it look like they’re working.

It’s not as if I’m a monster or a tyrant, but I expect my staff to work hard and efficiently. I pay them well enough to expect that out of them.

“Mr. Gallo. Welcome back. How was your weekend in the Bahamas?” Mrs. Wilcox asks me as I walk past her desk into my office.

“It was nice. My father always enjoys it when both his sons go fishing with him. Especially when it’s Father’s Day.” I take the messages from her outstretched hand and start reading through them.

“Very nice.”

“How are things here?” I toss most of the messages in the trash and keep only the ones that are important to me.

“Steady as a ship. Would you like some coffee?” She offers.

“Yes, Mrs. Wilcox. Thank you.”

She leaves my office as I wake up my computer and see that I have over five hundred emails waiting for me. That’s the downside of taking two days off to go fishing. Work is always there, waiting for me when I return. It’s why I hardly take the time off, but it was for my father, so it’s worth it.

“Here you go, Mr. Gallo.” Mrs. Wilcox brings in my coffee as we both stare at my ringing phone.

My desk phone never rings unless it’s Mrs. Wilcox calling me. Everyone that I want to have access to me calls me on my cell phone. I don’t even know the number to my office to even give it out to anyone.

“Yes?” I answer on the speakerphone as Mrs. Wilcox is standing right there.

“Um… you’re not Mrs. Wilcox.” A female voice says over the speaker.

“You’re right.”

“Who is this?” she asks, sounding perturbed.

“Who is this?”

“I asked first.” She replies, laughing.

“Mia. You called Mr. Gallo’s line. My extension is five hundred. I’ll call you when I get back to my desk.”

“Oh, my god. I’m so sorry.” She says and hangs up.

“Who’s Mia?” I ask Mrs. Wilcox, noting the wrinkle between her eyebrows, showing her displeasure at the mistake Mia made by calling my extension.

“Our new receptionist. Temporary receptionist. Lily had her baby this morning.”

I turn to look at her. “Isn’t that early?”

“Actually, no. She was due two weeks ago.”

“Ah. Did I send her anything?”

Mrs. Wilcox smiles, “You sent flowers this morning to the hospital, and you bought a stroller as a gift.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Wilcox. I don’t know what I would do without you.”