This Billionaire's Reporter: This Billionaire, #18

By Rachel Foster

Cliff is a successful billionaire dabbing as a hotel mogul. He has no time for dating, but his best friend Brad insists on going on a blind date with his girlfriend's sister, Jamie. Tired of Brad nagging on him, Cliff finally agrees. After it was a total flop, Cliff insists he wasn't made to settle down, but Brad and Addie are determined to make Cliff and Jamie a couple. They trick them into another date and soon they're falling head over heals for each other. Jamie's a news reporter in the area. She's falling for Cliff, but after searching for information about him she discovers he's not on social media at all. So what's Cliff's secret and what is he hiding? When a fire breaks out at a large hotel nearby, Jamie is there reporting, but who is pulled from the building will shock her. Why was he in that building and who really is Cliff Jennings? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: 3rd Publishing
• Release date: Mar 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215485484

Book preview

Cliff POV Tuesday

I

had always known that I’d open my own business one day. I had seen my father run a successful marketing firm for almost twenty years and so it only made sense that I’d follow in his footsteps. At the age of twenty, I went to college for business administration, then took a brief stint and traveled to Costa Rica. While there, I soul-searched and realized that I wanted to open a company that offered website design services catered to small business owners. It took me only five months to find a building, secure the property and then hire ten employees. I named my company Jennings Enterprises and vowed to make it the most successful website company in all of Chicago.

Being a business owner meant getting up early most days of the week. I didn’t mind because it gave me something to focus my energies on. I often got up around six so that I could go for a run before getting a shower and dressing for the office. Tuesday was one of those days where I literally felt on top of the world. I woke up around five forty-five, rolled over and looked out the window. The first crack of dawn rose above the horizon and a faint line of cloud cover blanketed the city. I yawned, then stretched and climbed out of bed.

Hi there, Dolphin. I gave my black lab a pet on the head and then walked to the shower. Dolphin had been named for the Dolphin Bay Aquarium where I’d found her last year, abandoned inside a cardboard box in the parking garage. I’d taken a day trip there with my mother and as soon as we’d parted ways, I’d seen the box near my car. Mom, I texted her as I approached my car. Look at this puppy. I’d knelt down and the silky puppy licked my face, then jumped out of the box and onto my lap. The rest, as they say, was history.

After throwing on a pair of black running shorts and a gold t-shirt, I ambled down the steps and walked out the front door. It was the perfect temperature for running and I smiled as I walked past the gated terrace and onto the walkway. Lazuli Cottages had a reputation for being a swank, yet casual living community and I was proud to call it my home. I lived in one of their first-floor bungalow style apartments on the East side of town. Most people my age couldn’t afford a place like this and I had to admit- it was one of the poshest units in all of Chicago. Yet I felt entitled to the luxurious living space because I’d work hard to achieve it.

My run started at the big Market Terrace Farmer Shop sign and wound through the entire strip of Chicago’s East end. I loved running past the cafes, markets diners and book shops because it gave me a chance to be part of the bustling city life that thrived in this part of the world. I’d made friends with several shop owners on this part of town and some of us even exchanged services since we were established business owners. I ran past the fish shop, the flower store and the women’s’ boutique on Fifth Avenue. I then made a left and continued straight until I passed the Stop sign and wound up back along the strip that led to Lazuli Cottages.

Dang. I wiped my brow and then leaned over to catch my breath. That was a solid run, I said to myself as I opened the door. Dolphin greeted me as soon as I walked inside. Hey, boy. I know. I didn’t take you with me this time, but I’ll take you on a long walk when I get home tonight." I gave him a pet on the head and then checked that his water bowl was full. I then flicked on the news and plopped down on the couch for a few minutes, then got up to make some coffee.

I had a busy day ahead of me and I was ready to get started. There were five new client registrations to be processed, four employee reviews to be completed and six professional development presentations to be implemented. I knew that with Brad and I at the helm, we’d be able to get most of it accomplished by the end of the day, but I also knew we’d be grinding till at least five or six o’clock. Brad was my right-hand man and one of the most diligent people I’d met in my life. He loved being part of Jennings Enterprises and it showed in all that he did.

As soon as my coffee had brewed, I took out a ceramic mug and filled it to the brim. I added some cream and sugar, stirred it with a spoon, then set it on the counter. I poured some dog food in Dolphin’s bowl, then picked up my mug and walked to the back patio. I stepped out back and watched as the sun finally rose over the horizon line, greeting all of Chicago in a multi-colored blast of red, orange and yellow. Dolphin nudged his way outside and I watched as we sniffed around the garden terrace, then lied down in the tall grass by the fencing. We both stayed outside for about five minutes, then came back indoors when the phone rang.

Hello? I answered it on the second ring. Yep. Coming in around seven, I said. It was Brad. He wanted to know if I could stop by Gigi’s Café on the way into the office. You want one of those scones or doughnuts? I asked, walking through the kitchen and up the steps to get my shower. Cool, man. I’ll put in an order and meet you at the office. I hung up, then showered and dressed. See you soon, Dolph." I have him a pet on the head, then walked out the door to my Range Rover.

Jennings Enterprises was only about fifteen minutes away from my cottage. I started the ignition, fastened my seat belt, then headed for Gigi’s. Once I’d placed an order and paid for our food, I walked inside, took the takeout bags, then carried everything out to my vehicle. I arrived at the office close to seven fifteen. My parking space was right up front, so I pulled in, turned off the engine and climbed out from behind the wheel. Then I walked up the stone path that led to the domed glass building and opened the door to go inside.

Good morning, Linda. I greeted my secretary as I walked down the hall. She waved and took a sip of her coffee as I stepped inside the elevator. I pressed the button that took me to the fifteenth floor, then stood back as the doors closed. When the button dinged and the doors reopened, I stepped off and practically bumped into Brad who was standing outside my office, texting into his iPad.

Yo. Brad grinned and then looked at my brown bag. Is that where the scones are? he asked. I chuckled, then unlocked my office door.

Yep. I got you one of those blueberry things and a coffee. I walked inside, set down the bakery items, then walked to the window and threw open the blinds.

You know, we have that PR meeting in like five minutes.

Oh, shit. I looked at my watch and then ran my hands through my hair. I totally forgot about that. I looked at Brad and then sighed. It’s cool. We’ll just have to move everything else back an hour.

I guess so, said Brad. I thought you were trying to make this the next era of organization. Brad chuckled and watched as I scrambled around for a pen and paper.

You know me, man, I’m always trying. I laughed to myself because for as much as that were true, there were also many areas of improvement that I needed to focus on as well. One of them was learning how to plan better.

Can I make a suggestion? asked Brad with a grin. I leaned over the table and grabbed a pad of Post-it notes, then jammed them in my laptop case.

Yeah, I said, feeling disheveled.

Get yourself a woman, he said.

Huh? I asked.

I think if you had a woman in your life, you’d be much more together. With that, Brad took the last bite of his scone, dribbled crumbs all over the table, then took a sip of his coffee and whacked me on the back. See you in the conference room. I shook my head and then followed him out the door. When I reached the conference room, it was packed with employees. Thankfully, Brad had taken the reins and was up front getting the Power Point ready. I set down my laptop and straightened my tie.

Welcome to another excellent Totality Tuesday. Brad led the show and I took out a Sharpie to take notes. I couldn’t get his comment out of my mind... a woman in my life? I hadn’t dated anyone in months. My work simply didn’t allow for the time. I had wondered if being the owner of Jennings Enterprises would interfere with having a social life and in short, it did. Yet I wasn’t willing to give it up, I had worked too hard to let a relationship ever get in the way of my success. As far as I was concerned, if I were meant to fall in love, the right woman would find me.

The professional development went without a hitch. Nice work, man, I said to Brad as we cleaned up.

Yeah. I think we’re getting better each time. Brad nodded his head and packed up his laptop. I’m outta here. Going to happy hour with Fishbone and Frank. Want to come? he asked. I shook my head.

I told my parents that I’d meet them for dinner. But thanks. We both walked down the hall and then took the elevator down to the lobby. I was exhausted from the long day and eager to get out to my car.

See you manana. Brad waved and then went left in the parking lot while I went right. I unlocked the door to my Range Rover, climbed behind the wheel, then started the ignition. When I drove away it was almost five and my parents were probably already sitting down to eat. I cranked up the radio and headed to their house, eager to sit down and have a home-cooked meal. When I arrived at their door, it was almost six and they had just sat down at the table.

Perfect timing! called my mother when she heard me walk through the door. Come have a seat, she said, running out into the foyer and taking me by the arm.

Hey, Pops. I sat down and then leaned back in my chair. It was such a relief to be at their house where I could decompress from the stresses of the day.

How are you, Cliff? asked my father as he reached for a bowl of noodles.

I’m doing great. Just glad to be here so I can eat and chill. I looked at the food my mother had prepared and shook my head. Mom. You went all out.

Honey, I know that you love chicken parmesan, so I made that with a side of noodles and some corn. Oh. There’s a basket of fresh baked bread, too. My mother handed me the basket and I smiled.

Thanks.

You are so welcome. Dig in, said my mother. I dished a little bit of everything on to my plate, then took a bite of the chicken.

Oh. This is delicious, I said. My father nodded my head.

Yeah. I agree. He took a sip of his wine and then wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

So, Cliff. My mother took a bite of her chicken, then swallowed and had a sip of her wine. I wanted to ask you something while you were here. I already knew what she wanted to ask me, but I told myself to just humor her.

What is it, Mom? I poured myself some of the wine and had a sip, then leaned back in my chair, awaiting her question.

Well, your father and I were talking to Tiffany Vasser’s parents and we all thought it would be really neat if you and Tiffany went out one night. You know, said my mother as she sliced herself another piece of chicken. Nothing serious. I rolled my eyes and then had another sip of my wine.

Mom. I tried to think of a way to tell her that I wasn’t interested, but I couldn’t come up with anything that I hadn’t already told her before. I had absolutely no interest in Tiffany, even though she was a beautiful young woman. Besides, my work was far too important for me and took up way too much of my time to allow for a relationship.

Oh, Cliff, said my mother. Tiffany is such a lovely young woman, said my mother. Why don’t you just give her a call? she asked.

Mom. I told you before. I’m too busy with work obligations. It wouldn’t really be fair for me to try dating someone right now. It was the truth. What time did I have for anything that wasn’t related to Jennings Enterprises? The three of us said nothing for the next few minutes. I took another piece of chicken off the plate and then poured myself more wine. The slight buzz I had now made it easier to listen to my mother’s pleads for me to get out and date.

Cliff, your mother and I just want to see you happy. It seems like you spend an awful amount of time inside that office, said my father. I nodded my head.

Well. You’re right about that. I spend almost all my time there. I shrugged and then had a bite of my noodles. I’m happy thee. It gives me satisfaction to know that I’m running one of the single most successful startups on the entire East side of Chicago.

That’s great, said my mother. But what about your social life? she asked. I rolled my eyes. There was no use. For years, my parents had been trying to get involved in my personal life. I knew they meant well but it got old. We finished eating and I eventually got up to help clear the dishes from the table.

Thanks for dinner. It was great. I smiled and then gave my mother a kiss on the cheek.

Are you leaving so soon? she asked, her hands clasped together. I nodded.

Yes, Mom. I have to get up around six tomorrow. Thank you for the awesome dinner and I’ll talk to you guys soon. With that, I walked out and headed straight to my Range Rover. I got inside and then sat behind the wheel. Maybe they were right. Maybe I needed to find a way to incorporate more socializing into my life. As far a s a girlfriend? That was a stretch. How could I even entertain the idea of dating someone when I was already married to my work?

I drove home and realized that I had been practically celibate for almost two years. How was that even possible? I shuddered to think about all of the amazing women who I’d snubbed in favor of my work. It was beginning to dawn on me that my mother was absolutely right. I needed to get out more. I got home and let Dolphin out for a few minutes, then called him back inside and closed the door. I was tired form the long say at work and the intense conversation at my parents’ house. I lied down on the couch and before I knew it, I had fallen fast asleep.

2

Jamie POV Wednesday

I

had decided around the age of six that I wanted to be a news reporter when I grew up, in part because of one moment in time. My parents had taken my siblings and I to a parade one summer down the shore. I could still recall the bright fireworks, the colorful floats and the garrulous crowd. For me, it was as much excitement as a kid could have asked for. At this particular parade, since it was Fourth of July weekend, all of the floats were decked out in red, white and blue crepe paper, streamers and balloons. I had stood by with my sisters and watched as one of the local news reporters got up close, his camera in one hand and his microphone in the other, to interview one of the parade-goers. I watched with interest as he asked questions and scribbled down a response on his pad. To me, it looked like one of the coolest jobs ever.

Mommy, why is that guy taking pictures and writing notes? I’d stood by my mother’s side and watched as the reporter zipped around, getting the best angles for his photographs and then scribbling down more notes on his pad.

He’s a news reporter, Honey. My mother had smiled and taken my hand as we walked along the boardwalk, the parade now making its way down the sunset strip.

So, reporters take pictures and write books? I asked with curiosity. My mother had chuckled and then looked at me with a smile.

They take pictures for newspapers and they write articles that relate to the picture. They tell stories. I looked out at the parade and watched as the floats continued along, the red, white and blue taking up all of my peripheral vision.

That sounds fun! I’d exclaimed. We’d continued walking along the boardwalk and then stopped for cotton candy. To this day, I could still remember how intrigued I’d been by that boardwalk news reporter. I’d gone through elementary school, junior high and then high school, always interested in news broadcasts and how they worked. Eventually, I went to college in Santa Fe for reporting and wring, then took additional course work at Illinois State University when I returned home. Eventually, I landed a position with the Chicago Tribune and worked for almost five years until transferring to the Chicago Times.

At my age, it was still exciting to be a news reporter. I seemed to carry the same childlike wonder in my stories that I’d had in my youth and I liked to think that it made all the difference in my reporting. Wednesday morning rolled around, and I climbed out of bed, excited to get into the office because I knew that there would be a lot for me to write. I’d already submitted a story that was in for editing and I was expected to cover a new one today. After getting a quick shower and dressing in a pair of khakis with a black t-shirt, I walked downstairs to pour myself a bowl of cereal.

Today my story was about the new aquarium being developed over on East Birchwood Street. I was excited to cover this one because I loved the thought having an aquarium right here in downtown Chicago. I had often traveled to other states to visit their aquariums and found that the joy and wonder these places brought was well worth any investment required to develop them. Here we go! I said to myself as I scarfed down my cereal and then hustled out the door. I was eager to get to the office because my colleagues, Marnie, had already texted me that she brought in chocolate eclairs and lattes from Bini’s Bakery.

I drove straight to the office, parked out front in my Reserved for Press spot, then turned off the ignition and climbed out from behind the wheel. I opened the tall, glass doors and walked past the front desk, greeting Henry and Snips as I went. Howdy, Jamie. Snipes waved as I walked to my door. As soon as I reached my office, I walked in and opened up the blinds. A shaft of sunlight filtered across the hardwood floors and I watched as a bird flew onto the oak tree outside my window. For being located smack dab in the middle of a large city, I still found that there were multiple ways to appreciate nature.

Jamie, girl. Snipes came to my door and held up a file folder.

What’s that? I asked, walking toward him.

It’s your assignment for the next two days. The head honcho told me to give it to you. I chuckled and opened up the folder.

Thanks, Snipes. I flipped through the first few pages and then skimmed over the last. Assignment: Chicago’s new aquarium. Five photos and a front-page write-up focusing on memberships discounts, new construction and creature highlights. I smiled, ready to get on the job.

Hey, Snipes. I walked back into the hallway and then stood in front of his desk. I’m thinking that I’ll go cover this story first and then do a spring wrap-up at the Chicago Arena later in the day. I know McGlinn wanted me to do some sort of sports article for the Sunday paper, so I figure I’ll just complete both of these today.

Sounds like you’re going to be one busy lady, said Snipes. I laughed. Hey. Snipes leaned over and handed me an éclair. This is from Marni. He smiled and then handed me a drink. And she said she got you a latte, too.

Thanks. I’m ready to rock and roll now. I smiled and took a sip of the drink.

You look like you’re going to be well-fed and busy.

Yeah. I like it that way. I walked back to my office, set the folder down on my desk, then powered on my laptop. I checked my emails and then responded to a few that had been sent days earlier. I received a constant stream of propositions from local organizations who wanted press releases written about their latest events or write ups created about their newest business ventures. After turning off my laptop and stuffing the folder into my portfolio, I walked out to the hallway and toward the front doors that led outside.

Don’t work too hard out there, called Snipes as I walked by.

I won’t, I smiled and continued on my way. The parking lot had gotten crowded since I’d first come in and I looked out across the city, watching as the business of the day presented itself. Then I climbed behind the wheel of my new Volkswagen Jetta and made my way toward the Windy City Aquarium. Once there, I parked and walked to the center of the construction area where a few people were still finishing u the mural on the outside. I was able to interview two of the artists as well as one of the concierge employees which made for a story chock full of details and information.

I was just about to walk back to my car when my sister, Addie called me.

Hi. What are you up to? I asked, setting my purse on the hood of my vehicle.

I’m just hanging out at Ferdinand’s and wanted to see if you felt like meeting up for a drink or two later.

A drink sounds excellent, I said as I tossed my purse on the passenger seat, then climbed behind the wheel.

Perfect, said Addie. Meet me over there as soon as you get off work.

Will do. I started the ignition, fastened my seatbelt, then left the aquarium parking lot and headed in the direction of Ferdinand’s. As soon as I reached the restaurant, I parked and walked inside. It was packed but I could spot Addie a million miles away. Her thick, frizzy hair was pulled up in a twist and she wore an embroidered tank top with a pair of cut-off shorts.

Hey, girl! Addie waved her hand above the packed lobby and greeted me with a hug.

Hi, Sis. I gave her a hug and we both wandered