Chapter 360: Career boost
"I had a contemplative look on my face after the call ended, keeping my phone aside and collapsing onto the bed."
"We don’t have much time, sir."
The words came from a rather young female dressed in a black and white schoolgirl outfit. Her short skirt perfectly emphasized the curve of her uplifted ass and showed off her smooth legs.
The girl looked at least a year too old to be in high school, but I did not question her choice of dressing, just as I didn’t ask for her name. All I knew was that she had been sent to pick me up, or rather, escort me.
I stayed on the bed for over a minute, simply enjoying the silence. Then I stood and turned toward her.
"What’s your name?"
"Linda," the girl answered, smacking on a lollipop in her mouth.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty." She smacked once more, then pulled the lollipop out of her mouth.
"Linda, you can go. I’ll be there within the hour."
The girl pursed her lips thoughtfully, looking at me like she could read my mind. Then she smiled, bent her back, and slipped out the window. Her skirt rose as she moved, giving me a clear view of her red thong, which was quite stimulating.
"Tempting," I muttered to myself as I headed downstairs.
I didn’t plan on telling the women below about my next activities. No just a few words about a business deal I had to check up on.
The atmosphere in the living room was amiable, and that was enough. I didn’t intend to leave much of an impression. But before Nadia and I could step out, Sophie rushed up with a complaint.
"My career."
The original plan had been for Sophie to respect her parents’ wishes and continue with her college education. Afterward, we would begin investing in her music talent, pushing her career forward.
But the sudden change to the college curriculum had introduced new complications, and I couldn’t ignore them. Two extra years was a lot, and with Sophie already struggling in her exams, my decision became inevitable.
"Yes, you can drop out."
It would have been better if she had discussed this with her parents. However, since they had both buried themselves in their own work and were, in effect, under my control, the decision now fell to me.
"Not like she would listen to her parents anyway."
Sophie’s face lit up with satisfaction, her eyes twinkling with dreams. Then Nadia unexpectedly spoke up.
"Unfortunately, you couldn’t take her to the gala, so you missed her interactions and performance."
"She performed? I was surprised, having no idea of this."
I had been with Sophie for a while, yet she had failed to mention this part of her story.
"Yeah, she did well and got introduced to some music producers. The big guys noticed her but aren’t taking any steps forward at the moment, they’re just watching to see if she’s truly worth it.
"At the moment, she has a meeting with Kickback, a rising artist who managed to feature Busta Rhymes on one of his songs. He’s searching for a female voice on his new track, and she’s looking to be the one."
The house grew quiet as Nadia spoke, everyone’s eyes shifting between my PA and the blushing blonde.
It was surprising to hear all this, especially from Nadia’s mouth.
"I see you’ve been making moves, even after I told you to finish school first."
Sophie lowered her head, embarrassed, pressing the tip of her right foot against the floor.
"I saw the opportunity and just couldn’t ignore it," she breathed.
"You may want to punish her," Nadia continued, "but it can’t be denied that she made perfect use of her chances."
"What do you want?" I asked, pushing the matter to its core.
"She’ll be meeting Kickback and his team this weekend. She needs a ride."
"Okay."
........
Nadia didn’t need to explain further for me to understand her reasoning. Sure, the grind to the top was always full of struggles and setbacks, but that didn’t mean some of those difficulties couldn’t be lessened.
So far, Sophie had been riding on Jennifer Lopez’s fondness for her, and while that had carried her this far, the momentum was dying out. It was time to introduce the influence of a billionaire.
"Where are we headed, sir?" Nadia asked as she settled into the front seat of the Rolls-Royce.
"Los Angeles Airport."
"I don’t have any flights on your schedule."
"Something sudden came up. I have to meet a business partner out of state."
The lack of details made Nadia’s lips tighten.
"Should I ready a jet, or will you be flying commercial?"
"It’s fine. They already have a plane ready."
From the back seat, I watched her expression in the rearview mirror, noticing the fluctuations in her emotions. Then I left her with some instructions.
"While keeping out of sight, work closely with Annie. My plans for the state rely heavily on her.
"When I come back from this trip, I’ll be making a huge donation to the LAPD. This move involves Sky Warthog, so it’s going to be big. Denise has more information meet with her and make sure we’re ready."
"Understood," she nodded.
"You haven’t mentioned anything concerning the safety of the women, sir. With what happened to Valera, perhaps we should hire guards or at least drivers for them."
"No, not yet. As much as having guards would strengthen their security, it would also make them more noticeable targets.
"For now, the news of me being a billionaire is successfully suppressed. No paparazzi at my door, no organizations knocking for support and involvement. Let the normalcy continue for a little while. But you can begin making a list of potential hires."
Nadia nodded wordlessly, and when she took the car out onto the road, I turned the questions back to her.
"You’ve been taking quite an interest in Sophie. What plans do you have for her?"