A billionaire. I couldn't get my head around it. That much money just didn't seem even possible to me. He never had to worry about rent or the price of gas, or even if he had to pick between the sale toilet paper and the brand name. Hell, he probably had chinchilla fur toilet paper. I was having trouble just trying to imagine what kind of opulence he must be used to. He was so far out of my league, we weren't even playing the same sport anymore.
If he had chinchilla fur toilet paper, what did he see in me? No wonder he wanted me to be a lawyer. A lawyer could understand his world. What hope did a nearly broke paralegal have of understanding the life of a billionaire? It was like a fish trying to understand the life of a bird.
I shook the ice in my cup. It would be completely melted soon. Did his money change the way I felt about him? That was an easy question to answer. No, it didn't. I had fallen for him long before I knew he had money. Just thinking of those hazel eyes and the way his whole face lit up when he smiled, I knew I loved him. I had thought he walked on water back when I was sure we were in the same tax bracket.
My eyes widened as I realized what I just admitted to myself. I loved him. I had loved him from the minute he had taken my books and walked me upstairs. It didn't matter to me if he was a billionaire or a hundredaire.
My hand shook as I set the cup down. I loved him. I had never been in love like this before and that scared me more than his money. I felt so deeply for him that it made my whole body ache. The fact that he had a history of abandoning women like me was terrifying. If he left me, I would shatter. I needed him in my life like I needed the sun.
But he was a billionaire and I was close to broke. He probably spent more money on that chinchilla fur toilet paper than I made in a year. He deserved someone better than a girl just struggling to make rent and working like crazy for a scholarship. It didn't matter to me what the size of his bank account was, but I wondered if the size of mine mattered to him.
“Is this seat taken?” Aiden's voice cut through my thoughts like a hot knife through butter. I looked up to see him haloed in the sunlight.
“As long as the guy I'm dating doesn't see you,” I replied. I couldn't help but smile when I saw him. With him in front of me, I could almost forget what he was. “But you look stronger than him, so you can probably take him in a fight.”
“It's just because I ate my Wheaties this morning,” he explained taking the seat across from me. Sunlight still highlighted his hair, turning it to honey gold. “How'd your meeting go?”
“Fine.” I chewed on my lower lip. I needed to confess to him and get the billionaire issue out in the open. It was the only way I was going to stay sane for the next three days on the island with him. “I ran into Kathryn when I came out of your room this morning.”
“Okay...” He shrugged like running into my boss was nothing and popped one of the fries from my plate into his mouth. His nose wrinkled up in disgust at the cold, soggy fry. “How long have you been sitting here?”
“She informed me that I had just come out of Mr. Hayes' room. The Mr. Hayes that run Travel, Inc. and is worth billions.” I picked at the cuticle on my thumb, nervous at what was going to happen next. “It kind of gave me a surprise this morning.”
Aiden put down the second french fry that was on its way to his mouth . “And?”
“I thought you were an assistant,” I admitted, feeling exponentially more stupid with every word that left my mouth. “I thought Ben the bodyguard was your boss.”
Aiden's eyes focused completely on me as he settled into his chair. “I wasn't completely sure you didn't know until this moment, but I suspected.” He paused and then smiled. “It was actually refreshingly wonderful that you didn't know.”
“Wonderful? How could not knowing who you are be wonderful? I didn't know the one thing that everyone else knows does.” I looked up at him, feeling lost. Everyone else on this island knew who Aiden was and gave him the respect he deserved. I told him that he spent too much on dinner.
“It's the one thing I wish people didn't know,” Aiden explained softly. “People see me and think that I'm a walking ATM. It's worse than just being wealthy, because every single person knows I can afford anything, so they don't even bother pretending to be polite about it. Do you know how many people tell me not to spend my money on them? One.”
“Who?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
The corners of Aiden's eyes crinkled with warmth as he smiled. “You.” He reached across the table for my hands. It felt good to be touched by him. “You are the best thing that's happened to me in a long time.”
“So, you're actually okay with having a dumb girlfriend that doesn't recognize the signs of a man with money?” I asked. I still felt stupid for being so oblivious.
“You are not dumb,” he assured me. “And I'm very okay with it. Are you okay dating a billionaire?”
“Honestly, I'm still processing it.” I looked up to see his smile falter and my heart dropped. “I thought you were a normal guy and I just found out that you make my year's salary in an hour. It's just kind of a rough transition. I'm having to change my expectations a little.”
His brow tightened. “What do you mean?”
“I was imagining you picking me up in a five year old car with a banged up headlight, and now I'm trying to imagine a helicopter. I was thinking that date night would be dinner at a drive-thru and then cramming into a crowded movie theater instead of five-star dining and opera.” I looked up at him and shrugged. I felt incredibly overwhelmed by his wealth. “I don't even know how to ride in a limo, let alone a helicopter.”
He squeezed my hands and smiled. “Limos are just like cars, only bigger.”
“It's just...” Here was the hard part. Here was where I had to tell him that I didn't fit in his world. I couldn't look at him. “I don't know how to handle helicopters and opera. I don't know if I'm good enough for you.”
He didn't immediately say anything and I could feel the silence like a weight. I had just given him an out and now I had to wait for him to take it. I didn't want him to, but I needed to give him the chance.
He let go of my hands and stood. My stomach tightened into a cold ball. He was going to leave and he had every right to. I wasn't worthy of a billionaire.
Instead of leaving, though, he came and knelt by my chair. I stared at the ground, heart pounding and head unsure. He dipped his beautiful head until he was in my line of sight and I had to look at him. He was smiling.