Falling For My Playboy Boss
Chapter 30

Collins POV

The fashion show was another enormous success, and at an even bigger venue. My sister and Emily looked beautiful up there, and I was really proud of them both. I took my best female friend, Eden, with me as I wanted to get her opinion on that newcomer, Shae. She was a total mystery to me, and I have put so many feelers out, but no one knows who she is, or where she lives. In New York, there is always a trail to be able to replace someone, but not in this case. I even called in some favors from some of my designer friends who saw her pictures and wanted her to work for them as well, but Mateo said she had an exclusive contract, and he had no information to give out as she would only be working for him. He was a lucky guy.

Eden lives in North Carolina where she runs a local investment brokerage firm. She graduated with me and Dalton, and since Nicolas was around too, we were all friends and kind of hung out together. Since we don't get to see her often as she lives further down South with her husband, we are always excited when she can come up and visit us. She met her husband while we were all in college. He graduated a year ahead of us and he is running things while she came up to visit. Eden's mother was not well, and she had come to help out for a week. Since Eden's sister was coming over on Saturday to help their mom out, I asked Eden if she wanted to go to the fashion show with me. She was really excited about it, as it was her first fashion show. I was excited because I was hoping that I could replace Shae after the show and talk to her, using Eden as a lead-in on how much she enjoyed the show. I had even asked my sister about Shae a week ago when I couldn't get any answers about her and she said that Shae has a separate dressing area, separate from the girls, and she doesn't know much about her. I was thinking that Ava was lying to me, but then Dalton said that Emily had said the same thing when he asked her, and that made it more believable when he mentioned that he had heard the same thing, as I figured he had indeed asked about Shae too. Shae is beautiful, and I bet Dalton is looking into trying to meet her, just like I was.

I waited for a while in the room waiting for Shae to emerge, but she never did. I saw Cora stopping to speak to Ella and Mateo, and then again, over with the people that I knew now were investors. Jerry had told me that they had put in a lot to invest in Mateo, and we facilitated that. Jerry also mentioned that we had a sharp increase in investors in the last 2 months after we got them paired with Mateo too because the Adams' brought in a lot of their friends to work with us.

Jerry also told me how pleased they were with us and that they were telling their friends about Lauder Financial and were calling us innovative and creative about getting their investments made. Jerry told me that due to us earning a great deal more in the quarter, he was issuing a bonus check to the Account Manager responsible, which I thought was a great idea. Keeping our clients happy, so happy that they refer us to their friends, gets us a lot more business, is our goal, and I was glad that his department was doing so great. I continued to look around and I saw Cora sitting down next to a frail-looking man, who had just sat down about a minute earlier. She spoke with him for a while and then an older woman who looked just like her walked up and spoke to her for a minute, before exiting the building. I had gotten to talking again and noticed that Cora was no longer here and that Catherine was missing as well. I saw them both come back in as my sister, Ava, was about to go into full panic mode on replaceing Cora. I point over to them and Ava calms down. I had already told her that since they were going out basically with the whole family, I would like to go with Eden as well. Ava did not seem happy about it, but she agreed. That was when she went in search of Cora in a panic. I called in a reservation for 18 as I knew my dad was coming and Ava said something about Cora inviting Mateo and a few other people as well, so they could get an area ready for us to be seated when we got there. I hate that this is the second show, and I still haven't gotten even a glimpse of Shae after the show. I am starting to really get frustrated here. I will see if Ava or Cora can get me tickets to one in a month's time for the fall show. I have to replace a way to meet her. She is a stunner and even as I think this, I feel guilty about it, as I like Cora too. She is kind, soft-spoken, she is helpful, and she is an excellent PA. I really wish I hadn't given her such a tough time when Catherine had first hired her. I was wrong to have done that, but every time I go to apologize to her, I just can't do it. She seems leery of me at work, like she doesn't know what I am going to do, and I guess from our rocky start that is all on me. Things have gone seamlessly since Catherine left, and it is almost like Catherine was still there running the show. Christian only shows up occasionally, and Cora has been highly professional the entire time. I hate to say it, but sometimes when she gets a man at her desk, I turn on the audio from above her desk to listen to their conversation. It made me really angry to replace out that Cora and Christian had gone out once, and that Christian wasn't ready to let her go just yet, even though it had not gone well. If I didn't know better, I would think that she was interested in me, but she is so sweet and nice. I don't know if I could even be that low to sweet-talk her into bed, as she would be the perfect wife, and I don't want to ruin her for someone else if she got hung up on me. I see Cora on her phone texting, and I wish I were closer so I could see who she was texting. It had better not be Christian. I was going to pay for everyone's dinner tonight, but I won't do it if he comes. He makes good money himself, and truth be told, I was even considering bringing him in to replace his father after Jerry retires, but he would be all over Cora then, and I can't take that risk. I am going to just keep on doing what I am doing and then when I decide to get married, pick a girl like Cora to marry and have children with. I am really too busy enjoying myself right now to want to slow down right at this moment. I won't be 30 until the end of the year anyway, and I plan to at least do what I want to do until at least 35. That is still young enough to start a family and let me retire at about 60. That sounds like a really good plan. You never know, I might meet Shae and she is perfect for me and settle down sooner. She is a stunner and if she is nice at all, I would get a ring for her super quickly, so I could claim her as mine. I motioned to Eden that we should head to the restaurant and see Cora watching us. I smile and nod to Cora, and she is about 15 feet away, and she nods back but does not smile. I frown because Cora is usually the most decent person I know, but she turns her back to me and walks away. She is probably going to get a ride. I see my younger brother Michael, who is a lawyer, in my line of vision now, watching Cora walk away and remember overhearing mom and Ava had invited him here tonight so he could meet Cora. Although he has not spoken to her yet, I can see the interest in his eyes. I am not on board with this. Although Michael doesn't serial date as I do, he isn't good enough for my Cora. I am going to have to step in and put a stop to that, I think, then I realize that I am after Shae, and I shouldn't have feelings for Cora if I am after Shae. I have dated two women at the same time, they just didn't know it until the paparazzi helped me out with one woman one night, and the other the next. I was way younger and made stupid decisions back then and I don't do that now, but I have no idea why I want to keep my own brother from dating my assistant. I guess I will leave it alone and let Michael date her, but I will warn him if he isn't planning on staying around, to leave her alone tomorrow when I come to the house for Sunday dinner with the family. Eden and I leave, and I see other cars following us there as well. My mother will ride there with Ava, and back home with dad. I had texted him the reservation time and place, so knowing him, he was already there anyway.

We arrive and get the cars parked, and I go in to tell the hostess that the Lauder party of 18 has arrived, while they wait outside, to let them know my party has arrived and is ready to be seated.

I head back outside, and we wait for them to get our tables set up. I see Franco and Eric, the hair and makeup guy's show up out of the blue and Cora takes off to them immediately. She hugs the shorter guy and I see him look up and straight at me. I have no idea why. I don't know him. I have seen him a couple of times, but I have never spoken to him. I saw her go over to Franco and hug him and I was starting to get worried because that shorter guy with the hi fade, glaring at me, had been spending a lot of time in the gym and his biceps are pretty big. I see Franco look at Eric, and then they both look at me and I wonder what their problem was with me. Did they see the show Maddie put on for the last fashion show? Have I serial dated one of their friends? I don't know what I have done to them, but I definitely get the vibe that they are not happy with me.

I walked over to ask Ava if she had been bad-mouthing me to Eric and Franco when I heard the shrill voice of Maddie calling out "Oh my God!! Collin. I knew it was you baby" and then I saw her heading straight for me. She went to hug me and thankfully my mother stepped in her way and said, "We are having a family and friends' dinner here. We are at our max capacity right now with our group, we have no space, or patience for you to join us. Please leave right now, and never try to contact my son again. We are all done with you, and he will be making better choices than you from now on" Marlowe finishes speaking and gives Maddie an arched eyebrow, almost daring her to argue with her.