Talking Dirty with the CEO - By Jackie Ashenden Page 0,18
incredible, Jude.” And it was. She’d worked really hard to get her first exhibition up and going. He was so proud of her.
She frowned. “You were quite distracted, though. More than normal, I thought. Was it to do with your date?”
“No,” he lied, fiddling with one of the sachets of sugar on the table.
Jude raised an eyebrow, seeing through the lie instantly. “Don’t be an idiot. What happened?”
“Nothing. It just didn’t work out.”
“What? Losing your touch, Mr. Slick?”
“She wasn’t my type.” And she wasn’t. Not in any way, shape, or form.
Jude rolled her eyes. “You mean she wasn’t blonde and built like Big Bust Barbie?”
“Whoa, stereotyping much?” His leg jogged, impatience with his sister’s assessment of his tastes eating away at him.
“That’s not the point and you know it.”
“Then what is the point?” He folded the sugar sachet in half, making sure it didn’t tear. “Stop making snide comments and just say it.”
She pursed her lips, looking uncharacteristically hesitant. “I get worried about you. You’re my big brother and I hate seeing you so lonely.”
Lonely? What the hell was she talking about? He wasn’t lonely. He had friends coming out of his freaking ears. “I’m not bloody lone—”
“No, don’t say it. I can’t bear the denials. I’m just telling you what I see and that’s a guy surrounded by admirers and colleagues who respect him, but who doesn’t have a single person in his life who doesn’t care about his money or his success or his looks.” She raised a brow. “If you don’t count Caleb and Luke of course, and since Caleb is in the UK and Luke is even more of a workaholic than you are, I don’t.”
Joseph gritted his teeth, dropped the folded-up sugar packet, and grabbed a napkin instead. “I gotta tell you I’m okay with my money, my success, and my looks.”
But the expression in his sister’s eyes had become almost…sad. “You say you are. But I don’t think that’s true. Not really.”
The waitress came over with their coffees at that point, giving him a moment to contain his shock at her soft statement.
Shit, what did she know? He loved his little sister but she had no idea. None at all. He liked the respect he got. He liked the success. He liked the money. All the things he hadn’t had after he’d dropped out of school at fifteen. All the things no one had expected from him.
And he was happy with where he was. He was freaking ecstatic.
He grabbed a couple of sugars, dumped them in his espresso, and stirred. “So what are you trying to tell me? That I need a girl who loves me for who I am on the inside?” He didn’t hold back on the sarcasm.
Jude sipped her latte. “Why not?”
“Because. You know I’m not built that way.”
His sister shook her head. “Rubbish. You’re built the same as everyone else.”
Oh, sure he was. That’s why he’d dropped out of school so young. That’s why he’d had to start his own company because he couldn’t hold down a job. That’s why he only had two friends who’d stuck by him over the years for reasons even he couldn’t work out. That’s why his life was a constant series of reminders that kept him on track in case he got distracted by something unimportant.
Because he was the same as everyone else.
“So come on, tell me about that guy I saw you chatting to on Friday.” A graceless change of subject, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want to talk about himself anymore.
In fact, he was pretty much happy not to talk about himself with anyone. Ever.
And that included his well-meaning sister.
Chapter Four
The Ashton Tech E-Slate product launch at the Hilton on Princes Wharf was in full swing by the time Christie arrived, the huge ballroom already packed. The event had been touted as a pretty big deal and all the tech gurus and attendant media were there, including a few celebrities who would provide the new product with a bit of cachet. Promo girls in slinky outfits circulated, as well as waitstaff with free alcohol. All the ingredients needed to make it a launch to remember.
Christie hated it.
She scowled at the crowd, trying to ignore the nervousness she always felt when it came to social events. Small talk really wasn’t her thing and as for networking, she only knew about that in relation to computers.
Good thing she was here to do a job and not socialize.
A woman who looked as if she’d