Billionaire's Tragedy (Standalone Book) (Billionaire Bad Boy Romance) by Alexa Davis Page A
Authors: Alexa Davis
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displays, trying to pretend like I wasn't that interested
in anything in particular. My years as a reporter had taught me that one sure
way to get people to talk was to throw out a few leading statements and then
pretend like you had no real interest in the answers. That usually got people
very interested in showing you what they knew and trying to impress you with
the knowledge. I pointed to a totally different bouquet and asked, “How much is
this?"
"Those are sixty to
a hundred depending on how big you want it," she said, then turned to the
group on the counter and noted, "But I would recommend this one if you're
really looking to impress someone."
"Oh, is that the one
that screams ' Be impressed?’” I asked in a bored tone.
"It is indeed,"
she laughed as she rearranged a few stems and then straightened up the cards on
each one. She looked toward the back again, and then told me, "These are
some seriously impressive arrangements."
"Huh, that's
interesting," I said, feeling my senses begin to tingle as I waited for
her to spill the details that I knew she wanted to share. I pointed to a
holiday arrangement containing holly and pine branches, "What about
this?"
"God, that's the
cheapest one we have, don't send that one," she said as she rolled her
eyes. Her eyes flickered back toward the back of the store as if expecting
someone to come rushing through the door any minute, then she looked at me and
waved me over. She dropped her voice and said, "You want to know who sends
these kinds of arrangements?"
"Yeah, sure. Will I
be in good company if I choose one?" I shrugged and spoke in a tone that
suggested I didn't really care whether she did or didn't share the information
with me.
"Lincoln Redding
ordered all of these for the families of the senators who got shot today,"
she gleefully confided. "He's incredibly sexy and so thoughtful."
"Huh, isn't he the do-gooder
gun guy?" I asked in an off-handed manner. "Seems kind of weird that
he'd be ordering flowers."
"Oh no! Not at all!
He's in here ordering flowers all the time!" she exclaimed before looking
over her shoulder and lowering her voice again. "He always calls ahead and
orders the arrangements, then comes in and handwrites notes to whomever he's
sending them to."
"Is that so?" I
said as I sniffed the flowers in front of me. "Nice guy."
"Have you seen
him?" she asked. "God, he's the very definition of tall, blond, and
handsome! And those eyes!"
"Pretty dreamy,
eh?" I asked as I swallowed a bubble of laughter that welled up in my
throat.
"I would totally go
out with him," she nodded. "But he doesn't seem to have any interest
in the women around here."
"Maybe he's
gay?" I suggested.
"No way! That guy is
totally het!" she squealed. "He's been in the papers with some of the
most gorgeous women in the world! And, I heard he was engaged to a Saudi princess
at one point, but that she broke it off because her family didn't want her
living in the States full time and Redding wouldn't agree to move to
Dubai."
"How do you know all
of this?" I asked, knowing full well how she knew it. After all, I was
part of the pack of reporters who dug up this kind of stuff and splashed it
across the pages of the newspaper.
"Don't you read the
tabloids?" she asked incredulously. "It's all over those things! And
besides, Washington is a small world. A lot of what goes on is talked about on
the streets, even if it never makes it to the papers."
"And again, how do
you know all of this?" I asked.
"Oh, my dad is a
security guard over at the Capitol and he hears all kinds of stuff," she
said as she waved her hand at me. "You have no idea how crazy things are
over there."
"I'll bet," I
nodded. "Why is Redding sending these arrangements to senators’ families?
Does he know them? I mean, it seems kind of weird and random to send flowers to
complete strangers, doesn't it?"
"Nah, not
really," she said. "He's sent them all stuff before, like on the
holidays and things. My dad says it's
in anything in particular. My years as a reporter had taught me that one sure
way to get people to talk was to throw out a few leading statements and then
pretend like you had no real interest in the answers. That usually got people
very interested in showing you what they knew and trying to impress you with
the knowledge. I pointed to a totally different bouquet and asked, “How much is
this?"
"Those are sixty to
a hundred depending on how big you want it," she said, then turned to the
group on the counter and noted, "But I would recommend this one if you're
really looking to impress someone."
"Oh, is that the one
that screams ' Be impressed?’” I asked in a bored tone.
"It is indeed,"
she laughed as she rearranged a few stems and then straightened up the cards on
each one. She looked toward the back again, and then told me, "These are
some seriously impressive arrangements."
"Huh, that's
interesting," I said, feeling my senses begin to tingle as I waited for
her to spill the details that I knew she wanted to share. I pointed to a
holiday arrangement containing holly and pine branches, "What about
this?"
"God, that's the
cheapest one we have, don't send that one," she said as she rolled her
eyes. Her eyes flickered back toward the back of the store as if expecting
someone to come rushing through the door any minute, then she looked at me and
waved me over. She dropped her voice and said, "You want to know who sends
these kinds of arrangements?"
"Yeah, sure. Will I
be in good company if I choose one?" I shrugged and spoke in a tone that
suggested I didn't really care whether she did or didn't share the information
with me.
"Lincoln Redding
ordered all of these for the families of the senators who got shot today,"
she gleefully confided. "He's incredibly sexy and so thoughtful."
"Huh, isn't he the do-gooder
gun guy?" I asked in an off-handed manner. "Seems kind of weird that
he'd be ordering flowers."
"Oh no! Not at all!
He's in here ordering flowers all the time!" she exclaimed before looking
over her shoulder and lowering her voice again. "He always calls ahead and
orders the arrangements, then comes in and handwrites notes to whomever he's
sending them to."
"Is that so?" I
said as I sniffed the flowers in front of me. "Nice guy."
"Have you seen
him?" she asked. "God, he's the very definition of tall, blond, and
handsome! And those eyes!"
"Pretty dreamy,
eh?" I asked as I swallowed a bubble of laughter that welled up in my
throat.
"I would totally go
out with him," she nodded. "But he doesn't seem to have any interest
in the women around here."
"Maybe he's
gay?" I suggested.
"No way! That guy is
totally het!" she squealed. "He's been in the papers with some of the
most gorgeous women in the world! And, I heard he was engaged to a Saudi princess
at one point, but that she broke it off because her family didn't want her
living in the States full time and Redding wouldn't agree to move to
Dubai."
"How do you know all
of this?" I asked, knowing full well how she knew it. After all, I was
part of the pack of reporters who dug up this kind of stuff and splashed it
across the pages of the newspaper.
"Don't you read the
tabloids?" she asked incredulously. "It's all over those things! And
besides, Washington is a small world. A lot of what goes on is talked about on
the streets, even if it never makes it to the papers."
"And again, how do
you know all of this?" I asked.
"Oh, my dad is a
security guard over at the Capitol and he hears all kinds of stuff," she
said as she waved her hand at me. "You have no idea how crazy things are
over there."
"I'll bet," I
nodded. "Why is Redding sending these arrangements to senators’ families?
Does he know them? I mean, it seems kind of weird and random to send flowers to
complete strangers, doesn't it?"
"Nah, not
really," she said. "He's sent them all stuff before, like on the
holidays and things. My dad says it's
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