Free Maid for the Billionaire by Ruth Cardello

seated pair. Abby reached into her bag and filled
her palm with his reward. The others became bolder and soon the
small bench was surrounded by hungry deer.
    Abby poured some of the kernels into
Dominic's hand. He reached forward and was surprised by how softly
the fragile animals took the treat. He was further surprised by the
feeling of triumph he felt that they trusted him enough to bring
their young ones closer to the bench.
    Abby looked on with a real expression of
pleasure.
    He announced, “This changes nothing. You
heard my sister. She doesn’t want anything from me.”
    Abby simply gave him more corn and said, “Who
are you trying to convince, me or you?”
    The ring of Dominic's cell phone scattered a
few of the deer. It rang again, but he didn't reach for it.
    Abby turned to him as the rings grew louder,
“Aren't you going to answer it?”
    I should. Jake wouldn't call him again so
soon if it weren't an emergency. Dominic dug the phone of his front
pocket and flipped it open. “Corisi,” he said with all the
impatience he felt.
    “We've got a problem,” Jake announced. “You
need to get back to New York ASAP.”
    “That is a problem,” Dominic answered,
“because I have no intention of returning till next week.”
    Jake was not deterred by his refusal. “I just
got off the phone with a contact we have within the Chinese
Promotion Investment Agency. He says you've offended the Minister
of Commerce. By missing his meeting, the Minister has lost face and
is doubting your guanxi.”
    “My what?”
    “Your personal relationship with him. Your
mutual trust. Whatever. I can't fix this without you. You're going
to have to drop whatever you're doing and fly to Beijing to meet
with him in person this week or the whole project is going to be
tabled.”
    Beijing was the last place Dominic wanted to
be. He wasn’t ready to step back into his old life yet. He wanted a
few more days of simply being with Abby. No pressure. No
expectations. With her, he was rediscovering who he was beneath all
of his anger and ambition and he liked the man he saw reflected in
her eyes.
    “This contract will benefit them as much as
it will us. What are they stalling for?” Dominic’s voice revealed
his growing frustration.
    “We didn't take into account the level of
importance the Chinese place on personal relationships. They aren't
going to move forward until you go out there and talk to them. Our
contact says, unlike the impatient Americans -- they have all the
time in the world. We can't afford to have this project put on
hold. Our investors are already getting nervous.”
    A group of children saw the deer that still
lingered around Dominic and Abby and came screaming toward
them.
    “What is that noise, Dominic? Where the hell
are you?”
    “At the zoo,” Dominic answered absently.
    Jake grunted in agreement. “Sounds like one.
What are you, outside a toy store or something?”
    “No, I'm actually at a zoo.” Abby shouldered
the blame with a shameless shrug and continued listening to his
side of the conversation with undisguised curiosity.
    Jakes voice rose an octave. “A zoo as in with
real caged animals?”
    “Are there any other kind?”
    “Huh.” For a moment that stumped Jake.
Dominic could almost hear his thoughts, This is worse than I
thought. “Ok, then. Give the monkeys the rest of the peanuts and
head for the airport. Your plane is fueling up at Logan as we
speak.”
    Dominic hadn’t become successful without
learning how to adapt quickly to changing situations. He turned to
his deer wise companion and asked, “Would you like to see
Beijing?”
    Abby’s mouth dropped open. “You mean in
China? I don't have a passport.”
    Dominic addressed Jake again while he stood,
pulling Abby up next to him. “I'll be flying out of Boston in a
little over an hour. Have a passport for Abigail Dartley waiting in
New York along with the paperwork I need. Have Duhamel fly back
before us and pack luggage for two. She'll