The Billionaire Bundle by Daphne Loveling Read Free Book Online

looked beautiful -- to her, at least -- and Tessa herself had always tried to keep this advice in mind when shopping for clothes. Just because I'm bigger, doesn't mean I don't deserve to look nice , she told herself sternly.
    Tessa's gaze wandered from the window back to her computer screen.  Her brows furrowed in defiance.  Fuck it , she thought. Let them reject me. I'm not ashamed of myself. Determinedly, she opened up a copy of her application letter, tailored it as best she could given the lack of details in the posting, and before she could second-guess her decision, uploaded her application materials and the photo she currently had as her Facebook profile picture.  Pressing send, she sighed, and with a gesture of finality, snapped her laptop shut. Suddenly in need of a change of atmosphere, she gathered up her things and treated herself to a mocha in a to-go cup.  Back out on the street, Tessa took a deep breath in the late-autumn sun and walked the few blocks to a downtown park to watch the ducks and drink her treat. 
    Tessa had forgotten about the mysterious ad when, a little over a week later, she received an email from a man who identified himself as an assistant to Mr. Ian Morgan regarding her job application. The man asked her to phone him to schedule an interview with Mr. Morgan the following day in the late afternoon.  Tessa called the number and confirmed that yes, it was indeed Tessa Quinn that Mr. Morgan wanted to see.  Too shocked to do anything but confirm the time and take down the address, Tessa hung up in a daze. 
    Looking up the address on her phone, she found it to be in one of the tall office buildings downtown.  This was much more high-powered than she had expected, and she realized her current interview suit might not be adequate.  Tessa began to panic, and called her best friend Megan and asked to meet her at their bar for a dose of moral support.
    Now, sipping their cocktails and casting the occasional glance at their cute bartender, Megan, ever practical, listened as Tessa told her about the mysterious ad and the phone call.  When Tessa began to lament her lack of a nice enough suit and fret that she had no possibility of getting the job, Megan stopped her short.  Addressing Tessa sternly, she said, "Tess, stop it! A week ago you didn't even think you had a chance of them calling you.  Now you have an interview and you're already sure you're going to bomb it before you even get in the room.  It's One. Interview.  If nothing else, it's great experience.  No matter what happens tomorrow, it's one hour out of your whole life. Chill out."
    Tessa marveled, as she often did, at how Megan could always be so calm and philosophical about everything.  She wished she herself could possess half of the sang froid her friend seemed to have.  Sighing, she said, "You're right, Megs.  I need to just take this as a life experience thing.  But it's pretty hard to do that when I'm eating Easy Mac four nights out of seven, you know?"
    "Yeah, I know," Megan smiled.  "But someday you'll look back at this struggle from your luxurious mansion, and it will seem so far away.  And your shameless martyr performance worked.  Drinks are on me." Megan wouldn't take no for an answer, conceding only that Tessa could return the favor once she got the job with Ian Morgan.
    The next day, Tessa found it hard to focus; she was on pins and needles waiting for the late afternoon interview time to arrive.  Why couldn't Mr. Morgan have wanted to see her bright and early, so she could have just had a tortured, sleepless night and gotten it over with?  Around 3:00, Tessa got in the shower, shaved her legs, put a deep conditioner in her hair, and groomed herself with great attention.  She applied her makeup carefully, and fretted a bit over her slim wardrobe choices.  Eventually she admitted to herself with a sigh that she had no choice but to wear her interview suit, a dark gray blazer and matching skirt, which she