The Billionaire's Secret Read Online Free Page A

together, Lizette thought even
though Jon was not on the target list, it couldn’t hurt to practice
the pitch she had written while waiting for her dress to arrive.
“Mr. Vinchi, have you—?”
    “Please, call me Jon.”
    “Okay . . . Jon, have you ever heard of
Another Chance?”
    “No, I don’t believe I have.”
    This didn’t surprise Lizette, as the company
was not well known outside of Chepachet, Rhode Island, where they
were located. She knew asking for a donation wasn’t going to be
easy; she was out of her comfort zone. She hoped her voice wasn’t
betraying the fear she felt as she began her first attempt at
finding a sponsor. “I am here tonight representing Another Chance.
We step in where government assistance cuts off. When someone has
exhausted all other avenues for aid, they come to us. Last year
there was an apartment house that burnt down. None of the residents
had apartment insurance. That meant all four families in the
building lost everything. We were able to assist alongside the Red
Cross and make sure these families didn’t end up homeless. But over
the past few years, the government funding for such needs has been
cut almost in half, which has caused the need in the community to
almost double.”
    Jon nodded as though he understood her
dilemma, but he said nothing.
    “This has put a tremendous financial strain
on our organization and others like us.”
    “I’m sure it has. Times are difficult. And
it sounds like Another Chance is trying to make a difference.”
    “Yes, we are,” Lizette said proudly. Here
comes the tough part! she thought. “Well, that brings me to why
I am here. We are a not-for-profit agency and we depend highly on
the generosity of donations. Tonight, I’m hoping to either get
enough donations or land a corporate sponsor so we can continue our
services in the community.” Pausing once again, she continued
nervously, “I . . . I was wondering if you could maybe mention
Another Chance to your boss and explain everything we do. Maybe he
would be interested in making a donation?” she asked hopefully.
    “You would like me to ask my boss for a
donation?” Jon seemed intrigued by her request.
    “Sorry, I hate putting you in that position.
I understand how you feel. I hate asking for donations too. Please
tell him we would appreciate anything he can do. And if he’s not in
a financial position to help us, we understand.”
    He smiled slightly and asked, “Do you have a
card that I may give to my boss, Miss Burke?”
    Was it her imagination, or was there a hint
that he found her request a bit amusing? Shrug it off, Lizette.
It’s because this is new to you.
    She fumbled with the clasp of her purse and
quickly realized she had packed too many of what she thought were
essentials for this type of event. Her cards were in there
somewhere. Turning to Jon, she shyly asked, “Would you mind?”
    Without waiting for a reply, she handed him
her champagne glass, then pulled out her lipstick and compact and
handed them to him. Lizette then proceeded to hand him a notepad
and pen, a cell phone, and keys. She didn’t want to pull out the
photos in front of him, so she rummaged through the pictures in her
purse and finally located the business cards. She didn’t want to go
through the hassle of trying to locate them again for the next
person, so she slid them into a small inside pocket of the purse.
Lizette pulled one out and began to hand it to Jon. Only then did
she realize Jon was standing there patiently, holding the contents
of her purse and their champagne glasses. Obviously handing the
card to him wasn’t an option at the moment, so she slipped it into
his breast pocket and said as confidently as she could muster in
the situation, “Here is my boss’s business card. She can be reached
at any of the numbers listed.”
    Trying to avoid eye contact, since she could
feel her cheeks were still flushed from embarrassment, she began to
retrieve the items one by one. As she