Chapter 1
A few years ago, Alan had a thriving business. Slightly sketchy but, making loads of money. He had a great team. Then the tornado hit. His wife had suddenly filed for divorce. And in brief, she cleaned him out. He didn't have enough funds to continue. So, he took some time to heal. And now after a few years of living off of savings he knew he would have to find a source of income. He day traded, but that wasn't going to pay the bills. He had a small 2-bedroom place he rented. It was enough. His dog was with him and that was company. Just on a whim he got a lottery ticket. Maybe he would win enough for another ticket.
A day later when he was getting gas, he stuck the ticket into the scanner. The machine beeped and locked up. He looked at the screen. Large prize. Maybe it would pay the rent. But later that day he got the biggest shock of his life. The win was $50,000,000. I suppose that pays for the rent he thought to himself.
And after a brief whirlwind of activity, he had the money in the bank. He had rented the top floor of the nicest hotel in the city, and was sitting looking out the window from there pondering his next move. It had a few bedrooms and was fully furnished. He was sending his dog to his cousin to sit until life settled. The dog was like a child to him and very important.
Looking out the window at the falls, he took stock. Material possessions were easy to come by. Travel, should he choose to, would be simple. What was missing was a significant other. Being single was a lonely thing. Finding the wrong woman would lead to financial disaster. Another financial disaster. So how to find the right one?
Putting an ad on the net, 'rich guy seeks significant other', would bring every nut bar out of the woodwork. The type of woman was important. There was a grocery list of wants. Decent looks. But not model level. Smart without being conniving. Good personality. More humble than arrogant. And, no major family ties. Someone he could mold into a long-term friend and companion. But to bring in as an employee so if things went off the rails he wasn't going to be taken to the cleaners. And perhaps the dimmest hope of a physical relationship.
The ad finally came out this way. 'Financial executive seeks long term executive assistant. This is a live in position. Minimal family ties preferred. Experience is less important than a trainable attitude. Travel likely involved on a regular basis. Financial experience not required. Domestic duties involved. Excellent compensation.'
Alan posted it that morning and the responses went to a new email he had created. In no time there were thousands. He weeded out the males so that dropped many off of the list. From the balance, the very long multi page responses, and agencies, were discarded as well. The hard-core career women were a total threat.
Finally, one caught his eye. The title read Jean Sullivan. Nothing more. This is what she said.
My name as stated is Jean Sullivan. I was until recently a nun. Due to a change in circumstance, I am no longer. I have no family. At the moment I don't have a permanent residence and am staying at a hotel. I am left with very minimal funds and would be willing to negotiate on wages to your advantage. As a nun, we all took turns doing the domestic work so I'm amenable to that. I'm honest and trustworthy. I would be available quickly for a meeting. Bless you regardless of your choice. You can reach me at "***".
Alan sat back and reread the letter, then he picked up his phone and called her number. At least on the face of things she was the one. Her sincerity was obvious and he believed her statement about being trustworthy. Sometimes you know it when you see it.
Jean picked up the call on the second ring. "Yes?"
He said "Hi, my name is Alan. You answered my ad for an executive assistant."
There was a pause. "I see. The ad was vague to some degree. If this is a scam, I'm wiser than that. If it isn't I'd certainly like to know more." She said.
Alan replied. "The ad is quite legitimate. Of the thousands I got, yours stood out for its brevity and honesty. I don't want to get tricked either."
"Then we are on the same page it seems." said Jean.
"Indeed. I don't know how quickly you can accommodate me, but I would like to meet you first thing in the morning. If you're free, can we meet at 9 at the Foxworthy hotel dining room. I'll buy us breakfast." Jean agreed as she wasn't living far off.
The next morning, he was waiting in the restaurant when Jean was directed to his table. As she approached, he took stock. 5'2 or so. Thin. A very pretty face. Good posture. No makeup. Slightly hesitant. Shy. Very plain grey shirt and skirt. He supposed her nuns attire. And light brunette hair with just a touch of grey at the edges. Her hair was obviously just growing in from being short the way nuns are wont to have it.
He stood as she was seated. She smiled easily. This was very positive so far. They chatted quietly about the weather as breakfast was served. Then the falls. That was always fascinating. When he had worked, he managed people. He was trained to observe. While Jean wasn't untoward, it was obvious she was quite hungry, he didn't think she had eaten recently.
"So, tell me. What would prompt a nun to suddenly change her life? May I ask that?" Alan said.
Her face darkened a bit. "Two months ago, we nuns got up and found the mother superior gone. As it turns out the mother superior had sold the building, taken most of our funds and just disappeared. She left each of us a small amount of money. That doesn't last long." Jean said grimly.
"When did you last eat?" asked Alan.
