“How is this happening?” Judy cried out, her face lit up with delight.
I had my suspicions, noticing that Damian didn’t seem surprised at all. He had surely planned all this and I had a feeling I knew why.
Chapter Three: Marry Me?
The circus performers were amazing! I felt my jaw drop as they displayed their talent. How could the acrobats move their bodies like that? I could barely handle the downward dog in yoga class.
The music changed slightly, and a new person appeared. She wore a red leotard and carried a ball in her hands. Small and slender, she was beautiful. She approached our little group and began to enact a complicated gymnastics routine in a circle around us, using the ball as a prop. She threw it in the air, bounced it, and rolled it along her body with graceful balance. Her movements were so fluid, it was like a dance.
I was so absorbed in her performance that I didn’t even notice what was going on around me at first. Then, Gigi let out a gasp and I realized that Damian was down on one knee in front of her. The performer slid into the splits and, as her music stopped, she rolled the ball away from herself and froze. Damian scooped up the ball as it reached him and turned to look up at Gigi. I couldn’t believe how well coordinated this was.
“Gigi Stevens, you’ve changed my life so much. All for the better. I can’t imagine living without you.” Damian popped the ball open along a hidden seam and the inside was cushioned, with a ring nestled in the center. The large diamond sparkled in the light. “Will you marry me?”
The gathered crowd seemed to hold its breath. I felt my own heart skip a beat. Gigi stood frozen for a brief moment, before she flung herself forward and into Damian’s arms, nearly knocking him backwards onto the floor. He got his balance just in time and let out a startled laugh as he engulfed her in a hug.
“Is that a yes?” he asked joyously.
I felt a twinge in my heart. He looked so happy and Gigi was clearly ecstatic. I was amazed that he went to all this effort. It was so well planned, all for her.
I couldn’t stop the jealousy, no matter how much I tried. I wanted a love like this. I wanted a man that would go to these extremes to wow me.
“YES!” Gigi shouted the word out and suddenly the world exploded into white light.
Camera flashes were everywhere, making spots appear before my eyes. The photographers were going wild. I stepped backward to stay out of the way and stumbled, feeling myself collide with a warm body. I knew who it was without looking. There was a familiarity to this person, to the way the contours of our bodies fit together.
“Are you okay?” J.D. asked, spinning my body around to face him. With my back to the cameras, I was able to focus after a few seconds. My eyes took in J.D.’s face. His expression was guarded, unreadable.
“Yeah, thanks. The lights…” I wasn’t sure what to say, we were too close to one another. I took a step away, breaking all contact with him. Coming to my senses, I whipped back around to Gigi and Damian, who were now standing together, smiling for the cameras as he slipped the engagement ring on her finger. Her small hand made the diamond look even bigger.
I hurried forward and pulled Gigi into an embrace, my arms tight around her torso. I ignored the cameras and the reporters that were already firing off questions about when and where the wedding would take place.
They just got engaged five seconds ago, for fuck’s sake, I thought to myself.
“Oh my god, it’s huge!” I exclaimed, seizing Gigi’s hand and taking a closer look at the diamond on her finger.
“That’s what she said,” Damian quipped. I laughed loudly before pulling him into a quick hug as well.
“I can’t believe you planned this by yourself. It was fantastic,” I told him before turning to Gigi. “Congratulations, girl. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” she replied sincerely.
“Over here,” J.D. called out, gesturing to a waiter as he and Hayden stepped up to the three of us. Aaron, the fourth founder of SXz, had arrived and was urging the reporters away. He was being polite, but his large build was just intimidating enough to make them listen whether they wanted to or not. The guy was built like a football player, he had actually been one back in the day.
The waiter was carrying a large tray of champagne for all of us. I reached forward just as J.D. did and our fingers brushed as when we went for the same glass. We made eye contact and I felt that familiar surge of attraction once again.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I looked away and grabbed a different glass. I really needed to try to date more. I hadn’t been with anyone since J.D. and clearly my libido was getting out of control. But with the stress and the long hours that had come with starting So Good, there wasn’t much time to meet men. Not that I’d put in much effort.
Shaking my head slightly to dispel those thoughts, I joined my friends as we raised a toast to Gigi and Damian. Jealousy aside, I was thrilled for them. This night couldn’t have gone better.
The following Monday, I walked into work with large flat box in my hands. Elliott, our executive administrative assistant, grimaced when he saw me.
“Oh no, what do you have now?”
Smiling sweetly, I gestured for him to come to my desk. He followed behind diligently, as I greeted other employees that were starting their day. So Good’s office space was a renovated warehouse, all open space except for a single board room that we used for important meetings.
When we reached my desk, I carefully placed the box down on top. Elliott looked at it warily. Fresh out of college, Elliott had completely embraced the Cali hipster vibe. He was vegan and obsessed with the underground music scene. He also had brown hair that he carefully styled to look like it wasn’t styled at all. I didn’t get the point of that.
Today he was wearing a pair of dark chino pants with a casual white shirt tucked into them. It was open at the collar and he wore blue suspenders over the top. Round black-framed glasses completed his look. He was just adorable.
“Okay, what is it?” he asked again.
“I finally found what I want to hang on the wall above my desk,” I told him, using my scissors to cut the packing tape. “It will be the crown jewel of my collection.”
I had been playing interior decorator since we had moved into this warehouse. There was no theme, it was all about bringing some fun into the office. Whether it was the giant paper mache sunflower I had hung from the ceiling above Gigi’s desk or the painting of King Kong rocking a Donkey Kong tattoo on his shoulder that I had hung on the wall near the entrance, all that mattered was that it appealed to me in some way. I had found my newest acquisition on Etsy last week.
Carefully pulling the framed picture out of the box and holding it up, I showed it to Elliott. It was a novelty black and white picture of Mount Rushmore, but the faces had been replaced with The Three Stooges. It included Shemp, of course. I had made sure of that. One must represent that original lineup.
“Wow.”
“I know. Isn’t it great?”
“Who are they?”
“Who are they?” I repeated his question, horror-struck. “Who are they?”
“Oh god, this is going to be a whole thing, isn’t it?” Elliott asked exasperatedly.
“I am going to have to educate you, if that’s what you mean,” I told him, quite seriously. “How do you not know The Three Stooges?”
“Aren’t they pretty old? I think my grandma likes them. You know I’m only 21, right?”
“No excuses. Now, go get the ladder, please.”
He walked away, grumbling under his breath. He’d thank me after a couple of movie marathons. The guy needed a proper introduction to comedy.
Ten minutes later, Gigi found me standing at the base of a ladder behind my desk, while Elliott slowly climbed up. Too Slowly. Apparently, he was afraid of heights.
“What’s up?” she asked, handing over a coffee from the shop down the street.
“You’re my hero,” I said, ta
king a sip. I picked up the picture to show her. “Look what I got!”
“Another great find,” Gigi replied with a smile.
“Thank you. Finally, someone with good taste around here,” I said loudly so Elliott would hear.
“Are you holding that ladder?” He asked, clinging to the rungs with a frightened look.
“You’re less than five feet off the ground.”
“You said you’d hold it!”
“Okay, okay. Geeze.” I made a big show of putting my hand on the ladder.
“What’s his problem?” Gigi asked.
“Oh, nothing. He just has a love/hate relationship with gravity. He’ll be fine.”
“Just keep your hand on that ladder,” he said, taking one more daring step up.
“You look happy today. Someone get lucky last night?” I asked Gigi while pumping my eyebrows suggestively.
“I don’t kiss and tell.”
“That’s okay, I wanna hear about more interesting stuff than kissing.”
“I don’t think so. But I did start planning the wedding this weekend.”
“Yay! I’m so excited for this. Tell me it’s going to be amazing.”
“Of course. I’m thinking a destination wedding with just our closest friends and family. I’m not sure where, yet.”
“It could be anywhere in the world. You know Damian will make it happen. When will it be?”
“Soon. Maybe just a few months.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’m ready. There’s no reason for a long engagement. We have the money to get it done quickly and still be fabulous.”
I had no doubt about that. Gigi had a skill for follow through once she made a decision. She was always a woman with a plan.
“That’s great.”
“Oh, another thing. I want you to be my maid of honor.”
“Yes, of course!”
“I knew you’d say that,” she smiled. “We’ll have to get started with planning right away.”
“I’m thinking Vegas for the Bachelorette party. We’ll send you into married life in style!”
“I meant planning the wedding.”
“That’ll come later. We have to start with the important stuff.”
Gigi opened her mouth to reply, but I didn’t get to hear it. An alert on my phone told me that we had something more important to do. Glancing at it to confirm, I looked up at Elliott.
“Get down here, El,” I said. He had just started hammering a nail into the wall.
“Why?”
“We’ve got something to celebrate.”
Linking my arm with Gigi’s, I led her across the room, where a huge gong hung on the wall. I mean, the thing was massive. The gong was the first thing I bought to decorate the office and I loved it.
Gigi picked up the mallet and swung it hard, striking the gong in the center and causing deep musical notes to fill the open space. Our 12 employees, all women except for Elliott, stopped what they were doing and looked at us.
“That’s right guys! We’ve got another one!” I called out. “Cheryl Rogers and Joey Bapp got engaged this weekend.”
Everyone erupted into cheers and applause. We made a big deal about the engagements of our clients. It was proof that the business worked, and it kept morale up.
After the reverberating tones died away, I hurried to the center of the room, where I had personally painted a big hopscotch board onto the floor. Kicking off my shoes, I began to play. My arms were outstretched to maintain my balance as I hopped along on one foot. Soon, Gigi joined me.
Chapter Four: Meeting
“You should ask Judy to help you,” Hayden suggested, and I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
“Why?” I asked. I slid my suit jacket on as I moved to exit my office. Hayden trailed behind me.
“She’s Gigi’s best friend and the maid of honor. You could use her help with this.”
“It’s an engagement party,” I said as we waited at the elevator. “I’m sure I can handle it.”
“Yeah, because you’re known for your excellent party planning skills,” Hayden rolled his eyes.
“What’s that mean?” I asked, wondering why he was pushing this so much.
“Nothing,” he raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “I just think you could use a woman’s touch is all. Who else could you ask? Gigi’s busy planning the actual wedding. Sabine is nesting right now, and you don’t want to stand between a pregnant woman and a house she thinks needs deep-cleaning. What other women are you friends with?”
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped in, leaving my brother behind. He did have a point. Damian had told me that only close friends and family would be invited to the wedding. This engagement party would be the public celebration of their union. I had volunteered to throw the party for them as the best man, but I had never planned something like this before. As the face of the company, Damian usually took it upon himself to plan events for SXz. I kept my own get togethers confined to super bowl parties and the occasional backyard BBQ. Maybe I had bitten off more than I could chew.
As the elevator doors opened, I made my way across the lobby and toward the parking garage. I slid into my Aston Martin Rapide and started the engine. It positively purred and I let out a grin. This car was my baby.
Activating the sound system, two tweeters rose from the dashboard. I cranked up the volume on my music and pulled out of the garage, heading toward So Good, which was only a fifteen-minute drive in light traffic.
I pulled up to the renovated warehouse. There were five expensive cars in the parking lot that indicated the other investors were already there. Straightening my tie, I got out of the vehicle and strode into the building.
I looked around. The place reminded me so much of Judy with the bold decorations that hung on the walls and from the ceiling. I was sure they were all hand-picked by her.
“Mr. Stallworth, good to see you,” Elliott, Gigi and Judy’s executive assistant, greeted me as I walked in. His desk was nearest the door.
“You too, man. How have you been?”
“Livin’ the dream,” he shrugged. “I was about to make a coffee run. Do you want anything?”
“I’m good. Everyone in the boardroom?”
“Yep.” Elliott replied as he headed to the door.
Inside the boardroom, Judy, Gigi, and 5 other men were waiting for me. I took a seat on the far side of the table. I noticed that Judy was sandwiched between two men that were sitting closer than I thought was necessary. Telling myself that it didn’t matter, I put my cell phone on silent and focused on the meeting. I was a professional, after all.
An hour later, the meeting was wrapping up. We had discussed the top ten national markets and how So Good planned to break into them. The marketing department joined the meeting briefly to lay out a comprehensive short-term plan that extended over the next year. I slipped the financial reports Judy had prepared for us into my briefcase, snapping it closed. When I looked up Gigi was exiting the room, leaving only Judy and I behind.
She was straightening chairs and I watched her for a moment. The dress she wore covered her body but was tight enough to leave little to the imagination. Her hair was down in loose curls that obscured her face from view since her head was tilted down, focused on her task. My fingers twitched with the urge to step forward and tuck her hair behind her ear, but I didn’t move.
As if sensing my eyes on her, she suddenly looked up. I grabbed my briefcase off the table, hoping she didn’t realize I was staring at her. Hayden was right, I thought to myself, I was being a creep.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t realize you were still here,” she said.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“What’s up?” she asked, leaning her hip against the table and folding her arms in front of her chest. The action made her breasts look bigger, straining against the stretchy fabric of her dress. I swallowed hard and forcefully kept my eyes away from that area.
“I’m throwing Gigi a
nd Damian an engagement party. You know that I’m the best man?”
“Yeah. And Gigi asked me yesterday to be the maid of honor,” she beamed.
“Of course she did. Do you want to help me? I guess I’m a little clueless about how to go about this,” I said, remembering Hayden’s words.
“Yes!” she said excitedly, surprising me. I supposed this party was a bigger deal than I had thought. “Where do you want to have it? When?”
“Uh, I haven’t thought too much about it, yet.”
“No problem. I have a ton of ideas. I assume you’re paying for everything?” she asked, smiling mischievously.
“Yeah. Go crazy.” What was the point of having so much money if I didn’t go all out for something like this?
“It should be outside. This is a great time of the year for it.”
“Okay. Let’s do it in three weeks,” I added, trying to contribute something.
“Okay, but we have to get started right away then,” she nodded to herself and I could almost see her brain working, making party plans. I was already glad to have help.
“I can clear my schedule for tomorrow afternoon. You want to get together and start planning then?”
“Yeah, I can move a few things around,” she said, picking up some paperwork left on the table from our meeting and heading toward the door. “I’ll text you later with a meeting time and place.”
Then she was gone. I left the building, happy with the results of my visit to So Good. On my way through the office, I noticed a few of the women watching me. Gigi and Judy employed mostly women, which was quite unique for a tech company.
I was used to women showing interest in me, and these few were sweeping their eyes over my frame suggestively. It was flattering, but I didn’t return the gesture. I just wasn’t interested in any of them.
Returning to the office, I took my suit jacket off and flung it over the back of my chair. Rolling up the sleeves of my shirt, I hunkered down and got to work. My mind was swimming with the beginnings of an idea that needed to be flushed out.
Hard Copy: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance (Tech Titans Book 3) Page 2
