“It’s funny how we are always a topic of conversation when it comes to the Emerald family. Maybe someday we will be our own topic of conversation with our own family.”
River had hoped to get some sort of response from Mariah about the possibility of starting a family someday, but like usual, she didn’t respond. Mariah wasn’t one of those girls that went around telling everyone how she couldn’t wait to get married and have a family. Sure, they had been dating for a year, and River wanted to propose, but he had no idea if she would even accept. He thought she would, but there was a nagging feeling that Mariah might actually turn him down. That was scary as hell.
They both fell asleep and got a couple hours of sleep in before landing in Washington D.C. Once on the ground they were quickly swept away by a hired car and brought to their hotel where Mariah started to do her hair and makeup for the evening.
River sat down and made an important phone call.
“Hey buddy, are you excited about tonight?”
“Dad, there are so many people. This is going to be insane!” Jackson yelled into the phone. “I can’t wait for you to see it.”
“Me too buddy, but I’m more excited about seeing you.”
“I’m happy you and Mariah are coming.”
“Okay, well we have to get ready, but we will be there soon.”
“See ya Dad.”
River loved the relationship he and Jackson had developed over the last year. Being a father wasn’t something he thought he was going to be able to handle very well; especially considering the situation that was going on with Jackson’s mother. But life was surprising River and everything seemed to be turning out pretty damn amazing.
Two hours passed before Mariah emerged from the bathroom dressed and ready to go. It had only taken River about ten minutes to slip on his tuxedo and quickly shave. When they started toward the front of the hotel, River suddenly realized that he hadn’t even complimented Mariah.
“Wait,” he said as they stood in the lobby. “I’m horrible. Forgive me, please. You look stunning. I mean it. Drop dead gorgeous. I’m pretty damn lucky to be going out with you tonight. And that’s a damn fine dress you have on.”
Mariah smiled at River’s admission of guilt. She hadn’t cared all that much when they rushed out of the hotel room, but as they stood in the lobby she felt much better about the evening knowing that River was all hers. He loved her, she knew that, and she didn’t need him to compliment her clothing, but it sure felt nice to hear.
“Thanks, darling,” she whispered as she held onto his arm. “I think there are some photographers outside, we better pretend to be happy,” she joked.
“Oh, I’m happy. I’m happier than I ever remember being.”
Mariah was right. As they approached the front of the hotel it was now swarmed with paparazzi waiting to catch all the celebrities who would be heading to the White House for the festivities that evening.
“River! River!” The paparazzi screamed. “Is it true that you and the President share the bed with his wife?” One of the screamed louder than the rest.
The preposterous question was just one of many that they yelled toward the couple in the hopes of getting some sort of reaction out of them. Paparazzi weren’t like the normal media who wanted the story and the details; paparazzi just wanted a picture that would sell in their made up tabloid stories.
“They are getting worse,” Mariah said when they finally got into the limo and the noise died down a bit.
“I know. But it will die down soon. Once he takes office there won’t be nearly as much excitement.”
“Hopefully.”
Mariah knew that the reason her company was thriving was because of all the publicity around River and the Emerald family, but she still didn’t like being the center of attention. She was much more comfortable helping others deal with their own notoriety than she was with dealing with her own.
The security around the White House was intense, but after about sixty minutes River and Mariah were finally inside the ballroom. Every which way they turned there were celebrities and dignitaries. It was an exciting feeling to be in that room.
“Dad!” Jackson yelled from halfway across the room.
Everyone in the general vicinity turned to look as Jackson, dressed in an adorable tuxedo, ran over to River and gave him a giant hug. Their relationship had grown into something so much more than just mentoring; there was true love between them.
“This is pretty exciting, isn’t it,” River said as he held onto his son. “Does your mother know you’re with me?”
“Yeah, she’s right there,” Jackson said as he pointed to his mother, the new First Lady of the United States.
River waved over to Kimberly to acknowledge that he had Jackson and would keep his eye on him for a bit. Kimberly and Millard looked like they were going to be pretty busy that evening and River was happy to have the time with Jackson anyways.
Now that Jackson lived in Washington D.C. full time, it was going to take a little more planning on River’s part to see his son; but he didn’t expect there to be too many issues. Things were great between the two families and River was excited to continue to show America what a positive blended family really looked like.
“You look very handsome Jackson,” Mariah said as she offered a hug too.
“Thanks.”
“Do you know who that guy is right there?” she asked as she pointed to one of her famous clients in the room.
“Oh, my gosh that’s Michael Jordan!”
“Do you want to meet him?” She offered.
“Can I Dad?”
“Hell, I want to meet him too,” River said as the three of them made their way over to the legend to say hello.
The evening flew by as both Mariah and River ended up knowing many of the people in the room. There were even a few celebrities who had come up and introduced themselves and offered their congratulations on both of their successes. It was a dream evening for Mariah and as she saw Kimberly and Millard take the stage for their speeches, Mariah couldn’t help but think she was happier than she had ever imagined.
She and River were a great match together and that evening just solidified that in her mind. They had seamlessly worked the crowd and talked about work, love, and family. It was exciting and something Mariah was eager to do again and again.
“I better get you up there to your Mom before everything starts,” River said as he noticed the people gathering on the stage.
Mariah watched as River helped Jackson up onto the stage and talked with both Kimberly and Millard for a moment. He said something to the pair that made them both smile and they hugged him before he returned to Mariah.
“What was that all about?” She asked as she noticed the mischievous smile on his face.
“What?”
“You said something to them that made them smile.”
“Oh I don’t remember,” he lied. “Shhh, I think it’s starting.”
River held on to Mariah’s hand while they listened to Millard talk to the crowd. He was actually a very eloquent speaker and really commanded the attention of the room. River wished he could command even half as much attention when he talked at company meetings.
“Life isn’t always perfect. Love, marriage, family, politics; we make a mess of things sometimes. But what truly matters is if you can make things right after the mess. This last year has proven so much to me about myself and the important people in my life,” Millard addressed the crowd.
“My wife, who I’ve loved from the first date we went on. My son who amazes me with his kindness and generosity in everything he does. But one person in my life has surprised me more than others. River Anders.”
The crowd all looked toward River and Mariah as they stood there and calmly waited to hear what Millard had to say.
“As Jackson’s co-father, River has been there for Jackson for many years. He has guided him as his son, long before the legality of being his father aroused. Tonight
I want to also celebrate him and Mariah and all they have done to ensure our blended family is as successful as possible in the life we get to lead.”
The room erupted into applause and then quickly calmed as Millard continued his speech.
“I might be your President, but I want to be more than that. I want to be the kind of man that people admire for what he does outside of the spotlight. Now let’s have a party!”
The music volume turned up and the guests slowly made their way onto the dance floor, but as Mariah turned to grab River she saw that he was down on one knee.
“Marry me!” He yelled out over the loud music. “I need to be your husband. I need to be the man who gives you compliments for the rest of your life.”
Mariah was in shock. She looked around at the people watching them and tried to take in the whole situation. She hadn’t expected River to propose. They hadn’t even really talked about marriage.
“Yes,” she replied. “Yes!”
Even though Mariah hadn’t had marriage on her mind, she did have River on her mind. He was the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, and it didn’t matter to her if they got married in five years or the very next day.
River slipped the ring on Mariah’s finger and then stood to sweep her up in his arms. Gently he whispered in her ear.
“That’s a damn nice dress you have on.”
THE END
Dear reader – don’t stop now! I have included an exclusive new bonus novel for your reading pleasure – enjoy “The Billionaire’s Scandal”!
With love,
Sarah
Exclusive new novel: The Billionaire’s Scandal
Joshua sat at the head of the boardroom table looking disgusted as he glanced around the room. He couldn’t believe what had happened to his own company in such a short amount of time. What was the matter with the people he employed? How could such a disaster go unnoticed until it practically blew up in their faces in the news of all places? It was enough to make him blow his top, and he did just that.
“Shut up all of you! I’m sick of listening to this blathering mess. Why don’t you tell me who is responsible for this disaster!” roared Joshua as all heads turned to him in alarm. They were terrified of him and had every reason to be. He may be a young billionaire, but he ran a tight ship and wasn’t about to have anyone employed by him running around creating scandals at his company.
There was silence all around the room. He looked at each and every one of his advisors and saw the fear reflected back to him. A bunch of cowards that’s all they were. His company’s reputation was being dragged through the mud, and they had nothing to say about the matter.
“I’m waiting.”
They all stared at him in awe. They knew darn well that he wasn’t the kind of boss that anyone messed with, and he knew they were all wondering if they would be fired that day. He may just let them all go and start with a fresh team the next day, he was that fed up with them. He needed the best people on his team, and they had fallen short lately. He wasn’t sure how he was going to handle the situation, but he had to figure out a way to get his company out of the mess it was in before it was destroyed forever.
The company had recently been charged with criminal … and my God federal charges for dumping industrial waste into the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Ocean! Just thinking about that mess brought a rage in him that was barely contained. What was worse was he had no idea these practices were going on behind his back. That was some moron’s solution to get rid of company waste, to pollute an ocean instead. It sickened him just thinking about the matter. Joshua had to admit he was madder at himself than at anyone else. He wasn’t sure how something so massive could possibly get past him. How had he not known what was going on behind the scenes? Maybe he had been playing a little too much in life and not spending enough time getting dirty at his own company. That had to be it right? He just wasn’t paying attention, and now the company, HIS Company was paying the price.
He looked around the room again trying to summon up some clarity on the whole situation. Could that be found?
“Imagine my surprise, ladies and gentlemen, when I return from a lovely vacation only to find out from my lawyers that I have a meeting with the prosecutor’s office. When I get there, I find out that the company I have built from the ground up, my life’s work is being charged with a crime that is unfathomable to me. The company is supposed to be humanitarian you buffoons, and yet we are filling the ocean with garbage? That’s what I heard.” Joshua was screaming now and could tell that his message would be heard in his employees’ nightmares for weeks. Joshua’s face was beet red, and yet he didn’t care. He couldn’t believe what had happened all while he was on vacation enjoying champagne and women. It was too terrible to even consider. He needed a moment to compose himself before he lost his mind completely on them. He needed a moment to assess their worth anyways and see if they were even worthy of continuing their employ with him.
“I need to know who did this. I pray to God it’s not one of my right-hand men or women here. I would hate to think it was my very own front runners that thought it was appropriate to dump waste into the ocean. I have one hell of a mess to clean up here. Get out of my sight, and I expect you to submit hourly reports about how you all think we should resolve this situation. I want further suggestions on where the waste should go from this day forward since we now know that the ocean isn’t quite the place to dump it.” His voice dripped with sarcasm as he glared at his team.
They hurried off and out of the office as quickly as they could. Joshua watched his team filter out of the room hoping that his point had been made. The only other man left in the room with him was his right-hand man, Kyle, the CEO.
Joshua stared at him a moment, and he stared back meeting his gaze unwaveringly. He had to have known something like this was going on, how could he not? But then again, Joshua owned the whole thing, and yet he still didn’t know. But wasn’t it Kyle’s job to know the ins and outs of the company while he was away playing? That was what he was hired for after all. Though Joshua didn’t think he would ever be betrayed in that way.
“Kyle, please tell me you had nothing to do with this. That you didn’t know it was happening.”
Kyle was one tough sonofabitch. Joshua had only known him to be loyal in the many years he worked for his company. It was hard to fathom he would do something so unbelievably stupid and immoral.
“Joshua, I’m shocked that you even have to ask me such a thing. We have been a team for quite some time. I assure you that I had nothing to do with dumping waste into the ocean. I’m as shocked as you are about the whole thing. It’s surely a minion that pulled something like that, and I promise you we will find out who did it. That person will be punished, of course.”
“I’ve always appreciated your loyalty Kyle; you have been a great asset to me as well as the company for some time. But how is it that the CEO, the guy who is supposed to have my back when I’m away, how is it he doesn’t know something so substantial is being done? It’s madness to me that industrial waste could be dumped into the ocean, and no one in the higher division has an explanation for it.”
“Joshua, it wasn’t me. There are other people in charge of saving the company money, and this was obviously a decision that someone else made to do so.”
Joshua looked at him baffled. Was he serious? “Oh yeah, of course, Kyle. What a smart idea. Of course no one would know that waste was dropped into the ocean. Have I hired all morons? How would we not have been caught doing something like that? We would have been better to bury it in the ground; it would have been harder to discover. No, instead, we have to throw the shit in the ocean and kill every living thing. They have the damn vessel numbers Kyle, it’s obvious it was us, so how did we not know?” Joshua put his head in his hands unable to understand what was going on with the people around him.
“Look Joshua, I don’t know any more about it than you do right now. But the prosecu
tor’s office will be conducting an investigation into the matter so we will know soon enough who was behind the whole thing.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” I shouted. “I’m being charged Kyle, are you not understanding this? Do you know why? Because they think that I knew the whole time, that it was my own orders.”
Kyle sighed. “Yes, I am aware. But I know you had nothing to do with the whole thing and neither did I. They are going to discover that. You weren’t even in the country for God’s sake. You will prove yourself in court, and this will all go away. They can’t pin something on you when you are an innocent man.”
“Right, but how convenient that I was out of town when all this was going on. It’s as if my alibi was planned.”
Joshua got up from the table and went to the window, staring out at the grand view that the boardroom held. Not quite as great as his office view but stunning nonetheless. He needed a drink, that much he did know. He walked to the side table where a decanter stood and poured a brandy for both him and Kyle. Joshua returned to the table and handed Kyle the drink. He sat down beside him and sipped at the brandy letting the heat burn down his throat, almost cleansing it.
“Kyle, as you well know, I built this damn company because I believed in something. I had a dream, and this company represented that dream above anything else. Now that dream has been dragged through the mud, the reputation smeared and ruined completely. I don’t know how we are going to turn it around. Here I am off doing charity work and fundraisers and someone is throwing poison into the very oceans that I am trying to save. It’s a bloody joke.”
“Joshua, it’s your obligation to do these works. By doing all the good that you have done, you raise the money needed to make the difference. You are not expected to be around here, that’s my job, and I’m sorry that something like this happened on my watch. It will be handled, I promise, and I assure you that something like this will never happen again.”
“I sure hope not because I don’t think we would survive another public outcry like this one. People want my head on a chopping block.”
Breaking the Rules: A Billionaire Romance Page 25
