The Last Rule of Makeups

by Nina Crespo

  The jade and coral drop earrings she’d bought for her mom would go perfectly with the dress. She’d picked out jade cufflinks for her dad. Coral was the traditional gift for a thirty-fifth anniversary while jade was considered the modern one.

  As Cori trekked closer, the five-month-old baby girl, named Aria, cooed, raising her hands and kicking her feet, thoroughly mesmerized by her mom.

  Cori’s mother looked her direction and waved the baby’s hand at her.

  It was impossible not to smile as she pecked her mom on the cheek. “Happy anniversary.” Cori jiggled Aria’s foot. “Hey, Sweet Pea.”

  Her mom spoke as she looked at the baby. “I’d let you hold this little lady, but she’s being fussy with everyone today. I just got her to stop crying so her mom could take a break and grab something to eat. What took you so long to get here?”

  “I’m sorry. The investors made their final candidate selections on Friday. I was up late last night catching up on paperwork.”

  “Where’s Grey?”

  “He’s back in Austin.”

  “Oh? When is he coming back?”

  She didn’t have a prepared response for that question. “He’s not.”

  Her mom’s brow raised. “I see. Do you want to talk about it?”

  Cori breathed against what felt like a boulder on her chest. She’d come there, planning to avoid talking about him because doing that wouldn’t change anything.

  Her dad’s boisterous laugh preceded him as he walked out of the house and headed toward them. When he reached them, he put his hands on his hips and stared down at a sleepy Aria. “So, you’re the one who’s taken my bride from me. I thought I was going to have to come out here and put some young man in his place.”

  Her mom carefully adjusted Aria in her arms. “You still might have to put a young man in his place.”

  Her father frowned. “Who?”

  “Grey,” her mom replied. “He left Cori.”

  “He walked out on you again?” her father boomed. Aria stirred, and he lowered his voice. “And just when I was beginning to think I’d misjudged him.” As her father sat down on the other side of her mom, his frown deepened into a scowl. “I guess he didn’t take me seriously when I told him not to break your heart a second time.”

  Grey had told her to let it go with her dad thinking he’d hurt her in the past, but she couldn’t let her father continue to think the worst of him. “No,” Cori interjected, modulating her volume to match her parents’. “He didn’t break my heart. I mean, now maybe, but not when we were together the first time. I broke up with Grey because he wanted me to move to Austin with him, and I couldn’t. It was the only way I could guarantee he’d leave without me.”

  Her father’s expression morphed to confusion. “But you were crazy about him. And you’d always talked about moving away from here. Why couldn’t you go?”

  Cori met her mother’s gaze. Was now the time to tell him the truth?

  Aria’s mother coming over to the bench interrupted them. Cori’s mom transferred the baby to the new mother’s arms.

  As Aria and her mother walked away, Cori’s mom answered the question still hovering in the air. “Because I told her she couldn’t. You were about to have heart valve surgery, and you were struggling with having to retire early. Her moving to Austin with Grey and neither one of them with a job would have worried you too much.”

  Hints of displeasure showed on her father’s face. He looked away from them for a long moment. When he looked back, resignation was in its place. “Yes, I would have been concerned, but at some point, I wished you would have told me everything, especially after the surgery.”

  Not wanting her mom to bear the burden of the decision alone, Cori spoke up. “But after the surgery, you were so sick. Like Mom, all I could think about was you getting better. When the topic of Grey came up, I didn’t want to tell you everything because you already thought you were a burden to us because of your health.” And there was more for her to finally confess. “It also hurt too much to talk about it. I thought if I could just forget him, I’d be okay. And then time passed. I settled into working at the fund…and I met Kevin. I never thought I’d see Grey again.” Cori blinked back unexpected tears and one escaped.

  Her mother reached over and squeezed her hand. “What happened?”

  Cori removed a tissue from her purse and took a deep breath. The words rushed out as she told them everything, minus the sexy parts, from the first moment she and Grey had reunited at Club Escapade to their disagreement four days ago about what lay ahead for them as a couple.

  After she unburdened herself, she breathed a little easier, but a hollowness that happiness with Grey used to fill had widened even more inside of her. “I shouldn’t have fallen so hard for him again so soon, but when he said he’d decided to work for his family, I believed him.”

  “Really?” Her mom shook her head. “From what you’ve just said, he was settling for that option. That thought honestly never crossed your mind?”

  “Maybe.” Cori twisted the thin silver rings that Grey had bought her, stacked on her thumb, remembering how tense he’d been before and after he’d met with his father at the beach.

  “I agree with your mom,” her father interjected. “It doesn’t sound like working for his family was the right choice for him.”

  “I get that. But he blindsided me with how much he hated it,” Cori said.

  “Did he?” her father asked. “To me, it sounds like you may have been more invested in the whole Latham Reeves choice than he was.”

  Cori mulled it over in her mind and let honesty fill in the gaps. “Him working for his father was the easiest way for us to rekindle our relationship.”

  Her father chuckled. “It sounds like the two of you rekindled your relationship the night you met up at that club. As far as easy, nothing is easy in a relationship.”

  “Amen to that,” her mother added with a laugh as she nudged him with her shoulder.

  Her father took her mother’s hand. “But one thing that does help two people stay together is your partner knowing that they can be true to themselves, who they really are. That’s why you love them.”

  Cori sat back on the bench and looked to her father. “So you think I was wrong to be upset with Grey for changing his mind about his career?”

  “Not entirely. I think he should have talked with you about it before he changed his plans and not afterward, but that’s not unforgiveable.”

  “I agree with your father,” her mother added. “He had good intentions, but he just didn’t go about it in the best way. When people care about each other, sometimes they make decisions they think are best for them and the ones they love without asking.”

  “Yes. They definitely do.” Her father gave her mother a direct stare.

  Her mom’s expression grew a little sheepish. “But when they do it, it’s out of love.”

  Her father wrapped an arm around her mother. Sighing, he kissed her temple. “I know you do, but don’t keep secrets from me because you’re worried about me. I’m right here and have been for thirty-five years. And if I can help it, I’m not going anywhere. I love you.”

  Her mom leaned against him. “I love you, too.”

  As her parents looked at each other, the caring in their eyes made Cori’s well up again.

  Her father stretched his arm behind her mother’s back and brushed his hand over Cori’s shoulder. “If you love Grey, forgive him. And if he’s right about you having the chance to recapture what you lost six years ago, do it. If you’re still concerned about me, don’t be.” He tapped his chest. “Nothing would make my heart happier, and your mom’s, too, than you building a life with someone who makes you happy.”

  That evening back at her townhouse, Cori sat on the floor in her living room, staring at the two abstract paintings from the art festival, n
ow hanging above her couch. The depictions of a lush jungle in various shades of blue and green with splashes of yellow, red, and orange seemed even more vibrant than when she’d bought them.

  It wasn’t just that she saw Costa Rica in them, but they also made her remember how she’d felt when she was there. Watching those women work hard to achieve their dreams had made her realize she could do the same. All she had to do was allow herself to envision something bigger than she’d thought originally possible…and not settle for less.

  Settling… Was that what she’d done for the past six years since she’d bought those paintings? Had she grown comfortable with having less instead of expecting more from life with all of its possibilities and uncertainties? Had she played small in her relationship with Kevin? And had she done the same with Grey?

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Cori tossed a couple pairs of jeans, blouses, pumps, and other essentials into an overnight bag. Like yesterday, when she was trying to make it to her parents’ party, she was running late. But she had a good reason this time. She’d been working on her own project proposal, fleshing out the ideas she’d talked about with Grey at the beach house.

  Drafting the proposal about a program to assist budding entrepreneurs who created ethical and sustainable beauty products but lived in regions of the country or world that faced severe economic and distribution challenges had kept her up all night. But when she’d looked up a couple of hours ago to see the sun peeping through the blinds of her living room, the vision had grown clearer.

  But now she had to make it to the airport on time. She’d made the reservations late last night, before she’d started working on the proposal. The best she could get for a flight was Baltimore to Philly then Charlotte and after…she couldn’t remember, but she’d make it to Grey. What she had to say to him, she needed to express face to face, and hopefully, he wouldn’t be too upset with her to listen. She’d been wrong about this not being a second chance for them…and maybe her dreams, too.

  Cori checked the Lyft app on her phone. Her ride was less than two minutes away.

  After slinging her purse over her shoulder, she hauled her bag downstairs. An overweight baggage fee was definitely in her future. At the landing, she popped up the handle, rolled it out the front door behind her, and locked up.

  As she wheeled her luggage down the driveway, a dark sedan halted in front of her house.

  The driver, a middle-aged dark-haired man, got out of the car. “You’re going to Baltimore International?”

  “Yes, please.”

  As he hauled her bag up and into the trunk, another car service pulled up a few feet behind them.

  Her driver frowned. “Does someone else need a ride someplace?”

  Before she could answer, the rear passenger-side door opened, and Grey got out.

  As he stalked toward her, he dropped his carry-on to the sidewalk. Cori’s knees went weak for a moment before a burst of happiness prompted her to rush over to him.

  He caught her mid-leap and kissed her.

  Cori’s heart pounded as her tongue drifted with his. He was there. Why was he there? Why wasn’t he in California? It didn’t matter.

  Grey eased back from the kiss and looked into her eyes. “Hey, beautiful. How are you?”

  She resisted the urge to tighten her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck even more. “A lot better now that you’re here.”

  The car service Grey had pulled up in drove away.

  The Lyft driver that had come to pick her up cleared his throat. “Miss, does this mean you don’t need a ride?”

  After settling the fee with her driver, Grey carried their bags into the house.

  She shut the door and went straight back into his arms. He cupped her face and kissed her. “We really need to talk.”

  “I know. That’s why I was coming to see you. I want to talk about us.”

  “I do, too.”

  But brief kisses expanded into longer ones, and soon he was carrying her up the stairs to her bedroom.

  They undressed, and the gradual reveal of Grey’s body as he stripped off his shirt and jeans made her burn with desire. By the time they reached the bed, she couldn’t wait for him to be inside of her.

  Short moments later, as he lay on top of her, eyes never leaving hers, he slowly guided himself into her sex. The gradual building pace as he moved in and out, along with his ardent gaze, conveyed how much he wanted and needed her. And he also expressed it in words.

  Seating himself impossibly deep inside of her, he paused. His gaze roaming over her face was like a tender caress. “I can’t be apart from you. I love you. I want us to be together.”

  Before she could answer him, he kissed her.

  The bold sweeps of his tongue and the feel of him pulsing larger and larger as he remained still made her moan and arch up against him. She broke from the kiss. “I don’t want to be apart from you, either. I love you, too.”

  As Grey stared down at her, a smile came over his face. All that he felt for her showed in his eyes. “Cori. Will you marry me?”

  Six long years of loving him, of missing him as a part of her life, even though she hadn’t realized it, filled her. She cupped his cheek as happiness fueled every beat of her heart. “Yes.”

  He brushed his lips over hers, each pass of his lips more urgent than the last, until he fully captured her mouth. Breaking away, he grasped her hips and thrust faster and harder, taking them higher then dropping them over the edge.

  Cori held onto Grey, not afraid to fall with him, and let go.

  …

  Grey knelt by the bed, staring at a sleeping Cori, her legs tangled in the sheets that barely covered her breasts. She was so beautiful, generous, and without a doubt, she was a genius. And she’d agreed to marry him.

  When he’d pulled up to the townhouse close to an hour ago, he hadn’t planned on them ending up in the bedroom first, but he’d missed her so much. And he never wanted to risk losing her again, or see her hurt, worried, afraid, disappointed, or struggling with doubt about their future.

  Cori woke up and met his gaze. As she stretched, the sheet slipped just above the peaks of her breasts. “What are you doing? Come back to bed,” she said, smiling.

  A strange mix of emotions opened in his chest. He loved her so much. And he’d done it all backward. There were things that should have been settled between them before he’d popped the question. But once he had her in his arms, he couldn’t stop himself.

  Already dressed in his jeans, he reached down and snagged his shirt from the floor. “If I do, we never will talk. Do me a favor and just put this on. You’re distracting me.”

  She smiled coyly as she accepted the shirt. “And the problem is?”

  “What I have to say is important.” He kissed her nose. “We’ll have plenty of time to not talk later.”

  She sat up, slipped on his shirt, and got comfortable on the bed. “Okay, I’m listening.”

  He took her hand. “I’m sorry about how I handled telling you about my decision not to work for my father. I made assumptions that I shouldn’t have about what you wanted or what you should do with your life.”

  “I forgive you.” She intertwined her fingers with his. “But I did the same. I had an idea in my mind of how we should be as a couple and what our life would look like, and I wasn’t willing to accept that you needed something different to be happy. But you were right. I do know you. You couldn’t be true to who you are if you worked for your family, and I wouldn’t want you to be anything but you—for me or anyone else.” She briefly looked down at their intertwined hands. “You’ve inspired me to be true to myself, too.”

  She explained her idea of bringing ethical and sustainable products created by small enterprises to the marketplace through sponsorship. Cori met his gaze. “I could travel with you while I work on my plan, exp
lore some options, and maybe build some helpful relationships. What do you think?”

  Pride for her and all he’d knew she would accomplish swelled inside of him. “I think you should do all of it.”

  “You do?” Her mouth widened with a grin.

  “I’m up for you doing anything that makes you this excited. Having you with me and being able to support you while you do it is a bonus for me.”

  She leaned over and kissed him. “Are we done talking now?”

  “Almost. There’s one more thing I have to ask you. Again.” Grey took the small black box from his front pocket that he’d retrieved from his bag downstairs.

  He opened the box, and the solitaire with a halo of small sapphires and diamonds he’d picked out for Cori in California winked in the light.

  “Oh, Grey…” From the way she smiled and grew teary-eyed at the same time, he’d made the right choice.

  He took the ring from the box. “Consider this my official proposal. Corinne Aubrey Tater Tot Porter Ross, will you marry me?”

  She shot him a mock glare through happy tears. “Tater Tot? You talked to my father, didn’t you?”

  “Of course, I did. I talked with both of your parents before I got here.”

  Cori’s radiant smile filled Grey’s heart with her joy. She held out her left hand so he could slip on the ring. “Officially, my answer is still yes.”

  Epilogue

  Four months later

  Nat lifted a full champagne flute in a toast. “Here’s to love.”

  “Cut.” Alexa who stood next to her, shook her head, and her dark hair brushed along the satin straps of her knee-length blue bridesmaid dress. “We used that toast the day I was supposed to get married, and we all know how that turned out.”

  “Ooh, you’re so right.” Nat, equally pretty in the same dress, with her hair swept back in a curly ponytail, slightly grimaced. “We’re definitely not toasting to that.”

  “Then what are we going to toast to instead?” Alexa asked.

  As the two women went back and forth with suggestions, the morning sun beamed a little brighter through the window of Cori’s parents’ guestroom where she, Nat, and Alexa had been pampered by a hairstylist and makeup artist a couple of hours earlier.