by J. P. Comeau
“Sounds like you’ve got this all planned out.”
“But, for me to roll out these customizable boots from the beginning, I need upfront capital.”
“Which you don’t have.”
I went and sat down by my father.
“I’m not asking for your permanent involvement. If you want, we can make this a loan. I’ll need twenty grand upfront to do the customizable fall and spring boots. I want to release the fall ones immediately and start advertising the spring line and taking preorders while getting a jump start on making that inventory.”
He took my hand. “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out, though, princess.”
“A loan. Not a grant. Not something that’s forgivable. You’ll recoup your money, even if this tanks and I have to work as a waitress somewhere until I pay you back. It will get paid back.”
He kissed the top of my hand. “From the second you called me and told me you needed my ear, I was already prepared to say ‘yes.’”
I blinked. “You--you were?”
“Yes, princess. Of course, I was. I’ve wanted to be in this with you from the beginning. But, I also understood the reasons why you wanted to do this yourself.”
“You--you do?”
He nodded with a smile. “I do, princess. You’re my little girl, and you always will be. But, to be part of your business like this? It’s one of the proudest moments of my life.”
“Daddy, you’re going to make me cry. And you know how frustrated I get when I cry in front of people.”
He snickered. “Then, consider me in. Twenty-five grand, no interest for the first two years, and one percent interest will kick in if its not paid off by then. Sound fair enough?”
I threw my arms around his neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.”
He held me close, chuckling. “I’m so proud of you, Kelly.”
I kissed his cheek. “I love you so much. Thank you seriously.”
He cupped my cheek. “Anytime. And I mean that.”
“I know you do, Daddy.”
After nailing down hard and fast dates with my father on when things needed to be set in motion, I packed up my presentation. I tossed my things into the trunk of my car, then raced home to catch Roxy before she left again. I wanted to tell her the good news. I wanted to celebrate with someone. I wanted to at least have a glass of wine with her before she dashed out the door to spend time with whatever man she was entertaining that week.
“Roxy! Roxy! Roxy! Guess what!?”
I charged through the apartment door, and I found her standing in the living room with two glasses of wine in her hands.
“Did you really think Dad would say ‘no’ to you?” she asked.
I closed the door behind me. “I can’t believe it. We have release dates. In three months’ time, my fall line is going to be debuted. I can’t believe it!”
We embraced as I plucked my wine from her hand. We clinked our glasses and chugged them back before I reached for the bottle on the coffee table. We both sat down on the couch as I refilled our glasses. Then, I slid my heels off and crossed my legs.
“My God, I feel so much better,” I groaned.
Roxy patted my knee. “It’s good to finally see you smiling about something.”
I grinned. “Yeah. That Brenden thing was pretty fucked up.”
“But, I know you well enough to know you’re not out of the woods yet. Are you?”
“Do we really have to talk about this --?”
“Oh, oh, oh! Hold on. Have you told Karina yet?”
I shook my head. “No. Why?”
“She’s calling. Hold--wait. Yeah. Okay. Just--hold on. One second. Okay?”
I furrowed my brow. “Is everything all right?”
Roxy held up her finger to me. “Hey there, Karina! Let me get into the kitchen.”
I paused. “Wait, is Karina all right? Is it the baby!?”
My sister waved me off. “She’s fine, just hold on!”
I turned around and watched as my sister tucked herself into a dark corner of our small kitchen. I watched her set her glass of wine down, so I did as well. I slowly got up and tried to make my way toward her, but she scolded me with her eyes and held her hand up. Every once in awhile, though, she peeked over at me. And that’s how I knew they were talking about me.
“You’re not very good at this, you know!” I exclaimed.
Roxy quickly hung up the phone and came back into the living room.
“Okay. So, that was Karina. She and Zane want to throw you a congratulatory party tonight at the club.”
I blinked. “Seriously?”
“What?”
“Karina’s how many months pregnant? And she wants to do something at the club?”
“It’s just something low-key. You, me, her, Zane.”
“Is Brenden going to be there?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I specifically told her that he wasn’t allowed to come. And she was just fine with that.”
I paused. “Something about this feels off.”
She took my hand. “Girl, all we wanna do is treat you to something. So, yeah. Sue me, if I told Karina this would all be fine. We’ve had this party in the works since you told me yesterday you were going to finally approach Dad. We just want to treat you to something nice. Let us do that, okay?”
I really didn’t want to. But, I saw how much it meant to my sister. And I knew better than to tell a pregnant Karina ‘no.’
“Give me ten minutes,” I murmured.
Roxy clapped her hands. “Yes! All right! It’s time to party, girl. We’re going all out tonight.”
I made my way into my bedroom and decided to get gussied up a bit. I mean, why not? It was my night of triumph, and I deserved it after everything I had been put through. I pulled my hair up and wore my best jewelry. I changed into a flowing dress with a sparkling belt around my waist. I slid into my best heels and threw on a bit of makeup, making sure my eyes sparkled and popped with a careful smoky eye.
After gathering everything I needed into my cream-colored clutch purse, Roxy and I set off for the club.
“Girl, you look hot. If Brenden were coming, he’d be jealous as hell,” she said.
I grinned. “You really know how to make me feel better, you know that?”
“Remember that sentiment when we get there.”
I paused. “Wait, what?”
Roxy cackled as we pulled into a parallel parking space in front of the club. And while I knew it was still a bit early for a crowd, I didn’t see anyone outside at all.
“Are you sure they’re open?” I asked.
My sister opened her door. “Just come on and stop asking questions, would you? Damn it, you’re worse than Dad.”
I furrowed my brow. “I just want to know what’s going on. Is that too much to ask?”
“It is when there’s a surprise to be ruined. Now, get your ass out of this car and come on, girl!”
I had no idea what I was walking into, but I did as I was told. Roxy linked her arm with mine as we approached the doors to the club, and two men inside appeared as they opened them for us. Roxy nodded her thanks while I looked warily at them, trying to figure out what the hell was about to happen.
I figured the dance floor would be pretty empty, given the fact that it was still only six in the evening. But, I didn’t expect the place to be completely empty.
“See you upstairs,” Roxy said.
“Wh-wh-wh-wait. Uh, what--where are you--Roxy!”
She pointed to the floor. “Try to give him a chance, all right?”
And as Roxy disappeared into the darkness, my eyes slowly panned back over toward the dance floor.
Watching, as Brenden emerged into the spotlight shining down in the middle of the floor.
24
_____
BRENDEN
She was a vision. Draped in a beautiful dress with heels that made her legs pop, she didn’t seem to walk. No, no,
she glided across that floor. With her arms crossed over her chest and her lips pursed in frustration, even in anger, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever set eyes on. I had to get her back. It had to work. I knew it was last minute, and I knew Zane pulled off a lot for me to make it happen, but I was desperate.
I couldn't go another day without Kelly Crown in my life.
“What do you want?” she asked.
I drew in a deep breath. “Your perfume smells wonderful.”
She blinked. “Don’t change the subject. What’s going on? My sister dragged me down here for some congratulatory party, and I find you standing in the middle of an empty dance floor. With dust.”
She waved her hand in the air, and I smiled. Her forehead wrinkles beckoned to my lips. The frustration behind her eyes only made me want to kiss and pet and soothe away her woes. I was proud of her. Prouder than I’d ever been of anything in my entire life. I knew how hard she had worked for something like that. For her fashion line and her debut day and her own office space. I had listened to her type away on her laptop and take 10 P.M. phone calls for the past month. All of it, building up to the moment when she finally had everything she could have ever wanted.
And I wanted to be able to walk alongside her during that journey.
“Brenden Michael Hearthstone, if you don’t start talking right--.”
I put my hands up. “I come in peace, Kelly. I promise.”
She snickered. “Just tell me what you want. This is supposed to be a good day. And seeing you only makes me hurt.”
I slowly lowered my hands. “I’m here because I want you back.”
She ran her gaze down my body. “Well, you should’ve thought about that before you decided to galavant off to some casino and leave me to wait for you. We had plans that night, remember?”
“I do remember, yes.”
“And yet, you chose to stay with some other woman anyway?”
“LaShonda, yes.”
She scoffed. “Why? Why, when you knew damn good and well how I felt about you, when you hurt me like that?”
“Nothing happened between us.”
“She was hanging all over you.”
“She was drunk, and not once did I touch her.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You better have a more convincing argument than that, Bee.”
I blinked. “What did you say?”
“I said, you better have a more convincing--.”
“You called me ‘Bee.’”
She paused. “Well, yeah.”
I grinned, “Since when did I have a nickname with you?”
She couldn't hide her blush. “Let’s get this over with so I can have a drink, please.”
I took a step toward her. “Before I went to the casino, I had lunch with Clint. And I have to admit, the conversation I had with him rattled me.”
“Why did you have lunch with Clint.”
“Because Zane wasn’t available.”
She blinked. “Well, what did the man say to you that spooked you so much?”
“The shortened version? That I was making a mistake. That how I felt for you was fabricated because of our predicament. And that if I really cared for you, then I needed to be prepared for a life of long nights, even longer days, with one woman for the rest of my life.”
She clicked her tongue. “Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t realize you hated having me around so much.”
I reached for her hand. “That’s not it.”
She backed away. “Then what is it? Just put me out of my misery and get it over with.”
“I realized that’s exactly what I want, Kelly. That’s why I’m here.”
“I’m not following.”
I reached for her hand again, and she finally let me take it.
“That’s what I want with you. One woman, for the rest of my life. One woman to experience everything with for the rest of my life. One woman, one bed, one home, and one love. Forever.”
Her eyes started watering. “You haven’t answered my questions about the woman in the casino.”
I closed the distance between us. “She’s an ex. Not even that. We didn’t date. We hooked up from time to time. When I went over to the casino after lunch, it was to have a couple of drinks, play some slots, then come home early and talk with you. Kelly, I prepared myself to come home and tell you how much I love you.”
She paused. “You--you what?”
I smiled. “I love you, Kelly Crown. The wedding reception was just a coincidence. I walked in, got a drink, and all of a sudden, a bride and groom came in a few minutes later. LaShonda comes up to my side, and she’s already drunk, and I know why, too.”
“Why?”
“Because her sister was marrying the man she was in love with.”
“Oh, that poor girl.”
I wrapped my arms around her. “I didn't want to leave her to make a fool of herself. But, I certainly didn’t intend on staying as long as I did. I just wanted to sober her up, talk to her, and leave her in a better place than when I found her. Because I knew how hurt she was. It’s the hurt I’ve experienced every time you told me you’re going on a date with someone else when you never even gave me a shot in college.”
She smiled softly. “Because you were a heartbreaker in college, Brenden.”
I kissed her forehead. “Well, I’m not now. And if you’ll let me, I want to be the man you love. Because you’re the woman I love, Kelly. And that’s never going to change.”
Right on cue, the music started up. I took Kelly’s hand in my own and held it up softly, swaying us side to side on the dance floor. The spotlight illuminated us while drowning out the rest of the world, and I lost myself in the way she felt. The way she clung to me. The way she laid her head against my chest and sighed, hopefully with relief.
And I waited until it clicked.
“Wait a second,” Kelly said.
I chuckled. “Is it coming back?”
Her eyes darted up to mine. “This is the same restaurant were our reception was held.”
“Do you remember what we did other than eat dinner?”
She paused, then smiled. “We danced to this.”
I nodded. “Mhm. Our first dance as a married couple.”
She snorted. “You’re insane, you know that?”
“I’m insane for you. Kelly, these last few weeks have been some of the greatest of my life. I never thought I could be so happy with just one person, not in all my life. I don’t want to be the man everyone thinks I am. I want to be the man you know I am. You know me better than anyone at this point, and I don’t want that to change.”
“I don’t want it to, either.”
I spun her around and drew her back into my embrace.
“I know we aren’t married anymore. I know the annulment has happened. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be together. Right?”
She paused. “Hmmm, I’ll have to think about it.”
I chuckled. “You’re going to milk this, aren’t you?”
“I mean, can you blame me? I’ve never seen a grown man grovel as much as you are right now.”
I scooped her into my arms. “I’ll grovel for the rest of my life if it means having you at my side. I love you, Kelly. I’ll never be capable of loving another person the way I love you. Stay with me. Let me try this again. Give me one last chance to be the man I’ve always been whenever you’re in the picture.”
She threaded her arms around my neck. “You sure you can give up your old ways?”
My forehead fell against hers. “I did that the moment I said ‘I do.’”
“Oh, Brenden.”
I closed my eyes. “You make me whole, Kelly. I’ll only live half a life if you’re not--.”
The second I felt her lips against my own, I pulled her against my body. I picked her up off her feet as our song wound down to a close and swung her around. I pressed my tongue through her lips. I tasted her as her hands threaded through my hai
r. I placed her back onto her feet as happiness gripped my heart. It was a happiness I hoped never went away.
“I love you too, Brenden,” she whispered.
I nuzzled my nose against hers. “Does that mean you’ll take me back?”
She giggled as she gazed up into my eyes. “Yes, Brenden. I’ll take you back.”
“Yeah!” Roxy shouted.
“Way to go, man!” Zane exclaimed.
“I knew you had it in you!” Karina yelled.
Kelly jumped against me as her eyes bulged. She looked around as the lights came up, and along the upper balcony stood those who mattered the most to us. Zane, with his arm around Karina; Roxy, with her hands over her head as she clapped and whistled; Clint, with his thumbs up and that trademark smirk on his face; and Kelly’s parents. Who, despite the entire blunder I got us into, had smiles on their faces while they both applauded us.
“Daddy!” Kelly gasped.
I held her close. “I certainly wouldn’t do something like this without them here.”
She looked up at me. “I love you so much.”
I cupped her cheek. “I love you, too.”
Roxy cupped her hands over her mouth. “Can we come down and dance, too!?”
I pointed at her. “Only if you drag Clint down here and make him dance. He needs to cut loose a bit!”
Roxy howled with laughter as she grabbed Clint’s hand. “Come on you big jerk, let’s dance.”
Kelly’s father shouted. “You hurt my little girl again, and I’ll kill you myself!”
I looked up at him. “That’s never going to happen, sir. Not on my watch. You have my word.”
Everyone filtered down the stairs and joined us on the dance floor. Out from the kitchen of the club came a couple of waiters with silver trays donning drinks for all of us to snag. Wine and champagne for the ladies, whiskey, and champagne for the men. I plucked both of us a drink before handing the crystal flute to Kelly, then I clinked my glass against hers.
“A toast to our future,” I said.
She smiled brightly. “May it be less rocky than our beginning.”
I chuckled. “And may it be full of nothing but wonderful things to come.”
