“Have you already delivered the products to them?” he asks.
“I delivered the first and the second, but not the third. However, without the third, the other two would be obsolete. I was smart thinking with that one.”
“What does the program do?”
“They’re all under the computer science element. But one cannot work without the other. They paid for the first program, so I can’t really resell all three as a bundle.”
“Can you recreate and rebrand? Is there any non-compete with your contract with them?”
I think about his question and smile immediately.
“Noah, you are a brilliant businessman!” I stand, chug the rest of my beer and walk to the front of the bar with swagger.
It’s been a week since my conversation with Noah at the bar. Day and night, I’ve been inside my cave of an apartment working on the changes to the programs. I’ve gone through the first two programs and rebranded all the elements and changed some of the paths for a functional program that any corporation could use on the mass scale. I call a marketing company to set up a zoom meeting to make packaging plans and about showcasing this product series to prospective clients. Now that I had spent time getting to know Madison and had spent time with her, I’ve started to miss her. I’ve had to stop myself a few times from having a meal at the diner versus my usual spot at the bar.
My next move is the implement a plan to get the girl back.
Thirteen
I’m dressed in a nice button-down shirt, with my sleeves rolled up my forearms. My jeans are hole free and dark with converse shoes. I look polished and it’s the first time that I’ve been out in public in a week.
I’ve got a solid plan for my future and a way to secure myself financially for several years, if my plan goes well. I just need someone to share my life with.
I spoke with Nydia and she gave me a short run-down on Madison’s schedule. I know that she is here right now, Nydia is also working which will be helpful to give Madison and myself some privacy to take our conversation outside.
I take a deep breath, shake out my arms and open the diner door. I step inside and look around to not see Madison anywhere. Nydia angles her head towards the back and just as I look to the doors that divide the space, she walks out fanning her face.
She stops immediately as soon as our eyes connect, and I see her lips straighten into a forced frown.
I walk up to the breakfast bar where she is frozen in her steps and lean in towards her.
“Can we chat for a few minutes?” I ask quietly.
“I’m at work right now, and no, we cannot chat. I don’t think right now that there is much to talk about,” she whispers back to me.
“You forgot that there are two people in a relationship, and you didn’t give me a chance to speak. It’s your break time, so how about we take that break out back and have a quick chat?”
“It’s not my break,” she protests.
“Yes, it is,” Nydia says reaching for Madison’s elbow. “Go out back, have a quick chat with him. I think that it would be good, for the both of you.” Nydia looks between us.
“Why are you taking his side?” Madison asks.
“I’m not taking anyone’s side, but just listen to him. You at least owe that to him. And if you don’t give him a chance which you know you are dying to do, then you guys go your separate ways like before.”
I see hesitation as Madison looks between us, but I watch the moment that she relents, and she nods.
“Thank you,” I whisper to Nydia.
“Hey, don’t thank me yet. I just pushed a little. You’re the one who has to do the work”
And she’s right.
Completely right.
I follow her out the back of the diner and into the back parking lot. I walk us over to the park benches that are back there, and we sit on opposite sides.
“I have fifteen minutes before I need to be back inside,” she tells me.
“Okay, I’ve rehearsed this a bunch, so if it sounds rehearsed, it totally is,” I clear my throat. “We are a relatively new couple, and when you came over that morning, the morning after, you did all the talking, all of the insinuating. You broke up with me and that was that. I want a chance to talk and I want you back.”
“Well, then talk,” she says.
“You mentioned you’ve seen me twice, drunk. The first time was a celebration of our friends getting engaged. Then the second time was when I had one of the worst days in my career. A day, that I had banked on financially and in one phone call, it went down the drain. I know that you have something about drinking, but I would never put anyone in harm’s way. I’m not an alcoholic, but I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions.”
“I’m sorry,” she offers.
“I like you, a lot. But if I have a drink here and there and you’re judging me, calling me a bad person because of it, then maybe breaking up was the right choice. But you shouldn’t define me or our relationship from just two nights.”
She takes a deep breath, her eyes never faltering from my own.
“I will admit that I ran at the first opportunity. I know that I didn’t give you a chance to fight for us and I didn’t let you talk. I know you’re not an alcoholic, and I didn’t listen to you about why you were drinking so much that night, if for any reason at all. I saw you drunk, and I acted horribly.” She pauses and then asks sincerely, “what happened at work?”
“A client who I had created several programs for went bankrupt and my money was tied up in them for at least the next six to nine months, so I went to the bar and drank. I was upset and pissed. You can ask Miles and Noah, it’s not often when I get that hammered.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. What are you going to do for work now?”
“Well, Noah and I had a conversation last week and I decided to pull back on the software rebranding and put it on the public market.”
“So, you mean, you’re going to list a software product that you designed for someone else to the whole market?” she asks.
“It’s a bundle of programs that work together.”
“Why couldn’t it be just one program?” she asks.
“The information is too large.”
“What if someone buys only one of the three?”
“They will be prompted to purchase the other two. There would be a better price point for the companies to purchase together. My marketing manager is going to assure that the program gets in all the leading tech companies. My goal is to be a household name in the computer science industry and to be the go-to for future design products.”
“Is that how it works?” she asks.
“I have no idea, but we’ll see.”
We’re quiet for a moment. I’m watching her and she’s nervously biting her lower lip and playing with a piece of her hair.
She looks up at me and smiles.
“So, you and I?” I ask.
“Yeah? What about us?”
Epilogue
I am currently contracted with the government for a hefty price tag to have my programs dedicated solely to them for a period of five years. Coming straight out of the individual contracts into this mega contract with such a strong entity was not something that I was expecting, but I am definitely glad to have mentioned trying it to my marketing guy and so, here I am.
I am no longer struggling for business. I am no longer wondering where my next pay day will come from and I am one hundred percent focused, okay ninety percent focused on maintaining the interface of the programs with the updates as needed as well as creating new software content for fun, for side projects.
I sit at my workstation in the house that I purchased just outside of Mercy, on the piece of land by Nydia’s house once I received my first check. My monitors are going through a scan of one of my fun projects just as hands wrap around from behind me and cover my eyes.
“I’ve got something for you,” she whispers into my ear, then playfully pulls at my ear l
obe with her teeth.
“Yeah? What do you have?” I ask.
“Do you know what today is?”
I shake my head.
“Today is the 1-year anniversary of when you and I got back together,” she says unwrapping her hands from me and then coming in front of me to sit on my lap as I push out a little bit from the desk and wrap my arms around her.
“Is that so? Are you sure?” I ask her.
“I am. I added it to my calendar so that way I can remind myself how lucky I am that you decided to come to the diner that day.”
“Oh, do tell me how wonderful it is, that you and I are together?” I tease her kissing the side of her neck.
“It’s pretty wonderful, but you don’t have to be a douche about it.”
“You know what, I did remember today was that day. In fact, I got you a little anniversary present,” I say maneuvering so that I can reach inside my desk drawer.
I hid the box from her eyesight and then I kissed her gently before placing my palm with the ring in the middle in front of her.
She looks down and sucks in a breath.
“Madison, you gave me a chance when it went against your original thoughts, but I did what I could to get you to see that I wasn’t that guy you pinholed me for. We moved into this house together and made it our home, made each other our home. I want to be with you day after day, through all the good and even the bad. I want to grow old and be forgetful with you. Ultimately, I want you to be my forever and I really, really want to be yours. So, what do you say? Will you give this guy a chance and risk your forever with him?”
I hold my breath as she stares at me, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Really?” she finally asks.
“Of course, really. Will you marry me?” I say.
“Well, I mean it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. You’re kinda cute, you’ve got money and well, this house… it’s pretty nice,” she smiles.
“Is that a yes or no?”
“It’s a hell yes, I will marry you!” she leans in and says loudly, wrapping her arms around me, kissing me all over the face.
I still spend a good amount of time at the bar, but it’s mostly to play pool and have the weekly check ins with our friends in town. Nydia and Cooper live on the property beside us, it was an added benefit to getting Madison to move in with me.
“I need to call everyone that I know!” Madison says standing up and looking at the ring that I slipped on her finger.
The front doorbell rings. Madison stops jumping in celebration and then looks at me.
“Who the hell would that be?” she asks.
I smile even wider and stand up.
“What do you know?” she whispers shouts, turns and then walks to the front door.
“Congratulations!” the group on our porch cheers.
Nydia, Cooper, Noah, Valerie, Missy, Luke, Percy, Bev, Deb and Darrel all stand on our porch. Some holding flowers, some holding balloons, a cake, cookies and beer. It’s almost everyone that we know standing on our property ready to celebrate us.
We welcome them into our home and soon everyone is standing around the island in our kitchen, happily talking.
“Sorry, Miles, Rhiannon, and Micah are at the bar. We couldn’t very well close the place, but they send their congrats to you guys,” Noah says.
“I think that we need to first and foremost say congrats to you two. We’ve known you each separately, together and have watched you guys grow as a couple. While we do have to say that we’ve missed our bar regular, we will admit that now when we see you it’s a little more special. Here’s to another happy couple in Mercy and to a life full of happiness together,” Deb says holding up a beer.
“Who knew that my forever would be a bar regular,” Madison laughs with my hold around her was it tightening and pulling her against my chest.
I did.
Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for your support. If you enjoyed this book, please sign up for my newsletters so you can be in the know when a new book comes out, or if you just want to hear me ramble about nonsense.
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I hope that in some shape or form you felt connected to my characters, I strive to have my stories be as relatable as possible, and not too outrageous. The sole purpose for me to bring my friends these stories is to feel like that too can be you.
That being said, I write to make you happy. I wouldn’t be able to do so without your feedback. Whether if you leave a review on your favorite book retail site (Please do that would be spectacular) or if you feel like shooting me a message at: [email protected] . I would love to hear from you.
* * *
All my best,
Smooches ~ Tarrah
Acknowledgments
I would like to thankful the readers who have read and enjoyed each and everyone of these crazy stories from the small town of Mercy and the bar with its patrons.
Without you guys loving my words, I don’t think I would have it in me to continue this series.
We’re coming to a close soon, but haven fear there’s still more to be read.
* * *
Also, thanks to one of my besties, Jess Bryant for going along with my crazy idea and helping me create these covers.
About the Author
I am a contemporary romance author who is all about the feels, with the twists of sexy mixed in between. I have been writing since before I can remember. Writing has always been a passion, that was kept it under wraps, stayed on the back-burner and never vocalized or followed through with my desire to be a writer, until I read a horrible book and thought: ‘I could do better than that!’
I am originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, but living in beautiful San Diego with my little family while working during the day as a social worker within Program Management
In other words, I’m a freaking superhero!
Also by Tarrah Anders
More in this series:
THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES
Your Neighborhood Bartender
Your Neighborhood Bastard
Your Neighborhood Vixen
Your Neighborhood Convict
Your Neighborhood Chef
Your Neighborhood Cowgirl
Your Neighborhood Biker
Your Neighborhood Manager
Your Neighborhood Regular
THE MELTED SERIES
Frozen Over
FROZE
Freezing
THE NIGHT MOVES SERIES
STRIPPED
The Night Manager
Tapped
STANDALONES
New Year, New You
The Brute
Summer Fling
CLUTCH Endgame
Change of Scenery
The MORE DUET
More than Friends
No More Heartbreak
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Coming Soon:
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Your Neighborhood Regular: The Neighborhood #9 Page 5