by Kimball Lee
“That estate with the vineyard in Santa Barbara where you had the graduation party for Atticus, he bought it. He’s in some big private meeting at his office now with wine growers from around the world. As soon as he’s finished working out the details for some monumental summit on advanced wine production he’s going to Tuscany. He’ll stay there for a few months to examine the best wineries.” Billy checked his watch, “He may have left by now, he was anxious to go, Charlotte. Charlie told him that he and his uncle Jude had picked out a wedding ring for you. Bly said that was it, he’d had it and he was outta here for good.”
“FUCK!” Charlotte shouted and Billy and several of the moving men jumped. “Billy Billy Billy! Help me, I turned Jude down, I need to talk to Bly now, right now, ASAP! Call him, don’t let him leave the country, please, please!” She thrust her phone toward Billy but he waved it away and made the call to Bly but his cell went straight to voice mail. He called the office but there was no answer, it was the day before Thanksgiving and Bly had given his entire staff the next few days off.
Billy drove like a bat out of hell with Charlotte fidgeting and cursing and losing her mind in the passenger’s seat. He’d called the staff at Bly’s hangar and the copilot said there had been no word that Bly was on his way to the airport. They made it to headquarters of Bly International in record time and Billy left the car in a no-parking zone as he and Charlotte raced toward the bank of elevators.
“Come on dammit, lets freaking go you piece of shit!” Charlotte growled as they got into the elevator and she pushed the button for the top floor about fifty times.
Billy covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smirk and he could barely keep from laughing at Charlotte’s dilemma.
“Oh, this is just funny, is it? You’re right it is ironic as hell, I’ve had the entire last year to give Bly a clue that my heart belongs to him. But I’ve waited too long and now it’s a mad dash to see if I’ve ruined what might have been,” Charlotte said and as soon as the elevator stopped on the top floor she was racing toward his office doors.
A burly security guard sat reading a newspaper and he stood up and placed himself firmly in front of the massive wooden doors. “Mr. Bly is in conference and he was adamant that there should be no interruptions, and no exceptions,” he said crossing his arms in front of his chest so that the steroid enhanced muscles bulged menacingly.
“Oh, well you can kiss my ass and not like it,” Charlotte said and she dashed around him, pushed the doors open and crossed the expansive room to Bly’s desk with long, purposeful strides.
“I’m sorry Mr. Bly, I tried to stop her,” the guard said, but Bly could only see Charlotte and it seemed as if she were moving in slow motion.
“Charlotte,” he said and it was practically a plea full of love and hope and uncertainty. He stood up and waited to for her with all of his business colleagues silently watching and wondering. Every man and woman in the room knew that Alexander Bly had only loved one woman in his life, he had waited year after year without ever losing hope that she would come to him someday. Now here she was, tall, thin and elegantly beautiful, and when they looked closely it was clear to see that she was a woman on a mission.
“Charlotte?” He whispered again as her hands went behind his neck in a smooth, fluid motion and she pulled his lips down to meet hers. His hands tangled in the loose waves of her hair and the kiss lasted forever as his hands moved over her back and came to rest on her waist.
“I came to tell you something, Bly,” she said when they paused for a moment, both gasping for breath. She smiled up into his beautiful face, looking into the sea-glass eyes that had held her captive no matter how hard she had tried to free herself from his love. “I came here to tell you that I’m ending our friendship… and I’m starting a love affair for the rest of our lives. So I need to know, do you still want me?”
“I’ve never wanted anything more,” he said, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers, knowing that they had found their way back to each other at last. “Ah, Charlotte, we’ll always be best friends and you have to marry me soon.”
He didn’t give her a chance to answer, his lips covered hers once more and they were both laughing and kissing and they couldn’t stop. His fingers tenderly grazed her cheeks, her neck, and then he held her firmly against him so that there was no possibility of ever losing her again. As they kissed she whispered, “I love you I love you!” with her hands clutching his broad shoulders and finally coming to rest against the solid wall of his chest. He was her safe place in the world and she was his. Bly placed her hand over his thundering heart and Charlotte surrendered to an astonishing love that had survived and flourished and grown stronger against all odds.
“Come on, say yes!” One of the business men waiting in the hushed office blurted out and all those waiting with him clapped and cheered.
“She already has,” Bly said and he was certain of it as he gazed down into the face of the woman he loved most in the world. He traced her lovely full lips with his thumb and her answer and her love were perfectly clear in the triumphant sparkle of her sapphire-blue eyes.
END
Legal Legacy 2: The Good Life and Beyond
Coming Late Summer 2014
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