Sweet Surrender

by Rebel Wild

  She has her head on the pillow watching the paraglider that’s passing by. The infinity pool in front of us makes it look like we’re floating on the water.

  “He’s nuts,” she says, looking at me.

  “It’s not as dangerous as it looks,” I tell her. “I’ll take you up. You’ll love it.”

  “No thanks. Me lying here looking like I’m about to be carried away by this pool that looks like it’s going over a cliff is adventure enough for me. Just hand me an Old Fashioned and call it a day.”

  “Deal,” I say, kissing her temple.

  I take hold of Reagan’s hands that are in her lap and she looks up at me in question.

  “Stop fidgeting.”

  I’ve had to Dom up on her twice now as she went through the examination with Dr. Bixel. I must admit, it was a nerve-racking process, and sitting in his office waiting to hear is downright torture.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” his interpreter says as they both enter his office and sit down across from us. I’m going to need my own interpreter to figure out his deep Swiss-German accent. “I’ll get right to it, as I’m sure you’re eager to know. I have very good news. The damage to your auditory structure is minimal. It’s just enough to muck things up to where your brain is confused and can’t decipher what it needs to allow you to hear.”

  Muck things up? What the hell does that mean?

  “What does that mean?” Reagan signs it as the interpreter speaks what I was just thinking. “I can get the cochlear implant?”

  “You could, absolutely and it would serve you well. However, that’s not the only option available to you.” Reagan and I look at each other before returning our gaze back to the Dr. “I want to try something called a Vibrant Soundbridge with a Totally Implantable Cochlear Implant. VSB/TICI, for short, is a transducer that works with a specific type of cochlear device that will help to clear things up for you. It’s all implanted within the ear and surrounding skin. Nothing will be visible on the outside.”

  “Will it give her back her hearing?” I ask in frustration.

  “It’s not as guaranteed as the outer hardware of the traditional cochlear implant. It’s in the early stages of development and once the device is in place it will take about 3 months to see if it took effect or not.”

  I’m not liking this shit. Three fucking months of waiting. I want to tell him to go to hell but I know I can’t. It has to be Reagan’s decision.

  “Does it work better than the regular cochlear?” the interpreter asks for her.

  “Well, it will give you a… crisper sound,” he says, waving his hand not being able to find a word that will do. “Let’s say with the VSB/TICI you’d be able to hear a pin drop.”

  “But not with the cochlear?”

  “Meh,” he shrugs, making a face to match.

  “Meh,” I repeat.

  I can’t believe this idiot. He’s the best in the field? My leg muscle Reagan has her hand on tenses and she squeezes it to keep me from getting up. All while biting her lip to keep from laughing at my borderline pissy fit.

  The good doctor patiently answered all our questions and sent us home with videos and pamphlets up the ass about VSB/TICI and the Cochlear implant to drown in. We spent the afternoon pouring over them.

  “What are you thinking, baby?” I ask. She’s lying in bed with her head on my chest looking up at me while I play in her hair.

  “I don’t know. It’s a lot to think about.”

  “You don’t have to make the decision right now. But whatever you decide, if you decide to have one of the procedures or not it wouldn’t matter to me, as long as you’re happy.”

  “I’m glad I have options. Thank you for nudging me to find out. I never would have done it myself and now I feel better knowing.”

  “It’s what I’m here for.” I kiss her before settling her down next to me.

  We take the next morning off and sleep in. Hillary dropped off the ring I had her design so I enlist her help in setting up a surprise for Reagan.

  “What the…” Reagan says when we go out for a stroll on our private section of the beach and come upon the champagne, strawberries, and other goodies waiting on a blanket for us to indulge in.

  “This is amazing,” she says. “Hillary did all this? And here I was, ready to hate her.”

  “How could you think another woman could ever turn my head? They’re all in boring black and white and you’re technicolor.”

  “You say such sweet things to me.”

  “Get used to it.”

  “Never.” She sits down on the blanket and I join her, pulling her close to me. “What are we celebrating?”

  “Us.”

  “I like the thought of us.”

  “I want it to be more than a thought. I want you.”

  “You already have me.”

  “I want it to be official, baby.”

  I pull the little blue box out of my pocket and get up on one knee.

  “Oh, my God,” she says as tears well in her eyes.

  “Reagan Montgomery, you have never left my mind from the moment I met you. I knew I had to have you in my life. I didn’t understand what was happening at the time but you’ve somehow managed to break down all my walls. They crumbled at your feet without making a sound. You’ve filled in spaces I didn’t even know were empty. I can’t imagine a day without you. Will you do me the incredible honor of agreeing to put up with me for the rest of my life and making me the happiest man in the world? Reagan, will you marry me?”

  “Yes,” she says through her tears. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

  I take the ring, a perfectly cut diamond with a simple platinum band, and slip it on her finger. It’s breathtaking in its simplicity, just like the woman who’s wearing it.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she breathes throwing her arms around me so hard I fall backward. “I love you so much. You make me so happy. Just by loving me the way you do. You make me so happy.” She has no idea it is her that is making me happy. “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” she says.

  “Oh, baby, we’re definitely doing this and this is just the beginning.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Well past noon, we drive to the office. He didn’t want us to go in at all but I convinced him it would look bad: me missing a whole day being new to my position. He reluctantly agreed. I get off the elevator on my floor and wave hello to Michaela.

  “That’s some ring on your finger,” she says when I reach for the messages she’s handing me. I just nod and smile.

  I make the short trip to my desk but something about the way everyone’s looking at me today makes me feel self-conscious. I noticed it when I was walking through the lobby but blew it off as me being paranoid. I look down to check my outfit. Maybe something about it is off. I’m wearing a black skirt, blouse, and matching blazer so it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

  It’s not until I get to my desk that I see the reason sitting there waiting for me. Mogul Weekly is bookmarked to a picture of me out spending time with my family yesterday. But what has the office abuzz is the fact that I am on the arm of:

  One hot eligible bachelor, Reed Dixon, who is off the market if this picture of him holding hands with this brunette is any judge. Sources say they were joined at the hip all around town and the fact that he’s spending time with what looks like her family means this is serious, folks. Could there be wedding bells in this couple’s future? And who is this woman who has dropped in out of nowhere to steal him out from under us? We didn’t even know he was dating. This reporter aims to find out all she can. They don’t call me Martha Majors, queen of entertainment, for nothing.

  No, it can’t be her. How is she a news reporter already? I know her dad owns the magazine. I’m sure he must have gotten her the job. She treated me like crap in high school after I went deaf, now I have to
deal with her all over again.

  I throw the waste of paper in the trashcan next to my desk. As I look up, I see everyone around is still pretending not to look at me. They know. I busy myself to avoid them until one sits down right next to me.

  “Well, this is an interesting turn of events,” he says.

  “Don’t start in on me, Buzz,” I type to him.

  “I’m not starting.” He puts up his hands in surrender. “I’m just inspired by how fast the boss works.” He takes note of my ring and points to it. “Real fast. Whoa.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I figured something was up when he asked for your employee file. I chalked it up to him trying to get rid of you, but then he goes and asks me to…” He leans in to whisper and I wonder why. All he has to do is mouth whatever it is he is saying to me. I go along with him and lean in too. “Hook you up with stuff. I knew he was stuck on you then. Poor guy never saw it coming. Boy, that love bug is a blood-sucking harlot. Those teen vampires have nothing on her.”

  Just when I was about to ask him what in the world he was talking about, my phone buzzes.

  “Mr. Baylis is asking to see me,” my phone tells him.

  “Okay, well, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It’s not like he can fire you, right? Am I right or am I right?”

  I don’t even bother responding. I just wave goodbye, hoping he takes the hint and not be here when I get back.

  Reagan, I need to see you in my office, please.

  I read the message from him again and get up to see what he wants.

  “Nice rock,” he says, when I get close enough to him.

  “Thanks.” I type out.

  “Mr. Dixon has good taste. Congratulations.”

  Great, even he knows.

  “July, I’m sorry I didn’t mention this earlier. I just didn’t want to be the subject of office gossip.”

  “I can see why. I knew you two were an item when I saw you in the elevator the other day. I wondered why he suddenly took an interest in our meetings. He was looking out for you, making sure we didn’t swallow you up down here. Good for him. Did you see the magazine I put on your desk?”

  I nod.

  “Well, I won’t lie to you, Reagan. You’re the talk of the office. Everyone’s whispering about how you got your job here. Jim nearly face-planted on the employee lounge floor when he saw the girls waving around that magazine and he realized he had his boss’s girlfriend working right under his nose.”

  My heart beats faster as my biggest nightmare comes true. It quickly turns to anger at the nerve of these people. Here I am on what’s the most wonderful day of my life and I have to be brought down by their hang-ups. Who I’m with is none of their damn business.

  “He doesn’t have to worry. I wasn’t put here to spy and I won’t be reporting back to Mr. Dixon any goings-on here unless it’s about how my day went. And for those thinking I got the job because I’ve been screwing the boss, well it isn’t true. I was recommended for this job by my previous supervisor long before he and I even met and I’ll be more than happy to tell them all so.”

  My thumbs finish flying over the keys. I hope it says what I wanted it to because I don’t bother to check before I turn to leave. I’m ready to give whoever looks at me wrong a piece of my mind. I feel his hand on my shoulder and I turn around to see what he wants.

  “Hold on a minute, Rocky. Before you go out there with both gloves swinging, let me just give you four words to consider: Who. Gives. A. Shit?” I frown. “I mean it. Who gives a shit what they say? You know the truth and so do Jim and I. We’re the only three that matter where this is concerned.”

  “What about the questions on how I got my job?”

  “Screw ‘em. I’m not blowing smoke up your ass when I tell you how impressed I am with you. More importantly, our clients are impressed with you. I’ve told this same thing to Jim. You have a lot of fresh ideas that will serve us well. You’re more than proving you can handle this position and you’ll go far if you keep it up. The one thing that’ll derail you is if you give in to that bullshit of the gossip mill and let them psych you out.”

  “But how am I supposed to work with these people now?” I type to him.

  “Same way you always do,” he says. “Did you know Michaela’s dad used to be head of accounting and got her the job before he retired? Paris got her job because she knows the boss’s sister. The list goes on and on. Most people start because they know someone who knows someone who gives them a chance, but that wasn’t the case with you. You were recommended because your supervisor saw potential in you, so fuck the naysayers and do the job she knew you’d be great at. Don’t let them out there fuck up your chance. Now, with all that being said there’s just one thing I need from you.”

  “What would that be?”

  “Coffee.”

  “Coming right up, boss,” I type. “Thanks, July.”

  He winks at me and I go get his coffee, eager to get back to work, doing exactly what he suggested.

  “Are you okay, baby?” Reed asks when I enter his office. He texted, concerned for me earlier.

  I came up to go home with him. No sense pretending we’re not together anymore.

  “I’m fine. I was upset about it before but July calmed me down and made me realize I didn’t have to prove anything to the ones gossiping about me.”

  “Did he?”

  “He did. He was very thoughtful and gave me some good advice.”

  “And what was that exactly?”

  I smile at him, knowing that he’s not happy with me talking to July about what’s bothering me.

  “He said that he already knows how I got the job and that I’ve already impressed him as well as our clients, so there’s no need to worry about anyone else. He also gave me a very colorful expression dealing with excrement, but I think I’ll just keep that to myself.”

  “Is that right?”

  “It is. I’ve been saying it in my head all day and it’s very empowering.”

  “Glad to hear it,” he laughs. His worried face turns to relief that I am dealing with the gossip better than we both thought. “Things are going to be a little awkward around here for a few weeks, but I promise you it will die down and everyone will move on.”

  “I can’t wait,” I tell him. I never was one to crave the spotlight if a piano wasn’t involved.

  “In the meantime, I got our PR team on Martha Majors.” He holds up a magazine that looks like the one I was reading earlier. “The so-called news reporter who’s making it her mission to write about our lives. I don’t know what the hell her problem is. By the way, they’ll also announce our engagement if you’re ready to go public.”

  “I’m ready.”

  “Reagan, I just need you to understand that a lot of your privacy will be violated and most of what they say will be completely made up. I had Sampson go up to your school and check things out. Thank God it’s a closed campus and intruders are easy to spot but—”

  “Reed, I get it. I know I’ll need to be more cautious about what I say because people will talk to sell papers. Probably a few of the people I thought were my friends will go babbling and I’m sure the jerks I went to school with before I went deaf will crawl out of the woodwork to cash in too. I already worked it all out and I’m okay as long as we’re together. I can’t let other people’s opinions of me ruin my life and I can’t worry about what everyone else is going to do. From now on, I’m only going to worry about us and our life together.”

  “That sounds good to me, baby.”

  Sampson comes in and signs a hello to me before speaking to Reed.

  “Sir, there was a reporter by the name of Martha Majors in the lobby requesting an interview.” I groan at the name. She’s relentless. “We escorted her out of course but she’s waiting right outside. I’ll take you two out the back
exit if you want to avoid her.”

  “Let’s go out the front like we always do,” I sign to them. I’m not running from her anymore.

  “Baby, let’s not get crazy here,” Reed tells me. “I love this new attitude of yours but we don’t have to run out and greet the gossip mongers.”

  “No,” I sign, trying not to laugh at the bewildered expression he is giving me. He can’t gauge where my new attitude is coming from. Did he forget how all of a few hours ago he made me the happiest woman alive? “I don’t want to slink out the back like we’re keeping some dirty secret.”

  He nods at Sampson, dismissing him, but he still looks worried. I decide to tell him about me and Martha.

  “Reed, I know her. She used to be one of my best friends in high school. Then, when I went deaf, she turned on me. I thought it was because I made her uncomfortable, but now looking back on it, I don’t know.”

  “She’s one of them?”

  “Back then she was Martha Fitz and she was one of the worst ones.”

  “Her father’s been a pain in my ass since I started this company. I’ve been planning on suing him into the ground, but I have a better idea. I’m going to own his company and his daughter.”

  “Reed, it was a long time ago. I would hope she’s changed.”

  “I doubt it. Not the way she’s going full force with trying to invade our privacy and if we don’t cooperate— we won’t— I’m sure she’ll show her hand and start in on you and how close you two were in school. I’m putting a stop to her ass before she gets that far.”

  “You’re not going to get her fired, are you?”

  “No,” he says grabbing his jacket and putting it on. He can see I’m still not convinced. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she has plenty of work to do. Now, let me take you home. I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”

  He takes me by the hand and we leave together. I wave goodbye to Sharon.

  She and Lyle just talked my ear off asking for pointers on how to tame their demanding boss. Like I would ever give away my trade secrets. She insists that when I get my final invite list, to give it to her and she’ll handle all the arrangements in getting everyone here for the wedding. I’m going to take her up on her offer. It would frustrate me trying to figure it all out. Organization has never been my strong suit and she shines at it. Reed isn’t as organized as he pretends to be and I know he’d be lost without her.