by M T Stone
“Jack has given all of us the opportunity to put him in the past for good and I think we all should take it. I’m sure Phil has been a strain on your emotions ever since he called on Valentine’s Day,” she continued. “Neither of us should give him another day. We all need to get on with our lives.”
“Yeah, my emotions have definitely been all over the place lately.”
“Promise me you won’t waste another day,” she replied in a more serious tone.
“I should give Jack a call and apologize for being so hasty this morning. He must think I’m acting like a spoiled brat.”
“Actually he understands how hard this has been for both of us. Even though I’ve been jealous as hell about the two of you… I have to tell you. He’s one hell of a guy.”
“Yeah, I’m not so sure I deserve him,” I conceded.
“If you make each other happy, then you both deserve each other. It’s that simple. Just don’t get all caught up in the money and let it go to your head.”
“I won’t. One thing that I’ve definitely learned about myself is that I’m not money motivated. Not that I want to be broke, but I don’t really see the point of piling up as much as possible. That’s what confuses me about Jack. Why does he want to go back to working so hard?”
“It’s not because he wants to make more money,” she replied in a motherly tone. “He’s doing it for you, Jayne, Brandon, Brenda, the factory workers and even me.”
“For you?” That took me by surprise.
“Yes. Jack wants us all to have dinner again tomorrow night. He wants both Jayne and I to be an integral part of the business. He has been working on a plan that would free both of you up from day to day operations. That way you can focus on design and Jack will only need to do some high level consulting.”
Fuck me… Now I really feel stupid.
“Thanks for calling Mom. I have to call Jack.”
After hanging up with Mom, I tried Jack’s phone. It went to voicemail so I left a voicemail as well as sent him a text telling him that I was sorry for being so irrational. The minutes seemed to crawl by as I waited for a response. He must be down in the bar or something. I sent Tim a text to see if he was available to give me a ride back to the hotel. I would like to be waiting for Jack comes back to the room. Tim replied that he was on his way.
Jack
After Sheri arrived with our clothes for the evening, I changed before going down to King Cole’s to have a scotch with Alan, Drew and a few old friends. I felt bad for not responding to Kate, so I sent her a quick text.
Me: I have a surprise for you in the room.
Kate: What is it?
Me: If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise…
Kate: I know, just thought I would try anyway. : )
I had left her clothes in the entryway, along with a note telling her to meet me at 7pm for dinner at Adour. I reserved the same “out of the way” table we had enjoyed our first night together, so everything would be the same. It’s time to begin our new life together.
~~~
It didn’t take long to catch up with the boys. Other than the fact that I was now dating Kate, nothing much had changed in the past six weeks. Talking with them reminded me once again how stagnant my life had been prior to our first date. No matter how things eventually turn out with Kate, I will always be grateful to her for getting me out of that rut. Despite their teasing, I found myself feeling sorry for my old friends as I excused myself to go to dinner.
“If you guys ever get the chance to date someone who rocks your world, just do it. Regardless of what everyone around you might think. Trust me on that,” I told them.
They all laughed, but I knew that each of them would do the same thing that I had done. It sure beats sitting around and fussing about failed relationships and broken dreams.
I walked over to Adour and sat down at our table to wait for Kate. I thought back to the last time I had sat in that spot. I could still sense the uneasiness that I had experienced at the time. It’s hard to believe we connected through a sugar daddy site. That fact, along with the little weekend tryst with Jackie were the two things that I hoped would remain buried forever. No one ever needs to know.
Kate
After changing into the little black dress and heels that Jack had left for me, I couldn’t help but feel a little Déjà vu. Part of me expected to find a trench coat as I opened the last bag. Instead it was a gorgeous fur coat. How sweet, he remembered. It was so beautiful, that I decided to wear it, despite the fact that I didn’t really have to go outside. I’m sure that’s what Jack intended.
After taking the elevator down to the lobby, I exited the hotel and walked up the street in order to use the exterior entrance to the restaurant. This way I can justify wearing a fur. After the maître d’ hung up my coat, he led me to Jack’s table. With each step I was transported back to our first night together. I still can’t believe how incredibly nervous I was that night and how shocked I was to find out it was Jack.
As I approached the table he stood up, reached out his hand and said, “Hello, Mila, I’m Bill. It’s wonderful to meet you.”
“Hello, Bill. It’s nice to meet you, too.” The maître d’ gave us a strange look before heading back to his station. “You look so familiar. Have we met somewhere before?” I asked.
“No, I’m pretty sure I would remember meeting you, Mila.”
“Hmmm, you look awfully familiar Bill.” After sharing a laugh, we made ourselves comfortable.
He always looked sexy as hell when he wore one of his custom tailored black suits. As his cologne and general warmth enveloped me, I thought back to how he made me feel that first night. Those clear blue eyes and that sultry smirk completed the perfect package for me.
“Thank you for saving my life Kate,” he said in a much more serious tone. Seeing the sincere gratitude on his face made tears well up in my eyes. “I’m sorry if you’ve felt neglected lately. My mind has been on too many other things.”
“Well I’m sorry for acting like a spoiled child this morning. After everything you’ve done for me, I feel absolutely ashamed of myself. I’m not sure what has been going on with me lately either,” I admitted.
“I think we should consider today our new beginning. We have been through a lot in that past month and a half. This afternoon I began to question my sanity as I reflected on some of my behavior.”
“You’ve had your moments, but I’m pretty sure you’re quite sane,” I replied with a smile.
“Yeah, but I certainly have had some of the most insane moments of my life since we met,” he said taking my hand. God I love how he radiates heat.
“So do you like French cuisine Mila?” he asked with a smirk.
“I love French cuisine Bill. I also love the blue fox coat. Thank you.” I leaned forward to give him a kiss.
Jack
As we ate dinner that night, a new lightness entered into our relationship. It was as if we had both needed to step back for a moment in order to rediscover what was truly important. Talking and laughing with her, everything now seemed crystal clear to me. I want to spend the remainder my life with Kate. Everything else is optional.
“Are you still interested in designing that clothing line?” I asked as we waited for our entrée.
“Yes. I really enjoy that part of the business,” she replied without any hesitation.
“But…”
“But I really don’t want to spend my days running a business. To be honest, I don’t want you to spend your days running a business either,” she admitted with a guilty look in those beautiful eyes.
“I know. That’s why I talked with your mom this morning about both her and Jayne joining the company. Those two would be perfectly capable of handling all the details and growing the business.”
“Yeah, they both have a lot of good industry experience,” Kate agreed.
“So I was thinking that you should give 35 or 40% of your shares to Cynthia and Brandon should do the sa
me for Jayne.”
“That seems like a good solution to me, but we should include Brenda somehow,” she added.
“I’m glad to hear you say that. Brenda will play a pivotal role on the operational side. Maybe 35 then and the additional 5% can go to her. We’ll figure it all out by dinner time tomorrow.”
“And the contract manufacturing business?” Kate asked hesitantly.
“I’m pushing back the timeline on it for now. I already called Finn and told him that we are going to start producing your line using traditional equipment. I’m still interested, but there are too many other priorities at the moment.”
“Thank you,” she replied with a look of relief crossing her face.
Kate
After our little business discussion, I was very relieved that he appeared to be backing off on some of his business initiatives. Even though I’m still excited about our clothing line, I want him to continue to focus on regaining his health instead of taking on the world. He pulled me closer, obviously sensing that I still had the shivers. The cold weather had never bothered me before, but this time I had been chilled ever since we had landed at LaGuardia. I’m definitely not going to miss the winters here.
“After today’s purging, the only firm item I have on the calendar is my next doctor appointment on March 19th. What would you like to do between now and then?” he asked with a smile.
“I thought we were headed for Europe, so I haven’t really thought about it.”
“What’s the first thought that pops in your head when you think of getting away?” he asked looking for a spontaneous answer. “Or would you rather stay in the city?”
“Oh god no! Let’s go back to the ship and visit as many Caribbean islands as we can between now and then,” I suggested off the top of my head.
“Now that’s an excellent idea,” he instantly agreed. “We’ll meet up with them in Santo Domingo on Monday or Tuesday and go from there. We’ll hit every island we can between the Dominican Republic and Aruba before heading back to the Bahamas for my appointment.”
“Now I’m excited! Let’s celebrate by sharing a dessert and another glass of Bordeaux.”
“You’ve got it. A glass of fine Bordeaux is a perfect accompaniment to a side of crème brulee,” he laughed. “The red wine carries the fat right out of your system.”
“Yeah, you just go ahead and believe that.”
“It’s true, I know I read that somewhere.”
“As long as you believe it’s true, that’s all that matters right?” I replied with a bit of sarcasm. He’s so funny!
Chapter 7
Jack
Kate’s demeanor improved dramatically once I unveiled the scaled down version of my plans. It became obvious that she wasn’t comfortable with all the complexities that accompanied running a new business venture. Even though I had previously taken steps to show her that she would be surrounded by a support network, she still seemed reluctant to play a starring role. It wasn’t until my talk with her mother that I began to understand why she was so hesitant. It wasn’t because of a lack of confidence or ability, but rather a belief that she didn’t deserve to be in the position. In her eyes, she hadn’t earned the role. I had simply given it to her.
Taking everything into consideration, I had decided to let her focus completely on design. As the line took off, I planned to selectively give her tastes of the promotional side of the business. I want her to experience all the excitement and recognition that comes with success. She has no idea how much fun it is. But all of that can wait for now.
The radiant smile that had emerged on Kate’s face during dinner was all I really wanted to see. The spunky, light hearted version of her that I had fallen in love with was much more appealing than the conflicted one. I just needed to ease off on things and let nature take its course. Although I did have one more surprise for her as we left the restaurant.
Kate
I know Jack had the intention of recreating our first date tonight, but this was much better. It felt as if we were finally going to get off the roller coaster that we had been riding since that first night. There was nothing I wanted more than to just have a normal life for a while.
“That coat looks gorgeous on you Kate,” Jack commented as we left the restaurant.
“Thanks, I absolutely love it!”
“You’re not going to need it just yet though,” he said with a smile, redirecting me toward the lobby. “I wanted to make sure we got a chance to talk in private, so I reserved a room.”
“You’re still intent on re-creating our first night huh? That’s good, because I really liked the next part.”
“I think you’ll like the diamond suite,” he replied with a twinkle in his eye as we made our way through the lobby and to the elevator.
“I don’t know Jack. I always say go with the Presidential suite or stay home,” I replied and yes it was just as funny as the first time. At least I got a laugh out of him once again.
An unfamiliar bellhop greeted us with small talk as he punched in our floor number, but Jack and I were in our own little world. It’s definitely my favorite place to be. As I gazed into his cool blue eyes I couldn’t help feeling that this was truly a new beginning for us. Jack seemed to be getting stronger every day, Jayne and Brandon had accepted me and now even Mom seemed to be coming onboard. We both needed some smooth sailing for a change.
“I think you will find the Diamond Suite quite comfortable,” the bellhop said causing us to snicker.
“We’re quite familiar,” Jack said handing him a $100 bill. “Please make sure we get a chilled bottle of Dom and a couple of glasses.”
“I’m not sure I need anything more to drink.”
“Oh, I think we will need to have one more toast before the evening is over,” he replied giving me that devilish grin. What’s he up to?
“God I love this place.” I walked over to the window and looked out over Central park. “Just for the record, I like this much better than the Presidential Suite. That was way too big.”
“I agree. That’s why I jumped at the chance to get back in here. Besides, our first date wouldn’t be the same without the Diamond Suite,” he said leading me back to the living room.
“I’m going to freshen up quick, if that’s okay.”
“Of course, take your time. I’ll just relax and wait for room service,” he laughed.
As I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror I had the strangest feeling. Even though Jack and I had spent many nights in this suite, something definitely felt different about tonight. I thought about how upset I had felt earlier that morning and how it seemed so incredibly unimportant and distant now. Dreams do have a way of coming true Mom. Yours are about to come true too.
When I returned to the living room, Jack was seated in front of the fireplace with an open bottle of champagne resting on ice next to him.
“Would you like a glass of champagne?” he asked.
“I would love one, thanks.”
“Come sit next to me,” he said, handing me the glass.
“Are you really going to recreate our first date line by line?”
“No, but I do have a new proposal for you,” he said taking a sip of champagne.
“Now what?” Here I was in such a good mood.
“Last time we were here I confessed that I wasn’t very comfortable being considered your sugar daddy.”
“Yeah, I remember it well. It was one of the more awkward moments of my life.”
“That’s why I proposed that we become business partners. Since that time however, you have lost your interest in running a business.”
“I’m sorry…” Shit, I thought we had gotten past this conversation.
“Don’t be sorry, it just means that our relationship needs to change with the times,” he replied pulling an envelope out of his pocket. The envelope looked just like the one that he had given me the first night that contained the initial $10,000 check. However, it was also the same as the one
that had contained the goodbye letter which accompanied the second $10,000 check. “Here is my new proposal.”
My pulse quickened and my mind began to race as he stood up and handed me the envelope before turning away. He stood motionless next to the fireplace, acting as if he didn’t want to see my reaction. Was I no longer going to be his business partner? Why is he being so formal about this? He seemed so light hearted just a few minutes ago.
I could feel my fingers trembling as I pulled the letter from the envelope and opened it. Under the heading My New Proposal, I found four simple words that changed everything: Will You Marry Me?
Jack
In hindsight, I probably should’ve taken more time and really planned out the perfect proposal. Honestly though, I didn’t want to wait. After talking with Cynthia and realizing how deeply Kate had both been hurt by her father, I just wanted her to know my level of commitment. I simply stood there facing the other direction and waited for her reaction.
“Oh my god Jack…. Are you serious?” she squealed.
Hearing that, I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the little black Tiffany’s box. As I turned back toward her I sunk down on one knee, slowly opened the box and asked, “Kate, will you marry me?”
The lighting was perfect, as it caused that beautiful diamond to sparkle like nothing either of us had ever seen before. I guess there probably wasn’t a better place on earth to give her that ring. Her mouth dropped open and she was at a complete loss of words as she slowly moved towards me.
“Oh Jack… it’s way too much,” she replied with a stunned look on her face.
“No, it’s perfect.” I pulled the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger. “See, it fits like a glove.”
“Geez, I didn’t even know there were diamonds this big. Are you sure I need a ring this big?”
“No one needs a ring this big, but I want you to have it. If you find that it’s too cumbersome to wear, I’ll get you a smaller one for everyday use,” I assured her. “I don’t want you getting caught on things.”