by Claire Adams
"I'm writing that down," Lexi said. "You're saying that at my wedding."
"But I was planning on doing all sorts of jokes about your short skirts," Jasmine said.
Lexi shoved our friend and the two broke into a fit of giggles. It felt good to laugh and joke, but I was too stunned by what Jasmine had said.
It was true. I loved Ford.
"Sorry, ladies, but I have to go," I said. I stood up and sloshed our coffees.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Clarity. Am I talking about the wedding too much? I promise we can talk all about your father's new art retreat." Lexi reached to catch my hand.
Jasmine swatted Lexi's hand away. "Can't you see the girl's had a major revelation? Bet she's going to see that Mr. Bauer down at The Mirror. I bet she's going to tell him she loves him."
I took a deep breath and tried to look dignified. "Maybe. First, I better get him a coffee."
Thomas opened The Mirror office doors for me when I arrived. The short story was tucked under my arm, and two coffees balanced precariously in my hand as I reached for the door handle. I didn't want his help, but it was obvious I needed it.
"Thanks, Thomas. Good to see you. I heard you got a job working down here," I said.
"I'm surprised we haven't bumped into each other before," Thomas said.
I felt the slide of unease and wondered if he had gotten the job just to be near me again. Since leaving journalism, I hadn't had to deflect Thomas' uncomfortable adoration every day. Ford had pointed it out to me how my classmate pined for me. He had tried to use it to build up my confidence, but it just made me feel bad. I didn't love Thomas the way he loved me.
Then I saw Ford and I realized I was right not to lead Thomas on. When it was the real thing, real love, there was no room for doubt.
Ford was on the phone in his fishbowl office. Despite the office using the latest technology, his desk was covered in mounds of paper. Ford waved a notepad around as he discussed something quite loudly with the person on the phone.
"He's a good boss," Thomas said. "Much more demanding and on the ball than when he was a professor. But, I guess I don't have to tell you he's a different man nowadays."
"Different? How?" I asked.
Thomas gave a sad smile. "Isn't it obvious? He's in love. Once he left campus and you two were able to be together, he turned into a completely different person. He's driven, he's ambitious, and I bet he's doing it all for you."
I looked at my lovelorn classmate and caught a glimpse of a young woman staring at us. She wore the same tirelessly hopeful expression that Thomas used to turn on me. "Who's that?" I asked.
"Mindy," Thomas said. His whole face brightened. "I've been thinking about asking her out."
"Then don't hesitate," I said. "There's no room for doubt when it's love."
Thomas grinned and spun back through the maze of desks to join Mindy by the copier. Within seconds they were both laughing about something and the look on their faces buoyed my courage.
I turned back and caught Ford watching me through the glass walls of his office. His words, his hands, the whole passionate morning crashed over me, and for a moment, I couldn't move. Then he gestured for me to join him and my feet moved so fast I felt like I was flying.
"Wow, you're in a rush," Ford said as I burst in his office door and skidded to a stop. "What's the good news?"
I couldn't get the words to form or my mouth to work. Instead, I asked, "Is everything alright? That looked like a pretty heated phone exchange."
Ford chuckled and handed me a slip of paper. On it was nothing but an astronomical sum. "Barton is trying to buy The Mirror again."
"That's awful. Why are you smiling?" I asked.
Ford shrugged and plucked the coffee cups from my hands. "I take it as a compliment. It's weird, but ever since I confronted him on the golf course, I feel like he respects me. These offers are a sign of respect, like he's proud of me."
"Or he's trying to con you like Tailor did my father," I said.
"Don't worry, I'm a cautious guy," Ford said.
"Are you? Because I've been feeling lately like I'm too cautious and you're the one that's willing to go out on a limb." My throat dried up and so did my words.
Ford arched a dark eyebrow at me. I had his full attention now. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
An intern saved me by standing at the glass door and waving a stack of proofs. "Sorry to interrupt, Ford, but these need approval before we can let everything go live."
"Oh, god, that's right. You're under deadline. I'm not the only one that's under deadline. Sorry!" I stepped out of the way.
Ford caught me under the chin as he passed out the door. "I'll be right back. Then you have to tell me what's on your mind."
I watched him march up and down the rows of desks. Ford knew everyone by name and he insisted they call him by his first name. The mix of familiarity and authority he gave off set his whole staff at ease. They worked hard for him. They respected him. They loved him.
Suddenly the words welled up and I could barely contain myself. I felt like shouting it out his office door. The thought of interrupting the newspaper with a headline of my own was tempting but terrifying.
Ford saw me shifting from foot to foot in his office door. He initialed the stack of proofs without taking his eyes off me and then dropped the papers on the intern's desk. He marched clear across the floor and swept back into his office.
This time I was ready for the tsunami. "I love you," I said.
He stopped in the doorway and held on to the frame for support. Then Ford looked around as if he'd been dazed with something heavy. When his eyes focused back on me, I said it again.
"I love you, Ford."
This time, he was at a loss for words, but there was no doubt how he took the news. Ford strode across the office and swept me up in his arms. We spun three times before he pulled me to him and in front of the entire Mirror staff, we kissed as if the world had faded away.
The raucous cheer that met our ears was enough of a reminder.
"The walls are glass, aren't they?" Ford asked. His face was still a mix of wonder and relief. "Everyone saw everything."
"Isn't it great?" I asked. "We don't have to worry about who sees us or not."
Ford brushed his lips against mine again. "Because we're just two people in love."
"Yes," I laughed. Then I unhooked my arms from around his neck. "But you are also the person under deadline and, trust me, I know how that feels."
Ford spun away with a hundred last-minute things to do, but he stopped at the door and circled back to me. "You came all the way to my office just to tell me you love me?"
"Yes. I didn't say it this morning and I didn't know why."
He stopped and his face sobered. "Why didn't you?"
I reached up and brushed a hand over his cheek. The caress drew the scent of his aftershave to my senses and I was dizzy with happiness. "I've never been in love before," I confessed.
Ford laughed and scooped me back into his arms. "Then I've never been in love before either, because I've never felt like this before."
"Like what?" I asked with a challenge in my eyes.
This time, it didn't matter that the walls were glass. When our lips met it felt like time stood still. Outside, the office worked at a frantic pace, but for just a moment longer, there was only Ford and I in the world.
I thought of Lexi and her engagement ring, Jasmine and her new romance, and my father finally with his dream artist. The world slowly came back, but I welcomed each part of it. The people around us had seen it from the very beginning and Ford and I had just caught up. It felt good to finally know what everyone had realized long before us.
"Please wait right here. Jackson didn't give you any homework, did he?" Ford asked.
"Just a few new comments, but nothing I have to do this weekend." I waved the short story pages.
Ford frowned at all the red marks. "I thought he liked it."
I smiled. "Pro
fessor Rumsfeld gives great feedback. And my story was very well received in class."
"So? Is it the one?" Ford asked.
It felt like sunlight spreading across my chest. Everything felt right. "Yes, I think it's the one."
Ford kissed me again. "I'm so proud of you, Clarity. You're going to do it, right?"
"Yes, I'm entering the contest. There's no predicting if the judges will like it but—"
"But if you win, you'll be on your way to getting published at the same time as you graduate from Landsman College." Ford grinned and squeezed both my hands. "That's a reason to celebrate if I ever heard one."
"I've heard one better," I said.
Ford pulled my hands to his lips. "Tell me again."
"I love you, and you love me. That's the only reason I want to celebrate."
An alarm clock sounded on the floor and all the newspaper staff members jumped up from their desk. A big monitor on the far wall flickered to life and the IT staff fluttered around getting the last minute codes in place.
Ford looked from the newspaper floor, poised to publish, and then back to me.
"Go on; I don't mind waiting," I said.
"Put that in the top drawer of my desk. It locks and it will still be here when we get back."
"Get back?" I asked.
"Sorry, I have to go take care of this," Ford slipped onto the floor and took care of the final details before he could publish the new online edition of The Mirror.
I took a seat at his desk and unlocked the drawer he suggested. Once my short story was inside, I sat back and took a moment to breathe. It was impossible to not want everything all at once. Then I thought about how far we'd come. From strangers at my father's party, to a student and professor, to journalists fighting against a well-funded enemy.
"What's that look?" Ford asked when he returned.
"Life just keeps getting better and better with you," I said.
Ford sat on the corner of the desk and tapped the locked drawer. "Listen, Clarity, I understand if you want to spend the weekend working on your short story. It's a huge deal. When you win the contest, you'll have the chance to find an agent or a publisher."
I shook my head. "I'm not in it for the money or the accolades," I said.
"Those things are important," Ford said.
I leaned back in his office chair and fixed him with a sharp look. "This coming from the man that is currently missing his own awards reception at Landsman College."
"It's only for being a good example. They don't expect me to actually show up to receive it," Ford joked.
I crossed my arms. "I thought we had fun the last time we were dressed up and on campus."
He smiled at the memory of me in my formal, black dress. "Well, we could go and do that, but I really had something else in mind."
"Do I have to remind you again that these walls are glass?" I joked.
Ford grinned and stood up. He held out both hands and pulled me to my feet. "Nah, I don't have to hide this from my staff because they covered for me while I went home and got everything packed."
His intern lugged two suitcases to the office door and dropped them off with a jaunty salute.
I looked from the suitcases to Ford in surprise. "What's this?"
"This," Ford said, taking my arm and gathering up the suitcases in his other hand. "Is me taking you away on a road trip."
We went out the office doors and found his car waiting at the curb.
"A road trip?" I asked with tears of joy. "I hope it has plenty of detours."
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Epilogue
"It's okay to admit if you're lost," I said.
Ford scowled and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. I'd never seen him so tense on a road trip. He pushed the accelerator down and seemed determined to beat the clouds to the horizon.
"I'm not lost, I'm just trying to find something special," Ford said between clenched teeth.
"Hey," I joked, "I thought I was your something special."
Ford's jaw relaxed a little. "You're something else, that's for sure. I was just hoping to catch a good sunset before we have to get back to town. Hang on!" He pulled hard on the wheel and we skidded into the gravel parking lot of a scenic overlook.
I laughed. "This is the same exact overlook you brought me to two years ago. Remember? We finally left on our first road trip and we stopped here to enjoy the sunset."
Ford leaned back in the driver's seat and shrugged. "Really? I can't quite remember. That was two years and two dozen adventures ago."
"Come on, was the book tour really that bad?" I asked.
"Twelve cities in ten days? No." He reached over and squeezed my knee. "I loved every minute of it."
"You're just anxious to get back to The Mirror and dive back into work," I concluded. "I get it. When you find the work you love, it's hard to be away from it."
"I think people say that about people more often than work," Ford chuckled.
"So, I'm ambitious. I thought you loved that about me. Besides, I'm not the one under deadline at the moment. Don't you have the first fall publication due out at the end of the week?" I asked.
Ford shifted in his car seat and smiled softly at me. "That's right. It's almost Thanksgiving. It's almost exactly the day that I first met you."
I grinned. "Remember what we talked about?"
"I remember you telling me about the headline game you liked to play. How about this one: Couple Misses Stunning Sunset, Stuck in Car."
I laughed and reached for my door handle. Ford jumped out and ran around to open the car door for me. "Here's one for you: Exhausted Editor Fills Empty Spaces with Headlines."
Ford laughed and pulled me out to the scenic overlook. The sun was still warm as it nudged against the horizon. Still, there was chill sent to the air that meant autumn was on its way. It was my favorite season, especially when Thanksgiving was only a few weeks away.
"Did I tell you that my father and Polly will be home from Cuba in time for Thanksgiving?" I asked.
"I know, your father mentioned it when I talked to him the other day." Ford popped his mouth shut and admired the sunset with a sudden keen interest.
"Oh, no, what are you and my father planning now?" I asked. "I can just imagine the headline: Men Plan Elaborate Feast, Use Every Dish in the Kitchen."
I laughed at my own joke and turned, but Ford was gone.
He was down on one knee. The sky streaked with reds and golds as he reached for my hand. "I have one last headline for you: Will you marry me?"
I dropped to my knees and kissed Ford a dozen times over before I took a breath and said, "Yes. And you can quote me on that."
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VALENTINE
By Claire Adams
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 Claire Adams
Chapter 1
Val
"I really don't see what the big deal is." I tugged my scarf tighter around my neck and glanced around the table at my friends. "Just because all the women in my family have led the Delta Gammas through the generations doesn't mean that I have to. I don't even fit into the group. But does anyone give a shit? Nope."
Lucinda huffed and ran her hand over her dark hair. "Your mom and sister are a different breed of human altogether, Val. You know that. Don't go getting all stressed out again just because elections are coming up at the end of the spring."
Katelyn sat to my left, playing with her straw and dipping in an
d out in what looked like a day dream state, but something about the conversation seemed to pull her from her thoughts. She glanced up and lifted her eyebrow at me, her blue eyes filled with concern.
"You don't really think Carolyn is going to get the presidency again, right? She's been nothing less than horrible." Katelyn was the only one in my group of friends that lived in the Gamma house with me. The rest of them had sense in their head.
My fourth and favorite gal pal in the group spoke up as she ran a French fry through the mound of ketchup on her plate. "I think you should run, Val. You're the most logical girl in the house."
"Hey!" Katelyn huffed and swatted playfully at Amy. "I'm logical. Sort of."
I snorted and glanced around the fast food restaurant we sat in. The place was relatively empty, which wasn't surprising at all. It was three degrees below freezing and getting out of the house was a hazard to our health, but being cooped up any longer with Carolyn and her lackeys meant I was going to crack.
"You guys ready for classes starting back tomorrow?" Lucinda turned as the door opened behind us and freezing cold air blew in. "Damn. Close that door!"
Amy chuckled and shook her head. "No, I'm not looking forward to it at all. I have my senior level physics class, and from what I heard, it's going to be the death of me."
"Please. You're the smartest person I know." I got up and gathered my stuff before walking to the trash can and letting out a long breath. The situation with Carolyn wasn't something I was honestly willing to discuss with anyone. The girl had been dead set on being a thorn in my side the entire time I had been at the University of Minnesota, and she was damn good at keeping her promises.
Truth be told, I didn't want the leadership role with the Gammas. Not in the slightest. They were the rich kids, the elite, and though my family had money, I wasn't interested in flaunting it. Ever.
"What's the plan for today?" Lucinda walked up beside me and worked to get something out of her teeth.