by Storm, Sloan
I hoped this would be the exception to the rule.
After I entered, I walked across the room and sat down on the edge of his bed.
“Simon,” I began, reaching over and jostling him on the shoulder. “It’s time to get up.”
He whimpered and rolled around a bit before looking up at me through one half open eye.
“Aunt Ava?” he muttered. “When did you get here?”
I smiled, leaning over and hugging him close. Afterward, I sat up and looked down at him.
“Late last night.”
He reached towards his face and made tiny balls with his hands, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
“Simon, honey,” I began, reaching down and rubbing his chest. “You’re not going to be going to school today.”
It took a few seconds for my statement to register. Eventually, however, it did, and he frowned while he looked up at me.
“But, I have to,” he said. “I’ve got a perfect attendance record.”
I smiled down at him. “You don’t have to worry, I’ll talk to your teachers. I’m sure that after today, they’ll look the other way. You just have to trust me. Can you do that?”
His tiny face held an expression of uncertainty.
I smiled at him again. “Simon, you know that I love you more than anything in this world. I would never let anything happen to you, or your perfect attendance record.”
Without speaking, he nodded at me and returned my smile with one of his own.
“Okay,” I began, standing from his bed. “Even though you aren’t going to school, you need to get up and get ready.”
“Why? Where are we going?”
Channeling Dyson, I winked at him. “You’ll see.”
Shortly after, I left Simon’s room and called the school to speak to Mrs. Marberry. I told her what was happening. She couldn’t have been more understanding, not to mention thrilled.
Of course, I mentioned Simon’s concern about his unblemished attendance. She informed me that for some strange reason, Simon’s attendance records seemed to be missing that morning. She wasn’t expecting them to show up again until the following day, and to the best of her knowledge, she wasn’t expecting to mark him absent.
After having a good laugh with her, I thanked Mrs. Marberry for everything, promising her the proof of adoption she needed to keep Simon enrolled at the school. Mrs. Marberry congratulated me and promised Simon would have his place there next fall.
By midmorning, Dyson, Simon, Jillian and I arrived at the courthouse. Overnight, Ed had texted me with instructions to meet him when we got there.
It’s a strange thing when a person’s voice doesn’t match their appearance. When speaking to Ed over the phone, my mind conjured images of a narrow-shouldered man with wire framed glasses and a receding hairline. However, when we approached him after arriving, Jillian walked up behind me and whispered in my ear, “Is that him?”
The broad-shouldered man with a sharp, chiseled jaw line and dark, intense eyes waved at us. I glanced towards her.
“Looks like it.”
“Yum,” she purred.
I looked back at Jillian. “What about Dan?”
“Who?” she joked.
Within seconds, the four of us walked up to him. He looked straight at me.
“You…” the man said, sticking his hand inside of his briefcase. “You must be Ava.”
I nodded and smiled at him. “Ed?”
“That’s me,” he said. Glancing past my shoulder, he continued, “It looks like you have some company.”
I turned in place and introduced all of them, leaving Simon for last.
“That has to be Simon,” Ed began, pointing at my nephew. “You’re a very lucky young man. Your Aunt Ava loves you very much. You know that, don’t you?”
I looked down at Simon and he nodded. “Yes,” he replied.
Ed smiled for a couple of moments and then produced the paperwork he’d reached for in his briefcase moments earlier.
“As you can clearly see,” Ed began, winking at me. “The counter party has already signed the document as we discussed. The only thing left now is to have the applicant for adoption sign… here.”
Ed held the paper up in front of me and pointed at the empty signature line below Gene’s. The moment seemed like a dream. I still had a hard time believing any of it was real. Frozen in a state of denial, I remained still while Ed held the paper.
Jillian leaned in, nudging me. “Ava, what are you doing? Sign the paper.”
“Yeah,” Simon added. “Come on, Aunt Ava.”
Ed smiled and placed the paper flat on top of his briefcase. Using his pen, I leaned over the page and lowered the tip to it. With a few forceful swipes, I’d signed it within seconds.
Ed glanced at my signature and then looked up at me.
“Well, it’s official. How does it feel?”
Without thinking, I lunged in his direction and kissed him on the lips. Stunned, he staggered backwards while I held on to him. Curious onlookers milling about the courthouse stopped and stared at us.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Dyson said, stepping towards us and pulling me away from him.
I glanced at him and felt heat flush my neck and face. Dyson winked at Ed.
“Back off, or we can take it outside.”
The two of them shared a laugh at my expense, but soon enough, Ed passed me the document I’d dreamed of having for years.
Overcome, I looked at Simon and opened my arms. He ran towards me, and we hugged, holding onto each other, crying with joy, a family at last.
AVA
Not long after, Ed excused himself, citing other casework he had to handle. Before he walked away, I approached him one last time.
“Ed,” I began, trying to form a coherent thought in the midst of my profound joy. “I don’t know how to thank you enough for what you’ve done. You’ve literally made my dreams come true.”
He snapped his briefcase closed with efficiency and smiled at me.
“Ava, I’m only doing my job,” he began, gripping the handle of his briefcase. “If I can help people, good people, like you every day—that would make me a lucky man. It’s my pleasure.”
Before he walked away, I hugged him one last time. And then he turned, walked down a short hallway nearby, and vanished. When he did, I turned and looked at Simon.
“Simon, do you know what this means?”
Simon looked up at me, his big brown pools shining in my direction. I knelt down in front of him.
“Give me your hands.”
I took them mine, caressing them in silence for a moment before looking at him.
“I’m going to leave the decision up to you, okay?” I said, nodding and looking into his eyes. “For as long as you like, and that means forever, if you want to call me Aunt Ava, you can. However, if you want to call me Mom, you can do that as well. None of it matters to me so long as we are together. Do you understand?”
Simon looked at me, unblinking. His tiny eyes filled with moisture. I opened my arms and we hugged. With my spirit soaring, I released him after a minute or so and stood once again. During the entire time, Jillian and Dyson remained silent. I looked in the direction of my best friend to see her overwhelmed with the same joy consuming me.
Without wasting a second, I walked towards her and we hugged. The strength I’d managed when talking to Simon melted away when we embraced. We sobbed, convulsing with long overdue tears of happiness in the middle of the county courthouse. That continued for a minute, maybe more, I don’t really remember.
What I do remember is what happened next.
“Women,” I heard Dyson say. “You can’t take them anywhere.”
Sniveling messes, Jillian and I separated from each other, and I looked in his direction. Dyson stood there, with his large hand draped across Simon’s tiny shoulder.
“Are you girls about finished?” Dyson asked.
I shook my head and smeared away the tears from my cheeks. “Shut up.”
>
Dyson chuckled and looked down at Simon again. “You sure about this? Because if you’re not, you need to tell me right now, bud.”
Without wasting a second, Simon looked up at Dyson and nodded. “Yep.”
“Okay,” Dyson said, reaching for the top of Simon’s head and rubbing his hair.
With that, Dyson took several steps in my direction.
“Not much really happening around here today. What do you say we do something fun?”
I frowned at him, shaking my head at the same time.
“Dyson, you aren’t making any sense. What are you…?”
Dyson raised his hand in front of my face.
“Okay, kid, you ready?”
Simon began to walk towards us. I glanced down at him.
“Don’t look at him, look at me.” Dyson said.
I snapped my gaze in his direction.
“I’m leaving soon,” he began, looking into my eyes. “I won’t see you until the season is over.”
I nodded at him, still eager to sneak a peek at Simon.
“I see,” I said. “I wasn’t aware that you were planning on coming back.”
Dyson smiled at me. “I have to now, you see. You’ve got something that belongs to me. Two things actually.”
Before I could say another word, Dyson grabbed my hand and yanked it upward between us. He held it there, staring me in the eye without blinking.
“Okay, Simon,” he began, not breaking eye contact with me. “Look at me, Ava.”
My eyes met his once more. And then, almost faster than I realized, I looked down and saw Dyson sliding a ring on my finger.
“Holy shit!” Jillian exclaimed, slapping her hand over her mouth at almost the exact same instant.
“Right here, Ava, right here.” Dyson repeated, aiming his index finger in the direction of his face. “It’s just us right now. No one else.”
My pulse quickened. I felt a wild thumping in my neck.
Unable to control myself, I glanced down at the immense diamond on my finger. It was actually heavy. In my entire life I’ve never seen anything like it, and nothing could have prepared me for that moment.
“I-I…” I stammered, lifting my eyes to meet Dyson’s once more. “Are you serious?”
Dyson shook his head. “Absolutely not. I’ve got a pocket full of these, and I give them to babes every day.”
I narrowed my eyes it him for a split second before he spoke once again.
“Ava, don’t be ridiculous. I don’t want to come back from Europe and waste my time. I love you. I want you and Simon in my life forever. No one else. Ever. Will you marry me?”
“Holy shit!” Jillian screamed again. Just like before, she slapped her hands to her mouth, but unlike last time Dyson turned and looked at her.
“Would you mind…?” he began, pointing to the other side of the courthouse. “I’m trying to handle some business here.”
Jillian looked at him, her mouth wide open in shock.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be quiet, I promise.”
Dyson rolled his eyes and looked back in my direction. Jillian couldn’t help herself, and a final squeak passed through her lips. Dyson let it go and instead stared into my eyes.
“What’s it going to be, Ava?”
Before I could get a word out, Simon yelped, “Say yes, Mom! Say yes!”
No sooner had the words tumbled from his lips than Dyson and I both turned and looked at him. Without a conscious thought on my part, tears of happiness streamed down my cheeks. In the middle of a city courthouse, of all places in the world, I’d found my true bliss.
Without wasting another second, I leapt towards Dyson, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him. It felt as if that went on for a minute, maybe longer, but not long enough.
When we separated, I noticed Jillian hugging Simon nearby. I smiled at both of them, eager to hug them and celebrate with them as well. But, before I could, I looked at Dyson once more.
“So what does this mean?”
“What are you talking about?” he replied, frowning at me. “It means we’re going to be married.”
I shook my head, “No, what I meant to say was…”
Before I could continue, Dyson waved me off, interrupting me.
“There’s nothing to worry about. We’ve got all the time in the world. You can plan the wedding, have it anywhere you like, but only on one condition.”
I leaned away from him, arching an eyebrow. “And that is?”
“Well, that you graduate from medical school, of course,” he said, winking at me. “After all, you can’t drive in Formula One forever. I need a hot, rich wife.”
I laughed at him.
“Come here,” he said, gesturing for me to approach.
I walked up to him and he slipped his arm low around my backside, pulling me close to him with a firm tug.
“Mrs. Ava Vix,” he began, nodding as the thought settled into his consciousness. “I like the sound of that. Don’t you agree?”
I nodded, raising the ring and admiring it.
“I do.”
“There,” Dyson began. “Now, was that so hard? ‘I do’… You see? So I’m assuming that’s a ‘yes’, then?”
I nodded, fighting back a fresh round of tears. I hugged him again, kissing him over and over.
“Of course it’s ‘yes’. What else would I say?”
“Mrs. Vix it is, then.” he replied.
No sooner had he uttered those words than a bolt of inspiration hit me.
“Give me your phone.” I said.
Dyson leaned away for me, wrinkling his brow. “What? Why do you want my phone?”
I shook my head. “Just give it to me.”
With reluctance, Dyson reached into the pocket of his jeans and a few seconds later produced his cell phone, passing it to me. I flipped around for a moment or two, locating his camera app. Once I had, I extended my arm and leaned in towards him, positioning my hand with the engagement ring between us and the camera.
I snapped the picture.
Afterward, I lowered the camera and turned my attention to Dyson’s address book.
“Ava, what the hell are you doing?” he asked.
“Shh! One second!” I grumbled.
Not long after, I found the phone numbers I wanted. I attached the picture of Dyson and me and hit send with a simple message. Dyson took the phone from me and glanced at it for a second.
“Told you so?” he said, turning back towards me with a confused look on his face.
I crossed my arms at my chest and nodded. “Yep.”
He glanced at me for a split second and then looked at his phone once more.
“You didn’t,” he began, shaking his head. “Ava… Anastasia and Svetlana? Really?”
“What?” I purred, turning towards him and draping my arms around his neck, hooking my hands together. “Why should the Grid Girls have all the fun?”
He laughed. “Why, indeed?”
We kissed and I closed my eyes. Simon crashed into my waist, wrapping his small arms around me in a firm embrace. Smiling and happy, I savored the moment feeling loved in every way and at last, complete.
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Synopsis:
My new billionaire boss has literally turned my life upside down in less than a month. What's worse is he appears to relish the fact.
Not only is he incredibly good look
ing, in a panty-melting-book-boyfriend-way, but he's worth more than most countries and has a reputation around the office as a lover of rock star status.
So why would he be interested in a curvy girl whose entire sexual existence was limited to an awkward, drunken screw in her sophomore year? I have no idea, but he is, and it's making my life a living hell.
Because of his pursuit, I now find myself in the midst of cat fights I didn't start, office backstabbing I can't seem to stop and jealous innuendo from my female coworkers the likes of which I've never encountered.
Inexperienced though I may be, I'm not stupid. And he's not subtle. Every chance he gets, he dares me and tempts me to resist his advances in spite of the risk it poses to my fledgling career.
There's only one problem... I'm not so sure I can any longer
Excerpt from Book #1 in “Slipperless: A Billionaire Love Story”
“Excuse me.” I said with a cautious tone. Tugging my hair behind my ears, I ducked a shoulder as I attempted to pass by him and leave. But I’d managed to get no further than about a foot when Gabe grabbed me with such force, one of my sleeves almost tore at the seam near my shoulder.
Blindsided by his speed and aggression, I gasped as Gabe crushed my body into his with a hard pull. He yanked me as if I were weightless, an experience I didn’t think possible. The power of his embrace was a hundred times greater than I expected. Just then, my eyes locked on his. Inexperienced though I was, there was no mistaking, none, about what he intended to do. My breath hitched in the middle of my chest as the muscles of Gabe’s arms flexed against my curves.
Without wasting a second, Gabe descended upon me, pressing his mouth into mine. I inhaled as he did, half-shocked, half-lustful. His lips were soft, moist and seemed to fit against my mouth as if by design. I flinched at first, thinking I ought to know better, do better, be better, but as Gabe’s tongue invaded my mouth, I felt my desire to be right slip away.
In its place, just a desire to be…desired…took its place.
Twisting our heads from side-to-side, Gabe and I continued to kiss for several seconds. His firm embrace eased as his strong fingers trailed along my curves. I reached up, squeezing the hard roundness of his biceps as he explored me. As the seconds drifted on, Gabe’s hands made their away around my backside and up towards my head where he snaked them amongst my silken strands, clutching small handfuls as he went. When at last we broke for an instant, I leaned away from him.