Accidental Surprises

by Tia Wylder

  Adele swallowed hard. She blinked at me. “Jack, I—“

  I held up a hand to silence her. “Don’t say it,” I said. “Don’t say it back if it’s not true, and even then. I want you to think about what you want. But I’m willing to do whatever I can to make you happy. Hell, I’m changing my company so that every development is going to be as environmentally sustainable as possible, and I swear you can hold me to that.”

  Adele’s eyes got bigger with every passing second.

  “And I donated two million dollars to a wildlife fund that helps displaced natural species in the Bahamas,” I said. “In your name.”

  Adele’s eyes were brimming with tears. “You mean it,” she said softly. “You…you really do love me, then.”

  “Yes,” I said, suddenly worried that my own voice would break with emotion. “I love you. And I think I always have.”

  The force of Adele throwing herself into my arms very nearly knocked me backward. She pressed her lips to mine and kissed me passionately, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me close. I could feel her heart frantically pounding in her chest, and the strange fragility of the sound made me love her even more. Adele moaned softly as I put my hands on the small of her back and pulled her onto my lap. There was nothing more natural than holding her body in my arms, and I knew then that I could never let her go, that I wanted to hold onto Adele forever.

  When Adele pulled away, she rested her forehead against mine.

  “I love you, too,” she said softly. Then she winked. “Pizza breath and all.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Adele

  “I can’t believe it!” Lisa pulled away and looked out the window. “It’s finally happening!”

  “I can,” I said, rolling my eyes. “It feels like it’s been years, doesn’t it?”

  Lisa nodded. “Yes,” she replied. “It really does.”

  I crossed the room and took a flute of champagne from a table set up in the corner. Lager College was hosting a pre-graduation party for all of their doctoral students, and Lisa and I had decided to come after some convincing from our colleagues, Andrew and Sally.

  I glanced down at my watch. It was only three-thirty, and I knew the party was expected to go on until the late evening. I didn’t want to abandon my friends, but I missed Jack terribly. He’d been away on business for the last two months, and he’d been so busy that we’d barely spoken. At first, I’d worried that long distance would ruin our relationship. But now, if anything, I realized that the distance between Jack and me had just made us stronger than ever before. It had been six months since that disaster in Nassau, and Boston was in the midst of a perfect, summery bloom.

  “Hey,” Lisa said, tapping me on the shoulder. “Wake up, sleeping beauty. Come over here.”

  I followed Lisa over to a crowd of doctoral students, all excitedly chattering about their post-graduation plans. When the conversation turned to me, I shrugged.

  “I honestly don’t know yet,” I said, shaking my head and taking a sip of champagne.

  Andrew narrowed his eyes. “How can you possibly be serious,” he said. “You took down one of the world’s biggest villains, and you don’t even know what you’re going to do next?”

  I flushed slightly and laughed. “That might be true,” I said. “But I think I just want to take some time off and look for a good job, or maybe a postdoc.”

  “You should look into Oxford or Cambridge,” Andrew said. “I know they’re taking two or three environmental science postdocs.” He puffed out his chest and gave me an arrogant look. “You’d be good enough to get in.”

  “That’s all the way across the ocean,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t think I want to go that far away.”

  Andrew narrowed his eyes. “Adele, don’t be ridiculous,” he said. “What, are you telling me you’re going to stay in Boston forever?”

  Jack’s gorgeous face popped into my head and I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “Whatever happened to all of that ambition?” Sally asked. She frowned. “You were like, so set on changing the world.”

  “I put Louis Franchot in federal prison,” I said with a smirk as I finished the last of my champagne. “I hardly think that gives you room to call me unambitious.”

  Andrew and Lisa laughed, but Sally just looked put off.

  “I just don’t know how you can't possibly have plans,” she said, tossing her head. “It’s so irresponsible. That’s not like you, Adele.”

  Lisa rolled her eyes. “Come on,” she said. “Come get a drink with me.” Lisa linked her arm through mine, and we walked over to the windows and looked down at the city streets below.

  “Sorry about her,” Lisa said. “I think she’s just jealous. You’ve done more at twenty-four than most of us will do in a lifetime.”

  I flushed. “I don’t think it’s that,” I said slowly.

  Lisa frowned. “Oh yeah? Then what?”

  “It has to be Jack,” I said. “Sally probably thinks I’m…oh, I don’t know, some kind of traitor just because I’m dating him.”

  “Well, fuck her,” Lisa said amiably. “You’re happy, and you deserve it.”

  I replaced my empty champagne flute with a filled one and took a small sip, thinking about Lisa’s words. She was right – I was happy. The past six months that I’d spent with Jack had been some of the happiest of my life. At first, I’d felt so guilty about dating a billionaire real estate developer, almost like it was against my own personal ethics. But after a while, I’d realized the truth: that I couldn’t live without Jack in my life, and there had to be a way to make compromises. After all he’d done for me, I figured the least I could do was be a supportive girlfriend.

  “I just can’t wait to be done with this,” I said, biting my lip. “It feels a little ridiculous, you know. Most people have been working for years at our age. And we’ve just been studying and writing papers.”

  Lisa snorted. “Don’t put yourself down like that,” she said. A dreamy expression came into her eyes. “Adele, have you seriously not thought about what to do after we leave Lager?”

  “I have,” I admitted. “The truth is, I’ve been looking at jobs and postdocs for months. There was something promising, with a software development company…but it’s in the middle of Illinois.” I wrinkled my nose. “And I don’t want to move so far away from Boston.”

  Lisa put her hand on my arm. “I know you don’t want to leave Jack,” she said. “But you have to think about what’s best for you and your career.”

  “Boston isn’t a small city,” I said. “And I’m sure I can find something here.”

  Lisa gave me a long, hard look. “I’m sure you’re probably right,” she said. “Either way, you know I’m proud of you.”

  After the reception, Lisa and I went back to our apartment and started packing. She’d found work with a firm in New York as their environmental researcher, and although it didn’t start for a few months, I knew that she, too, was anxious to move on from school.

  I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do about my living situation. I’d thought about moving in with Jack, but I hadn’t wanted to mention it. And now that he’d been away for so long, I especially didn’t want to bring it up while there was still so much distance between us. But I knew that in the end, I’d figure something out, no matter what.

  The next day, Lisa and I donned our gowns, six-sided velvet tam hats, and black heels. We looked at our reflections in the mirror and laughed.

  “Why do they make us wear such stupid hats,” Lisa moaned, covering her face with both hands. “If anyone tries taking a picture of me, I’ll actually kill them.”

  I giggled. “I have no idea,” I said, plucking at the stiff, faux-satin material of my gown. “And this is hideous. Can you believe it was over three hundred dollars?”

  Lisa groaned. “I know,” she said. “I could’ve bought a killer pair of shoes and a dress that doesn’t suck for that much.”

  We both lau
ghed for a moment, then we fell silent.

  “You know,” I said slowly. “It was worth it. We only graduate once, you know.” I looked at Lisa’s reflection, and suddenly, I felt tears well in my eyes. I couldn’t believe that my life as I knew it was coming to an end. It felt so weird to think about Lisa, my best friend, living hundreds of miles away from me. A bittersweet emotion swelled in my chest as I thought about what my own future would hold. I was looking forward to whatever happened with Jack, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t occasionally miss the late night pizzas and study sessions with Lisa.

  “Come on,” I said finally, clearing my throat so Lisa wouldn’t hear the emotion in my voice. “We’ll be late if we don’t leave now.”

  I’d thought that graduation would be emotional and charged, but in reality, it was kind of boring. Lisa and I sat patiently while Lager College listed off their giant roster of undergrads and masters. By the time they got to the doctoral graduates, my ass was numb from the hard plastic seat under me.

  “Adele Parker!”

  At the sound of my name, I stood up, and suddenly, I felt it. The excitement. The joy, the pride, the hard labor that I’d put into getting this degree. I had to force my legs to move forward to the podium where I shook hands with the dean and collected the wrapped-up piece of paper that was supposed to simulate my degree.

  That was when I heard the yells and cheers from the crowd, seated below. I turned and looked out at all of the people with a smile frozen on my face.

  Then I saw him.

  Jack was standing up at the front of the crowd, with two fingers in his mouth. When he saw me, he grinned and gave a loud wolf-whistle that filled the entire auditorium.

  I gasped and broke into a run, darting off the stage and down into the crowd. I ran toward Jack and threw my arms around his neck, pulling him close as our lips met. The tears that had been building in my eyes finally spilled down my cheeks, and I began to sob as Jack held me close.

  “I can’t believe it!” I said through my tears. “Jack, you’re here! You made it back!”

  Jack grinned. He leaned down to kiss me again. “Of course I did, baby,” he said. “There’s no way I’d miss this.”

  My heart melted, and I sighed happily as I nestled into his chest.

  “Let’s go celebrate,” Jack said. He slipped his hand into mine. “I made reservations.”

  I bit my lip. “Okay,” I said. “That would be great – let me just find Lisa, she and I were going to get food afterward.”

  Jack shook his head. “No need,” he said. “I got a table for four.”

  “Four?” I cocked my head to the side. “Who else is coming?”

  Jack gave me a mischievous grin. “Barnes,” he said. “I figured he could meet a decent girl, for once in his life.”

  I flushed. “Okay,” I said. “Let me go find her, and then we’ll be right back.”

  Jack kissed me tenderly. “Okay, baby,” he said. “But hurry back. I’ve missed you so much.”

  His words made me smile so widely that my cheeks ached. Everything is perfect, I thought as I pushed through the crowd in search of Lisa. For once, everything in my life is wonderful.

  --

  An hour later, Jack, Lisa, Barnes, and I were seated at one of Boston’s toniest restaurants. Jack ordered two bottles of champagne for the table, and when it came, he stood up and cleared his throat.

  “Toast,” Jack said, holding up his flute. He winked at me, and I flushed. “To two of the Boston’s brightest women.”

  “Aw,” Lisa said. She glanced over at Barnes, and I watched as her expression changed from merely curious to intrigued.

  “It’s true,” Barnes said, clearing his throat. “And Adele, I have to thank you again. For saving my best friend.”

  I laughed. “You owe me,” I said, shaking my head and taking a sip of champagne. We all clinked glasses, and Jack sat down next to me. I felt his hand on my thigh under the table, and I flushed.

  “So,” Jack said softly, leaning in close. “What do you think of our friends?”

  I bit my lip as I looked over at Lisa and Barnes. They were glaring at each other, and I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing.

  “I think this set-up might have failed,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “Oh well. Can’t win them all, I guess.”

  “They’ll find someone eventually,” Jack said. He smirked and leaned in for a kiss. “I love you, you know. I’m so proud of you.”

  “I know,” I said happily. “And I love you, too. I can’t believe you surprised me like that!”

  Jack grinned wolfishly. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” he said seriously. “You’re going to have to trust me on that.”

  After eating a sumptuous meal of lobster thermidor, oysters Rockefeller, and a delicious chocolate mousse that was almost better than sex, I felt stuffed and exhausted.

  “What are your plans for later?” Jack asked. He raised an eyebrow at me.

  “Nothing,” I confessed. “Lisa and I have been packing up our place, that’s all.”

  Jack nodded. “Think you can take a break for a few hours?”

  I pretended to think about it. “For you? Maybe,” I said coyly. “But only if you promise not to drag me into a hurricane ever again.”

  “I think we can manage that,” Jack said. He winked at me. “Hey, come on, I have to ask you something.”

  Lisa heard Jack’s words, and she looked up at me, raising an eyebrow. She lifted her left hand from the table and wiggled her ring finger at me.

  I flushed but ignored her.

  “Okay,” I said, getting up from the table and pushing my chair back. “Let’s go.”

  Jack led me onto the balcony of the restaurant. The sun was sinking low in the sky, and the weather was perfect – warm and dry, with just a hint of a breeze. All around us, couples were lounging on expensive wicker furniture and sipping fourteen-dollar cocktails. For once in my life, though, I didn’t feel disdain for them. If anything, I only wished that everyone in the restaurant was having as good of a day as I was.

  “So, what did you want to ask me?” I asked, cocking my head to the side. My heart was pounding like a drum as Jack led me over to the edge of the balcony. “Something important, I take it?”

  “Yes,” Jack said. “Very important, in fact.” He cleared his throat. “Adele, I wanted to tell you first how proud I am of you. You’re the smartest, most driven woman I’ve ever met in my life. I never thought I would meet someone like you.”

  Oh my god, I thought as I watched his handsome profile in the twilight. He really IS going to propose!

  “Thank you,” I said shyly.

  “No, thank you,” Jack said. He reached for my hand and linked his fingers with mine. “You’re so important to me – the most important person in my life, actually. And that’s why I want to ask you something very serious.”

  My mouth went dry as I started picturing the engagement ring Jack would offer. I hope it fits, I thought, looking down at my hands and wishing I’d gotten a manicure. I can’t believe this is happening!

  “Okay,” I said. I licked my lips and swallowed as Jack got down on one knee.

  “Adele, would you accept the offer of a job?”

  “What?” I blinked. “What are you talking about?” My head began to spin, and for a moment, I thought I was going to faint. I clutched at the balcony railing.

  “A job,” Jack repeated. He grinned at me. “When I was away, I did some research…and I purchased a company that I’d like you to be in charge of if you’d like.”

  I frowned. “With your company?”

  “No. It would be your own separate thing – I’d be a shareholder, of course, just to help manage the financial side. But it’s a small company based out of the Caribbean that works with marine scientists to develop solutions for saving species and habitats. I thought it would be perfect for you.”

  “I can’t believe you’d do that for me,” I said softly. “I don’t know what
to say.”

  Jack grinned. “Well, I already bought the company, so you’d better say yes,” he said. “I think you’d be the perfect person to manage everything. It’s not huge, and you wouldn’t have to worry about any of the business dealings…just decide what you want your research teams to focus on, and start leading the way.”