Nights With Him(114)

“I do have the best job in the world. But it’s also not everything, and as of now,” he said, stopping to look at his watch, “I did have the best job in the world. Now I have something else that I want more, so I’m announcing tonight that I’m stepping down as CEO of Joy Delivered. My sister, Casey, will be taking over. She’s already the brains and the beauty and the heart behind this company. I trust you’ll all be in good hands.” He gestured to his sister, who was beaming and crying happily as she held up her phone.

“Come up here and say your first words as CEO,” he said.

She walked up the steps, and he walked down, and they stopped to hug along the way.

“I’ll send it in fifteen minutes,” she whispered.

“Thank you.”

He loosened his bow tie, and walked out the back door of the ballroom, quickly racing to the front door to hail a cab. He stopped at his home first to pick up something he needed, then headed back to Murray Hill for Michelle. All the problems she’d encountered had come from his job. All the trouble she’d suffered, the losses, and the collateral damage had been because of him. He could do this one thing for her.

* * *

The flashing light on her phone made her flinch. A knee-jerk reaction, and one she didn’t know she’d get over anytime soon. Most messages were friendly, but Michelle didn’t know that she’d ever look at email, or texts, or her phone as anything but a potential point of violation again.

Davis raised his eyebrows as if to say, Is everything okay? She was at Speakeasy with him and Jill, who was in town for only a few days before she had to return to London for the opening night of her play. Julia was behind the bar, and Clay was here too, chatting with his wife as she poured a drink for Sutton. Nearly all her friends were here, and she was glad to be surrounded by the familiar. They were all part of why she was completely content with her choice to stay. She had friends, she had family, she had love. She was a lucky woman, indeed.

Her wish in this moment was simple—that this note on her phone be from a friend, not a foe. When she saw Jack’s sister’s name on the email, she felt a sense of relief. She opened the note.

Jack wants you to see this. I think you’ll like it.

Her curiosity took over and she clicked on the link for the video, hitting play. It was all of fifty-three seconds, but by the end tears were streaming down her face, and her hand was on her mouth, and her shoulders were shaking. She didn’t know what to do next. Was she supposed to find him? Was he going to call her? And was this really, truly all for her?

“What is it?” her brother asked as she wiped a streak of tears from her cheek. He stood up and moved closer. “Are you okay?”

“I’m more than okay,” she managed to say, and thrust the phone at him, hitting play on the clip. She watched Jack’s speech again, and she watched her brother’s reaction, thrilling at the way his blue eyes shifted from inquisitive to delighted.

“I told you, you should take the job,” he said playfully, then tapped the screen. “He’s calling.”

He handed her the phone. With shaky hands, she answered it. “Hello?” she squeaked out.

“It’s me. I’m at your apartment, but it doesn’t seem that you’re here.”

“I’m at Speakeasy. It’s nearby,” she said, giving him the address.

As she waited, her phone was passed around, and then Sutton threw her arms around her in a hug, Jill bestowed a kiss on the cheek, Julia toasted happily, and Clay beamed. But they weren’t the ones she was dying to see. She couldn’t take her eyes off the door. Every time she heard it open, she swiveled around, hunting for him. These five minutes were the longest of her life.

Soon enough, the most beautiful sight greeted her. Jack, entering Speakeasy, and walking towards her with the biggest grin she’d ever seen on his beautiful face.

He took long strides to reach her, his eyes on her, only her.

“I didn’t expect to see you so soon. It’s only been an hour,” she said.

“It seems I have a lot of free time now,” he said. He dipped his hand into the pocket of his jacket and took out a small gift, handing it to her.

She unwrapped it to find a sapphire-blue perfume bottle. She gasped when she saw it.

“You said there was one you wanted, but when you went to get it the shop was closed. It was closed too when I went back that day I found you in the Gardens. But I returned again the next day and bought one for you. I hope it’s like the one you had your sights set on.”

“It’s gorgeous,” she said, cradling the small and elegant bottle.