Jonas laughs. “Fuck yeah, I would have. Josh was just coming off being a fucking train wreck back then. I told him if he hit on a single employee, whether his own personal employee or at Faraday & Sons, I’d fucking kill him.”
“But, honestly, I wouldn’t have touched T-Rod, anyway,” Josh says. “I can’t say the same about some of the women at Faraday & Sons—those women definitely owe their unblemished virtue to the iron hand of Jonas P. Faraday—but when it came to Theresa, I was never even remotely tempted. I know it’s hard to believe looking at her now, but when T-Rod first started with me straight outta college, she was this sweet, naïve, sheltered little thing. Obviously intimidated as hell. She barely said a word to me, other than ‘Yes, sir’ and ‘No, sir’ and ‘Right away, sir.’” He laughs. “Right off the bat, I felt totally protective toward her, like a big brother, you know? Of course, I could objectively see T-Rod was a strikingly beautiful woman, but there just weren’t any sparks of that type for me. She walked through the door and, instantly, I felt like she was some kind of baby bird needing my protection.”
“Well, your baby bird has grown into a badass swan,” Reed says. “If you haven’t noticed.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed. And, like I said, keep your fucking paws off my motherfucking swan, you fucking menace.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Reed says. “I heard ya loud and clear, sweetheart.”
“Okay, what you got, Rivers?” Josh says. “Time for the rubber to finally hit the road, fucker.”
Reed lays down his cards. “Three aces, son. Read ’em and weep.”
Josh lays down his cards. “I got a pair of fours. I was totally bluffing.”
Everyone laughs.
“What you got, Zander?” Josh asks. “Please tell me it’s something that’s gonna beat this fucker and make him cry.”
Zander lays down his cards with a flourish and flashes a huge smile. “Full house, gentlemen. Read ’em and weep.”
Everyone at the table cheers and laughs and hurls taunts at Reed as Zander rakes in his chips. I try to applaud and cheer, too—I’m thrilled for Zander, of course—but I can’t seem to focus on the game at the moment. I’m too lost in my swirling thoughts.I want to make Tessa Rodriguez happy for the rest of her life.I know it to be true as surely as I know my own name: I love Tessa and I always will and I want to make her happy for the rest of her fucking life.And that’s exactly what I’m gonna tell her tomorrow night.
59
Tessa
Iknock on the door of Josh and Kat’s bungalow, my skin buzzing. I’ve only got a few minutes before I’ve got to meet up with the wedding coordinator to help her with a thousand things today, but I wanted to quickly stop by Josh and Kat’s bungalow to give them my paltry attempt at a wedding gift to kick off their Big Day. But, to my surprise, it’s Jonas who opens the bungalow door, not Josh or Kat.
“Oh, hi, Jonas,” I say. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Theresa,” he says.
I step into the room to find Josh sitting at a table filled with breakfast plates. “Good morning, Mr. Faraday,” I say. “Where’s your almost-wife?”
“Kat swapped places with Jonas last night. She didn’t want us seeing each other today until the moment she’s walking down the aisle.”
“Aw, she’s so cute.”
Josh offers me food, but I decline while plopping myself down on a chair next to him. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve never been so excited in my life.”
I swoon just a little bit. I can’t believe how far this formerly commitment-phobic boss of mine has journeyed in the time I’ve known him. Although, wait, come to think of it, Icanbelieve it. Now that I’ve spent so much time with Kat and her family this week, I can plainly see nobody, not even a world-renowned playboy like Joshua William Faraday, not even the most thick-skulled, thick-skinned, stupidest person in the world, could possibly resist the chance to become a permanent member of the Morgan clan.
“So what’s up, T-Rod?” Josh asks, munching on a piece of bacon.
“I just wanted to come by and tell you and Kat how thrilled I am for you both and give you my wedding gift.”
“We told everyone no gifts, remember?” Josh says. “‘Your presence is our present.’”
“Fuck that. I’m not ‘everyone.’”
Josh and Jonas both laugh.
“T-Rod lays down the law,” Josh says, smiling.
“I’m just saying—you’ve been so generous with me over the years, I wasn’t gonna let this occasion pass without some attempt at showing my gratitude, however pathetic it may be. Can I just say you’reimpossibleto buy a gift for, Mr. Faraday? You’re truly the man who has everything.”
