What?
I swallowed, hot moisture burning my eyes.
I tried to gather myself and focused on Amy. “I suppose there’s no award for you tonight.”
She watched me warily. “Not one for my work, anyway. I should get one for my acting skills, though.”
I smiled and shook my head. “That’s not the only thing you should get for your acting skills.”
“Enough about me,” said Amy, grinning. “Now get up there, you big zucchini.”
“What?”
She shrugged. “You’re wearing green. It was the first thing that came to mind.”
She made me laugh, and that stupidly handsome, charming,self-aware man on the stage made my stomach flip and chest expand with bliss and desire like no one else could.
I pushed my chair back and rose.
My skin prickled with the awareness that every eye in the room was on me, but I couldn’t hold back my grin. Let them see how happy I was. Let Curtis see how happy he made me.
I was careful not to trip as I made my way in between tables, because it would be just like me to fall over and make an idiot of myself, like I did that day in the doorway, smooshing donut all over Curtis’s expensive clothes. Imagine if Momster could see me now. She’d tell me not to be stupid, that Curtis must be joking. But she wasn’t going to ruin the best thing that ever happened to me. I remembered a line from France Maye’s book,Under the Tuscan Sun(because of course I read it as well as watched the movie a bazillion times): “Life offers you a thousand chances. All you have to do is take one.”
I was finally taking mine.
My gaze found Curtis’s, and the love and desire shining from his eyes were my beacon. There wasn’t room for doubts. I wouldn’t let there be.
As I neared the stage, Curtis came to meet me. He took my hand, his long, warm fingers curling around mine. Standing so close to him, I peered into his eyes, my breath catching. My body, starved of him, leaned forward. I wanted him to put his mouth on mine. I’d missed his taste, his touch, his humor. Him.
I hadn’t let myself think too much about him and what I’d lost while we’d been separated. If I had, I would’ve fallen apart or stalked him and made an idiot of myself. But now, the realization that I loved him, that it was safe to love him, cascaded over me, like a waterfall of warm chocolate—sweet, comforting, and decadent.
Curtis spoke quietly, just for my ears. “I love you, Faith. Please be my partner in all the things. I’m sorry I hurt you. I should’vestood up for you, believed you, taken your side,listenedto you, but I let you down. Can you forgive me?”
I’d waited so long for those words. A tear spilled over onto one cheek. “Yes. I forgive you.” I smiled and tried to be casual. “You do know you could’ve just called me. You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.” I waved my arm as if the whole room was but a trifle, as in insignificant, not the dessert.
“Oh, but I did. I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t proud of you, and you deserve the world to know how amazing you are and how I feel about you. Also, you’ve got 36 percent of the company, and I have 34 percent. I never want you to feel like you have no control or less of a say. No one will ever take advantage of you or fire you again.”
I swallowed the creeping burn of tears assaulting my throat. That was…. My heart exploded in a shower of confetti. I shook my head and placed my hand over his heart. “Thank you.” I sniffed and blinked because those damned tears really wanted to be part of this. Needing a moment, I peered around the room, then looked back at him. It wouldn’t be right until I’d apologized too. “Do you forgive me for lying by omission? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my past with Mark, Amanda, and Piranha. I was scared, but that isn’t a good excuse. I hate that I hurt you, that what I did gave your father and Queen B ammunition to manipulate you.”
He cupped my cheek, and it was like being welcomed home. I sighed at the pleasure of it. This feltright. “Of course. You didn’t have a choice. I understand why, and it shouldn’t have mattered because you didn’t do anything wrong. And honestly, when Amy told me what they did to you, how anyone could think you’d help them was beyond me. My father didn’t do his homework, and now he’s going to pay for it. I’m just sorry it took me so long to ask the right questions.” He kissed the top of my head and rubbed my back.
Someone yelled, “Get a room!” Laughter echoed around the venue.
Curtis chuckled. “Looks like we’d better get this show on the road. Why don’t you go up there and tell us all what you’ve decided.” A flame of uncertainty flickered in his gaze, like a candle in a breeze trying not to go out.
I placed a quick kiss on his cheek, squeezed his hand, and released it, making my way up the stairs to the lectern. When I looked across the crowd, my mouth dried. Two-day-old donuts, but there were a lot of people. I took a deep breath and hoped my voice came out loud enough. I didn’t know if I could do it. I’d never been good at public speaking, and really, I’d never had much of an opportunity to do it.
Everyone was staring at me, waiting. I opened my mouth, but no sound exited.
Do it for Curtis.
Was it normal to feel like throwing up when you were nervous?
Imagine everyone as pastries.Look, Amy’s a croissant, Kayley’s a jelly donut, Queen B, with that scowl on her face and a prison cell in her future, is a burnt, sugar-free quinoa cookie with marzipan icing.
I shuddered at how disgusting that sounded. Right. I was ready.
“Hi, everyone. As you’ve heard, I’m Faith Emery. I love marketing, and I can’t wait to work alongside Curtis.”
