She gives me one last beaming smile, and then she’s out the door.
I turn the lock, flipping the sign to ‘Closed’, and lean against the cool glass.My heart beats an excited rhythm, waiting for the man I adore to arrive.
A light knock on the glass makes me jump.I turn, and my heart seems to skip a beat.
Matthew is standing on the other side of the door, with a beautiful smile on his face.In one hand, he’s holding a thick manila envelope.In the other, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.
A laugh of confused delight escapes me as I make fast work of unlocking the door and pulling it open.
“I come bearing gifts,” he announces, with a playful twinkle in his eye.
“You shouldn’t have!”I beam, my gaze dancing between the champagne and his handsome face.
“Of course I had to.”He steps inside.“Plastic cups will do, if you don’t mind grabbing a couple,” he requests, raising the dark green glass bottle with a teasing grin.
“It would be my pleasure.”I retreat behind the counter, reaching for the plastic cups we normally use for iced coffees.
When I return, Matthew is standing on the other side, the thick envelope resting on the surface between us.“I’ll just hide over here while you pop that,” I joke, stepping back.
He chuckles.
With a practiced twist, the cork flies across the café with a resounding pop.He expertly pours the bubbly golden liquid into both cups.“So,” he begins, his eyes meeting mine as he places one of the cups in front of me.“Remember I said you should consider a career in law?”
My heart sinks to the floor.“I knew it,” I say, trying to keep my voice light despite the sudden knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach.“I knew I said too much.Why are we even celebrating this?”
“On the contrary,” he says, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.“We are celebrating because you said all the right things.”
He reaches into the manila envelope and pulls out a document.
My breath hitches.
“This,” he continues, presenting the papers to me, “is your new lease.Five years.At the exact same rent.”
My mind goes blank.“What…?”I breathe out, my eyes wide with disbelief.“But Bancroft…”
“Was quite taken by you,” Matthew informs me, his grin widening into a full-blown, triumphant smile.“And he realized that a PR issue of this magnitude would be bad for business.”
Tears well up in my eyes, blurring the words on the page.“Oh my God,” I whisper, the reality crashing down on me.
I round the counter at lightning speed and throw myself into his arms.“We did it,” I sob, a mixture of relief and pure joy shaking my body.
He tightens his arms around me, his voice thick with pride.“No, love.You did it.”
Lost between sobs and bouts of laughter, I pull back, wiping at my wet cheeks.He hands me my champagne and raises his own.“To Maddy’s Place.”
I clink my cup against his.“To Maddy’s Place.And to Mary’s legacy.”My voice chokes up.“I can’t wait to tell Helen and Lou tomorrow.”
“Congratulations, love,” he says, his tone sincere.“You earned it.”
“Thank you,” I smile, biting my lower lip.
We enjoy a few sips of champagne, a celebratory atmosphere settling around us.
I catch Matthew staring at me with an adoring smile, shaking his head in disbelief.
“What?”I ask, my curiosity piqued by his expression.
“For the longest time,” he begins, reaching out to tenderly tuck a stray strand behind my ear, “I was so paralyzed by the fear of history repeating itself that I swore off love.”He takes a deep breath, his gaze searching mine.“But then you came along, threw up on my front lawn, and here we are.”He shakes his head again, a disbelieving smile playing on his lips.“I won’t lie to you, Amy.I am scared shitless.”
