Silence. Shit. I just called my bosses and almost brothers-in-law assholes. They both look suitably contrite though. “Ellie,” Elijah says, all business now. “We are very sorry. We incorrectly assumed that you knew with absolute certainty that we would never fire you.”
“So, I do have a job?”
Mason winces. “We genuinely don’t want you as our VP of Marketing anymore. We’ll be recruiting for that role in the New Year. Buuut…” He drags the word out, giving it a million-and-one syllables.
I narrow my eyes at him.
“We’d like to offer you a new role,” Elijah adds in speedily, obviously seeing that I’m at the end of my tether. “A promotion.”
Oh. A promotion? Well, I guess that is good news. But I’m still annoyed with them for their hilarious gag, and not quite ready to forgive them. “Tell me more. And then I’ll consider whether I’m going to accept or not. Jamestech is not the only business in town, you know. I have options.”
They both look surprised, and it serves them right. I’d never really leave here unless I had to, but it feels good to serve up a taste of their own medicine. I cross my legs, smooth my beautiful dress down. Then I twist my engagement ring around my finger as I wait for their response.
Elijah recovers first, unsurprisingly. “We’d like to offer you a newly created role within Jamestech, Ellie. While you are one of the best marketing VPs we’ve ever worked with, we’ve also been impressed by your commitment to and continuous improvement of our social and green programs. To put it bluntly, you’ve worked your ass off, and you’ve changed us forthe better. Your creativity and passion have been a huge asset to us as both a business, and as people. Ellie, we’d like you to become our Director of Social and Environmental Affairs. We’re still hammering out the details, and we’d welcome your input into the job specifications. There will still be an element of marketing, but more big picture than day-to-day. We also thought of you spearheading our charity projects, developing community liaisons all around the world, and leading on reducing our carbon footprint as a corporation. But hands off the private jet.”
He smirks slightly with the last statement. I sit back and let it soak in.
It’s…wow. It’s pretty much my dream job. The chance to combine my professional skills with my personal interests. Not to be too arrogant, but it’s the chance to really make a difference. I can’t wait to tell Maddox—assuming he doesn’t know. I look at the two men across from me and play them at their own game. “It sounds interesting. I’ll think about it.”
They blink at me.
“Until?” Mason asks.
“Until you’re suitably sorry for messing with me like that just now. You know I’m already a bundle of nerves today.”
“So, you’ll take the job, because we are very, very sorry. Totally didn’t think it would land how it did,” Mason says.
“You just told me I didn’t have a job.”
He rolls his eyes. “You’re our fucking sister-in-law, Ellie. Why the hell would we fire you?”
“And your last performance review was exemplary,” Elijah adds, bringing it back to business again.
I look between them both and resist the urge not to laugh. “Fine. I accept. I assume there’s a hefty raise too?” I’m pushing my luck now, I know.
They stand up and I join them, linking my arms through theirs. Elijah smiles. “Of course there’s a raise.”
We head to the lobby where we’re being picked up by their driver. I’m thinking electric cars might be the way to go for the Jamestech fleet, but I don’t mention that right now. I’ll spring it on them when they’re weak.
We pull up in the limo, and I climb out. Maddox is right there, waiting for me. Smartly dressed in a suit and crisp white shirt that makes his eyes pop. No tie, his top buttons undone, a hint of his gorgeous chest on show. I mentally fan myself. He looks downright edible, as usual. He holds out his hand and helps me from the car. Elijah and Mason take one look at us and disappear inside, muttering about us getting a room.
Maddox looks me up and down, twirling me like we’re on a dance floor. He pulls me in for a kiss, and it’s totally worth losing my lip gloss for. His hands roam down my back, landing firmly on my ass. Which, yeah, looks ample in this skintight dress. Just as I suspected, he loves it.
“We need to talk about these little buttons,” he says, squeezing me. “I know you don’t like waste, but I really can’t see them surviving the night. I promise, though, if I tear them off later, I’ll make a donation to the charity of your choice.”
His breath is hot against my neck, and I moan as he dusts kisses along my jawline. Right now I’d be perfectly happy for him to tear them off here in the street. “Okay,” I murmur. “How’s it going?”
We part a little, enough for me to breathe again, and turn to look at the building. “Pretty good, I think. Amber has hypnotized Romeo with that slow-blink trick of hers, and Ace is now officially nothing but a climbing frame for Luke. Lorenzo, Drake, Nathan, and Dante are holed up in one corner talking, Max and Joey are staring into each other’s eyes, while Mia, Amelia, Kat, and Mel are chatting about something apparently hilariousin another corner with your siblings. It’s full-on, but they’re all getting on great.”
“And Keres?” I ask, slightly nervous. She is great, and I adore her, but she’s also intense. This isn’t just family and friends, there are business people, suppliers, and investors here too, as well as food critics and members of the media. It’s a chance for Maddox to shine and to show off his achievements. I want everything to be perfect.
“She’s helping out behind the bar.” He grins at my expression. “One of the staff called in sick with stomach flu, and she volunteered. She’s a dab hand whipping up a margarita.”
Well, she is a woman of many talents. “It looks great, Mad. I’m so proud of you. And I think she would be, too.”
We stand together and gaze up at the café that was once Sally’s. Light spills onto the sidewalk, and through the floor-to-ceiling windows I take it all in. The hustle and bustle of a packed room, the food and drink circulating, the mellow music playing in the background as people chat.
I see my family, new and old. Blood and found. I hold his hand, stand up on tip-toes to kiss him. This man, this amazing man. My heart, my home. “Shall we?” he asks, offering his arm like an old-fashioned gentleman. I nod and take it.
