The Proposal (Forever Bound Book 2) (20 page)

She smiled but didn’t say anything.  She got out of the car and walked around to meet him.  They walked into the courthouse, hand in hand.  He was careful about not seeing anyone, but at that time it was always usually quiet.  On the elevator, he wrapped his arm around her and they rode up to their office.  They stepped into the office, and he walked her to the desk.

“Have a good day at work,” he teased.

She laughed.  “You too!”  He leaned in for a kiss, but just as their lips touched a sound signaled on her phone.  She quickly pulled back, like it was a bell that dinged for them to stop doing what they were doing.  “I better get to work.”

He nodded.  His eyes went down to her hand where she held her phone that she pulled from her pocket.  He didn’t want to be noisy, but he was intrigued by the reason she was so quick to pull away.  He smiled and didn’t ask the question burning in his mind.  It was none of his business.  He went to his office and turned around to find Charity typing something on her cell phone.  He looked away, so she didn’t see him watching her, but whoever it was definitely changed the mood in the building.

****

Damian seemed excited when she finally agreed to have supper with him on Sunday.  So excited that he continued to message her after she had thought it was all said I done.  She asked him to make the Chicken Cheesy Mushroom recipe.  He told her it was one of his favorite.  He then asked her what she wanted to drink.  To which, she did send him a reply.

Charity:  Surprise me!

She tried to get back to work and hope that Derek didn’t notice her being preoccupied and then another text would chime in.

Damian:  What’s your favorite dessert?

She couldn’t believe him.  She quickly typed in a message of her own.

Charity:  I don’t care. 

She went back to pulling up her emails for the day and another message shot to her phone.  She quickly glanced towards Derek’s office.  He looked down at his own computer and didn’t look like he had any idea she was having this other conversation going on at her desk. 

Damian:  How about Strawberry Shortcake?

She sighed.  This was crazy.  He was making small talk, just to keep her hanging on the phone and she had to sooner or later cut it off.  She typed in her reply.

Charity:  That’s fine.  I have to get back to work.  We’ll talk later!

She shoved her phone into her purse, then finally got back to working at her computer.  She didn’t even notice Derek approach her desk.  She jumped when he started talking.  “Oh…” He laughed.  “I’m sorry.  Did I frighten you?”

She laughed.  “I didn’t see you there.  You were saying?”

“Did I tell you we have a meeting at ten thirty today?  It to discuss the project and their progress.  I need you to take notes.  Is that going to be a problem?”

“Nope!  Not at all.” 

He smiled.  “I’ll be ready to go in about twenty minutes.”

“Alright.  Thanks!”  She breathed a sigh of relief when he left.  He didn’t mention the phone so it was assumed that he didn’t notice her distraction.  She quickly pulled up her emails and read through them to find that the only important email was one discussing the meeting that Derek had just mentioned.  She deleted the others, then pulled up her calendar.  She printed it off so they could go over it when they got back into the office. 

He was at her desk on time, and she stood up.  “Are you ready?” he asked.

She grabbed her purse and nodded.  He grabbed her hand, and they were ready to go to the meeting.  It was like they were a real couple and it just felt right.

****

Derek offered to walk Charity up to her door, but she said it would be easiest this way.  He wanted to ask,
easier for whom
because he hated not being able to shout it from the rooftops that they were a couple.  He helped her out of the car, and they stood at the passenger side and kissed for a minute or two.  It felt real and the more he spent time with her, the more he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.  He said goodbye to her and watched her head up to the apartment.  He got back into his car and pulled out of the parking lot.

He drove the short distance to Max (?) office.  He didn’t want to wait another minute to talk to him and only hoped Max was still there.  He pulled into the lot and found the red Mercedes parked against the one side of the building.  However, there weren’t very many cars in the parking lot, so he hurriedly got out of his car and headed up to the front door.  When he tried the door, it instantly opened.  He was glad to find that was the case.  The building was small, and there wasn’t much movement inside.  He traipsed down the hall towards Max’s office.

When he peeked his head in the office, Max was putting his suit coat on.  He looked towards the door, and a shocked expression appeared on his face.  “Mayor Worthington…what are you doing here?”  Max walked around his desk and outstretched his hand to shake hands with Derek.

“Please…call me, Derek,” Derek stiffly replied.

Max nodded.  “As you wish.  What’s up?” he asked, but then leaned back against his desk and asked the question.  “Are you here about the inheritance?” he asked.

Derek nodded.  “Is there anything else?” Derek asked.

“I suppose you could see it that way.  You got my letter?” Max asked.

“Yes!  I got the letter.  Do you have a minute to talk?” Derek asked.

Max looked around.  “You didn’t bring Jesse?” he asked.

Derek shook his head.  He didn’t need to bring Jesse.  This was something that could easily be over within a matter of two minutes, and Jesse didn’t need to be there.  “I don’t need my lawyer or my friend to be here to tell you what I came to tell you.”  Derek didn’t wait for Max to reply before he said what was on his mind.  “I want to relinquish my inheritance right now.”

Max’s mouth opened, but no words came out.  He then choked out a cough and tried again.  “What do you mean you want to relinquish your inheritance right now?”

“You know exactly what I mean.  I want to sign over the rights of my inheritance.  I don’t plan on marrying someone just because I have an inheritance deadline.  If I marry, it will be for love, and I want money out of the equation.”  He was determined to plead his case, and he didn’t see why anyone had reason to doubt him.

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Max softly replied.

“Yes…I do,” Derek persisted.

“What about that one girl?  Jesse said you were close to making it happen and now all of a sudden you’re ready to give up your money?”  Derek didn’t understand what Max could know.  He couldn’t fathom why Jesse would talk to his father’s lawyer.  It seemed like a betrayal to him, and it bothered him that Jesse went behind his back, but Max continued.  “Come on, Derek…surely ten billion dollars is worth it.”

Derek threw up his hands.  “You leave her out of it.  Jesse shouldn’t have opened his damn mouth, but I’m not marrying her for the sake of the money.  I want this nonsense behind me.  Give me the paper and let me sign it.”

Max shook his head.  “It’s not that simple, Derek.”

Derek stared at him.  “What do you mean it’s not that simple.  If I want to hand over all rights to my inheritance, then I should have that choice.  Why are you so stubborn?”

“Why are you?” Max asked.  “You’re the one throwing away ten billion dollars, just because you don’t want people to judge you.”

“You have it all wrong,” Derek argued.  “Any feelings I have for any woman would be tainted by the thought that I only wanted to marry them for the money.  I want this behind me, and you have that power.  Give me the paper to sign it.”

Max continued to stand there, unmoving, but Derek wasn’t leaving the office without it.  He held out his hand and glared at the older lawyer.  “Fine!”  Max exclaimed.  He moved around his desk and leafed through some papers in a filing cabinet.  He walked a paper back over to Derek and handed it to him.  Derek graciously accepted it.  “I’ll give you this, but I’m not accepting it today.  Take it home and thinking about.  Don’t make any rash decisions, because you think it’s the noble thing to do.”

“I won’t,” Derek quietly stated.  He looked the paper over.  It seemed pretty self-explanatory, with most of it being decided with just a signature.  He couldn’t believe it was that easy to get rid of the inheritance, but there was no doubt in his mind it was what he wanted to do.  “Thank you!”  Derek turned away from Max and walked out of his office.  In the background, he heard Max still arguing with him about the inheritance, but he ignored every word.

He got back to his car and slid the paper into his briefcase.  He started it up and pulled out of the parking lot and away from the lawyer’s office.  He was so close to ending that relationship with Max, and he was ready for that to happen.

Charity couldn’t believe how good it felt to have her car back, but when Derek took her to pick it up, she didn’t expect for him to go in so he could pay for it.  “That’s not necessary,” she argued.

He smiled, still following her into the auto shop.  “I want to do this,” he replied, holding the door open for her.

She reluctantly agreed and then thanked him profusely as they walked back out of the building.  He touched her arm and kept his genuine smile.  He squeezed her arm, and they were moments from kissing one another, but there were so many people around the shop, and neither one made the move to take that step.  “I’ll see you on Monday,” she replied, feeling a moment of regret that they were parting ways.

“Goodbye!”  He waved to her, and she headed off to her car. 

After leaving the shop, she drove back to the apartment.  She had told Tiffany she had a date with Damian and she was looking forward to seeing what would happen, even though she was surprisingly worried about it.  When it came to Ana, she was more vague.  She explained that she was going to give Damian one chance, but didn’t think anything could come of it.  Ana didn’t seem affected either way.

She spent a good portion of the day getting ready for the date, only taking the time to have a quick sandwich and coffee.  She didn’t know what the date would bring, but she did know it was like she was going out with someone for the first time, and she couldn’t fight those butterflies, but then it hit her.  She was more nervous on this first date than she was on the date with Derek.  She couldn’t explain what the difference was.

When she was done with getting ready and left the bathroom, she spotted Tiffany on the couch and reading a magazine.  Tiffany looked up and smiled.  “You look nice.”

Charity snickered.  “Nice?  As in I look lovely and trying too hard or as in…I should’ve tried harder?”

Tiffany sat up on the couch.  “You seem nervous.  Just relax and be yourself.”

Charity chuckled.  It was so much easier said than done.  “Seriously, though…do I look alright?”

Tiffany nodded.  “You look beautiful, and he won’t be able to take his eyes off of you.”  Tiffany stood up and walked over to Charity.  She gave her a hug and Charity hung on for a little while.  It was like she didn’t want to move in the direction of leaving the apartment.  “I won’t wake up,” Tiffany replied, winking as they parted.

Charity rolled her eyes.  She had no intention of staying too late because she didn’t want to give any more mixed signals.  “I’ll be home by nine,” she said.

Tiffany chuckled, sitting back down on the couch.  “Right!”  She laughed as she turned back to her magazine.  Ana had already left to go out with Jesse so all that was left was leaving the apartment and heading towards Damian’s place.  Tiffany seemed to notice Charity’s reluctance and she made note of it.  “You’re gonna be late.”

“I know,” Charity mumbled.  She heaved a sigh and headed towards the front door.  “See you tonight!”

“Riiiggghhhtttt…” Tiffany sang out, but Charity ignored her.  She left the apartment and went down to her car. 

Once in her car, she looked in her rearview mirror and silently chanted, “I can do this.  I can do this.”

She started her car and headed out of the parking lot and away from the apartment building.  She periodically checked her radio clock to make sure she wasn’t going to be late, then sang along to the old Country songs on the radio.  When she got to Damian’s place, she pulled into his driveway.  Her heart pounded hard inside her chest.  It was so loud that she could hear it ringing in her ears.  She shut the car off and got out, because if she waited any longer, she would definitely not be going up to his door. 

When she got to his door, she knocked.  She waited an agonizingly long time before knocking again.  Eventually, he did come to the door.  He opened up the door.  A smile was on his lips, but he looked rough around the edges.  “Sorry, I didn’t come sooner.  I had to do some finagling to the chicken.  Come in!”  He looked different from the cool, calm, and collected guy she was used to.

“Finagling?” she asked.

He shot her a look and shook his head.  “Don’t ask!”  He laughed, then his eyes washed over her appearance.  “You look great, Charity.”  He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

She sighed.  It was the first step to calming her nerves.  “Thank you, Damian.  You look nice, too.”

He let out a breath and his hair lifted up with the wind.  “You don’t need to say that.  I’m a mess,” he replied with a laugh.  Charity dropped her purse to the spot next to the door.  “Would you like something to drink?  The food has about fifteen more minutes.  Timer set already.”

Charity should’ve thanked him and bowed out gracefully, turning down any drink, but instead, she did agree to a small glass of white wine.  She followed him into the kitchen, and he poured two glasses.  He offered her one of the kitchen chairs, and she took a seat.  “Thank you!”  She took a sip before she came out with the truth.  “I have, to be honest, Damian.”

He tilted his head and put his glass down.  “Alright…please do.”

“I’m so nervous,” she admitted in one rushed breath.

He laughed, grabbing his glass and taking another drink, before admitting the same.  “Isn’t it awful.  It’s like we’ve never done anything together.  I’ve never been this nervous about anything.”

She laughed.  She was pleased to hear him say that.  She didn’t want to sound like an immature woman and knowing that he had the same nerves made her at ease.  “Then let’s just put everything behind us and just enjoy the evening.  It’s like two friends getting reacquainted.”

Damian nodded.  “I agree wholeheartedly.”  They both took another drink, and Damian continued the conversation.  “How have you been?” he asked.  He seemed unsure of himself, at first, as to whether he should start off by broaching the subject, but she honestly was glad he did.  She didn’t know how much she planned on telling him right off, but she did know that if anything was going to work out between them, then she had to start things off with honesty. 

“I’ve been doing well.”  She smiled as she remembered each of his gifts and the poems that were attached to them.  “You have a real knack with words,” she replied.

He laughed.  “They were so awful, but thank you for saying that.”  He tilted the glass towards her and then grabbed another drink.  “Just remember that I’m not a poet.”

She smiled.  “I know, and that’s what made them that much more special.”

Their eyes locked and an unsettling awkwardness took over the kitchen.  She was thankful for the kitchen timer when it went off.  He got up from the table and hurriedly got their plates around.

“Can I help you do anything?” she asked.

He shook his head, keeping his eyes off of her.  “I’ve got it, but thanks.” 

She took in a whiff of the recipe that she’d never had before.  “It smells amazing.”

He sighed.  “I hope you feel the same after you taste it.”  Before he approached the table, he stood at the kitchen counter.  “I have a confession, Charity.”

“What?” she asked.

“Well…the recipe asked for a cup of parmesan cheese and I thought I had enough, but I didn’t.  So…I had to reconfigure the recipe and put in a half cup of parmesan and a half cup of cheddar.”  He brought the plate over to her and placed it in front of her.  She chuckled, shaking her head.  “You find that funny, do you?”

“You’re a chef, so you know what you’re doing.  I trust you completely.”  She took her fork and cut into the dish.  She took a bite and sighed as it went down.  It was no joke that it was delicious, and she appreciated that things really were going to be more like the old times between them.  The nerves were finally gone, and she was excited to attend the rest of the evening.

****

Derek reached into his briefcase and pulled out the paper he received from Max.  He’d given it a couple days thought, and while Max nor Jesse would think a couple days wasn’t enough, he was confident that a few more wouldn’t change his mind.  He laid it out on his desk and quickly read over it.  It basically stated that he had no question in his mind he didn’t want the inheritance that was bestowed upon him, and he would happily relinquish it over to the city.

He poised his pen to sign it, but before he could get his name written down, he heard his doorbell.  He put his pen down and got out from his desk and headed out of the den.  “I’ve got it,” he called, so Mary wouldn’t be forced to stop what she was doing to get the door.

He opened it up to find Jesse at his door.  He opened his mouth to greet him, but Jesse already took the reigns.  “Are you out of your damn mind?”

Derek’s mouth hung open.  “Excuse me?” he asked.

“You’re relinquishing your inheritance when you have nearly a year remaining to the deadline?”

Derek rolled his eyes.  He hadn’t expected Jesse to find out the news so soon, but he didn’t know why he was so surprised.  He stepped back.  “Come inside before the whole neighborhood hears you.”

Jesse stepped over the threshold, and Derek shut the door behind him.  When Derek turned around, Jesse wasn’t through with telling him what a fool he was.  “Come on Derek, don’t be stupid.  It’s ten billion dollars.”

Derek shrugged.  “It isn’t about the money.”  He moved past Jesse and reentered the den.  He didn’t want Mary to hear the conversation, so he closed the doors once Jesse stepped in the room.  “How can it not be about the money?”

“Do you want something to drink?  Scotch? Brandy?”

“Scotch, but don’t change the subject.  You need to think about this, Derek.  Don’t make any abrupt decisions.”

Derek poured Jesse a glass.  He shook his head as he handed the glass over to him.  “I’ve thought about it.  It’s all I’ve ever thought about.  I’ve hurt people I truly care about, and I’m not going to sacrifice my only beliefs.  I’m not.”  He shook his head and took another drink from his own glass.

“You don’t get it.  There’s still time to fall in love on your own rules, and then the inheritance is only an added bonus.”

Derek laughed, glancing at Jesse over his glass.  He swallowed down the Scotch that was in his throat.  “Do you know that even if I got married for all the right reasons, we still have the truth.  The truth is that my father gave me a stupid guideline that I needed to follow.  What woman would ever believe that I fell in love with her without having that in my mind?”  It was the one thing he continued to come back to.  Even if Charity trusted he loved her, she could always question him, and he didn’t want that.  He wanted her to know that he cared only about her and nothing else. 

“The right woman would understand that.  Don’t sign it without giving this a chance,” he pleaded.

Derek walked over to his desk and held it up.  “I’m about to.  I’m mailing it out on Monday.  I want to be able to fall in love without this hanging over our heads.  I’m at peace with my decision and I can’t figure out why my lawyer would care.”

Jesse looked away from Derek’s inquisitive stare.  “I’m speaking as your friend,” Jesse slowly replied.

It seemed heartfelt.  He didn’t want someone to tell him how stupid he was when it was about his life and the life of the woman he married.  That’s what mattered most.  “How did you even find out about it?” Derek asked.

“How else?  Max told me.”  Before Derek could argue that Max had no right to call him, Jesse explained.  “We had a lawyer’s conference yesterday.  It got brought up.”  Jesse took a drink, before asking, “You’re sure this is the right choice?”

Derek nodded.  “I’m positive.  When we first found out about the inheritance, you know how angry I was.  I was irritated that my dad would even consider that this was a normal thing to add into his Will.  Back then I was certain that the money wasn’t the most important thing, but in the back of my mind I thought I could marry someone just to claim the inheritance, but then I met…” His words fell off, and Jesse didn’t need him to consider. 

He gave a knowing smile.  “You met Charity and that all changed.”  Derek nodded.  “Do you still love her?” Jesse asked.  Derek could answer that without giving away too much information.  He smiled and nodded.  “Have you told her?” Jesse asked.

Derek nodded.  “I’ve told her numerous times, actually.”  The longer he lied to his friend, the worst he felt, but he couldn’t tell him the truth.  He didn’t want to betray Charity’s trust, and that’s what mattered most to him.  Jesse opened his mouth to ask another question and Derek held up his hand to stop him.  “I don’t want to keep hashing over it.  It is what it is, and we just need to trust that everything will work out.”

“Alright,” Jesse replied softly.  “If you’re sure this is what you want to do, then I’ll trust that you know what you’re doing.”

“Thank you!” Derek replied.  He grabbed the glass from Jesse’s extended hand. 

“I’ll see you later!” Jesse exclaimed. 

Derek followed him back to the front door.  They said their goodbyes, and then Jesse was gone.  Derek closed the door.  He understood Jesse’s concern, but it wasn’t about Jesse.  It was about what he felt was the best for Charity and himself, and he wouldn’t change his decision for anything.

****

Charity was in a calm situation as they sat on his couch and talked.  It really felt like they were involved in a real relationship.  He stroked her knee, while she drank wine and listened to everything he had to say to her.  “May I ask you a personal question?” he asked softly.  His eyes clung to hers, and she would’ve agreed to anything at that moment.  She nodded, never breaking eye contact.  “Are you dating Mayor Worthington?”