Chapter Twenty-Seven Jordan
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jordan
“You don’t have to come to this if you don’t want to.”
As I said those words to Maya, I watched her face in the mirror while I stood behind her, zipping up her dress.
I knew she was anxious about attending the groundbreaking ceremony for our upcoming affordable-housing project.
I could feel it in her body. I could hear it in the way she breathed. I could see it in her expression.
“Jordan, I do. For so many reasons.”
With my hands on her waist, I gently turned her toward me. “Why?”
“Because I’m in love with you. Completely and madly.” She tilted her head and smiled. “At some point, I’m going to have to meet your parents.”
We no longer talked about her past and how my family had played a role in it. But for a woman who’d grown up hating the Worthingtons, specifically my father, I knew her feelings were going to hit her hard today.
And I was right.
I wrapped my hands around both sides of her neck. “But it doesn’t have to be now. In this setting. While your mom is there.”
She closed her eyes and nodded. “But that’s why it does have to happen today.”
“You’re sure?”
She opened her eyes as she replied, “It’s going to be fine.”
“Fine isn’t a word you ever want to hear come out of a woman’s mouth. Grandma taught me that. I never forgot it.”
“She’s right.”
“Maya—”
“Listen to me,” she said in a voice so soft, grabbing my hands and holding them between us.
“My mom hasn’t always made the best decisions—personally or professionally.
She’s got herself in more messes than I can even count.
You gave her an opportunity. I want her to see exactly what that means and how important it is to me.
” She paused. “I don’t want her to fuck this one up, Jordan.
” She took a deep breath. “I would be mortified.”
I rubbed the backs of her hands with my thumbs.
“You and I talked about this when your mom interviewed with our real estate team. She won’t be reporting to me.
Shit, I don’t even work in that division of the company.
If something happens, it doesn’t affect us.
You shouldn’t be mortified for any reason. ”
“But you don’t understand . . . it all affects me.”
“No.” I pulled her closer.
“You don’t know my mom.” Her head fell back, like she was trying to either hide or fight her emotion.
“It kills me to say this . . .” As her voice drifted off, she looked like she was trying to collect herself.
“She’s fallen in love with some of her married bosses.
She gets it in her head that they’re going to leave their wives and they’re going to live happily ever after.
” She sucked in her lips and held that position until she said, “Your grandmother taught you that women don’t like the word fine.
My mother taught me that no matter how many promises they make you, the wives always win. ”
Jesus.
“Maya—”
“I grew up watching everything get taken away her. Jobs. Apartments. Cars. Things. My mom likes to blame most of that on everyone else. Nothing is ever her fault—she’s the victim.
Nothing is due to the choices she made. Are some because of unfortunate circumstances?
Yes, like your family buying our apartment building.
But that’s only one of the many things that went down over the years.
” She released some pent-up air. “The problem with the victim mentality is that she ends up sabotaging the good things that happen to her, and I don’t want that to be the case here.
I want my mom to see the happiness between you and me and know that she can’t mess this up.
If she wants to leave, if she wants to find another job—she can.
But she needs to do things right.” She exhaled again. “For once.”
“That mindset is a responsibility you’re taking on, and I don’t want you to.
” I let go of her hands and held the sides of her forehead.
“You can’t control what she does and how she acts.
That’s completely on her—and I didn’t want you to take that on when I suggested she take the job.
HR is aware of the personal connection and that she needs to be held to the same standards as everyone else in our company and will be treated like every other employee.
” I tilted her face back. “I need you to know that in no way will her behavior or decisions ever reflect on you.”
She nodded. “Have I made you regret hiring her? I feel like I was just far too honest, and all these emotions are pouring out of me, and I probably shouldn’t have said any of this, and—”
“I knew most of this going in. This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about your mom, and I have zero regrets that my team hired her.
I just want you to know even if something happens—something fucked up, whatever it is, whatever that looks like, if it even looks like anything at all—it will not affect us. ”
Instead of waiting for her to respond, I pulled her against my chest and wrapped my arms around her and held her. I pressed my lips to the top of her head and breathed her in. “Do you believe me?”
“Yes.”
I leaned back to look at her face. “Do you?”
“Yesss.”
“Good. I’m glad that’s resolved.” I reached for her hand. “Now, as long as you’re ready, it’s time to go. Bruce is waiting for us outside.”
It took a few seconds before she said, “I’m ready.”
I made sure her face agreed with her statement, and then I led her out of my bedroom and through my condo, taking the private elevator to the first floor and outside, where the SUV was parked.
Bruce had the back seat door already open, and I gave Maya my hand, helping her climb in first before I got in behind her.
Once we were settled, my arm went around her shoulders, my lips close to her ear.
“You look gorgeous.” Something I hadn’t told her when we were in my walk-in closet; the conversation then hadn’t given me the right kind of space to say it.
But now that the scenery was a little more relaxed and I’d gotten one hell of a view when she’d stepped into the SUV, I could really tell her how I feel.
“That dress”—my gaze dropped down to her chest and to her thighs where the bottom had ridden up—“I can’t wait to take it off with my teeth later. ”
She patted my leg. “You will not be ripping this one off me. Get that idea right out of your head, mister.”
A warning, since the last dress she’d worn, a week ago when we’d attended a gala she’d been invited to by the conglomerate that owned her rehab center, had been shredded off her body.
A tearing that had started in the elevator on the way up to my condo, with the rest of the fabric torn off in my foyer.
I moaned. “I make no promises.”
“Your extracurricular fantasies—let’s call them that—are starting to become expensive.”
“I’ll buy you a hundred new wardrobes, Maya. Fuck, I’ll buy you an entire clothing boutique.”
She smiled as she looked at me, shaking her head. “The rich. There are no limits . . . are there?”
“Not when it comes to you.”
My phone chimed, a sound that was unique and assigned, which was the only reason why I reached into my pocket and took it out, showing Maya the screen before I connected the call. I hit the button for speakerphone so Maya could hear too.
“Hi, Grandma.”
“How’s my darling boy?”
I smiled. “I’m with Maya. We’re headed to the groundbreaking ceremony for our new affordable-housing project.”
“That’s one of the reasons I’m calling. I haven’t seen Maya in two days, and I was getting worried. Or rather, I was worried you were keeping my favorite gal in hiding and you weren’t going to let her out of your grasp.”
“She’ll be back tomorrow, Grandma. She’s had the last two days off.”
“I was hoping I’d see her before I got discharged.”
I held the phone between us. “You’re not getting discharged for another week, though, correct?”
“Yes, darling. Just one more week with my precious Maya.”
I chuckled. “Grandma, just because you won’t be in the rehab center anymore doesn’t mean you’ll stop seeing Maya. Knowing the way my girl feels about you, you’ll be spending plenty of time with her.”
Maya grinned and nodded.
“I certainly hope that’s the case. You must bring her to our weekly lunches, my darling. And she’ll be attending our holiday gatherings, of course.”
“Of course,” I replied.
“I won’t keep you, Jordan. I just wanted to say hello and check in.”
“With your favorite grandson,” I threw in for her.
She laughed. “You’ll never hear me confirm nor deny that.”
I dove my fingers into the back of Maya’s hair. “You’ll be seeing me tomorrow evening, Grandma. I’ll be there before Maya’s shift ends.”
“Looking forward to it.”
“See you tomorrow, Bettie,” Maya added.
“Oh heavens, my gal, it’s good to hear your voice.”
“And yours,” Maya said. “Rest up. I’m going to have you dancing tomorrow during my shift.”
“In that case—toodles, you two.”
The line went dead, and I laughed as I returned the phone to my pocket.
“I hope I’m just like her when I’m her age,” Maya said. “She’s so fabulous—mentally and physically.”
“And she loves you.”
She slipped an arm around my neck. “And I love her.” Her smile grew wider. “And I also really love that.” She nodded toward my window.
I turned, looking through the glass, and saw we were passing our arena. A crane was outside, and a team of people were changing the signage on the building. Where it once showed our company logo and our ownership of the Bears, it now had the addition of the Clovers.
“The Worthington name above the Bears and Clovers logos—looks hot, Jordan.”
Another thing that was hot was that we’d never have to deal with Andrew Clover again.
But I replied, “Yes, it does.”
“ETA is three minutes,” Bruce said quietly.
Maya rubbed my earlobe between her fingers. “You’re taking over Boston little by little.”
“I know that’s not your goal. And I know you’re happy right where you are and this isn’t a life that you dreamed of.
” I held the back of her head. “But being with me means that your whole life is going to change. And being with you means that my mindset went from doing this all for me to doing this all for us.” My fingers spread and tightened around the locks of her hair.
“You’re going to be my wife one day, Maya.
You’re going to be the mother of my kids.
And this will all be yours just as much as it’ll be mine. ”
Her hand left my neck and dropped down until it landed on my heart. “I don’t know what to comment on first . . . I can’t get past the kids part.”
“I know it’s what you want.”
She nodded. “Yes. Very much so.”
“And it’s what I want. A couple of future NHL stars.” I winked.
“And if we have girls?”
“My answer doesn’t change.”
She laughed. “Fair.”
“Mr. Worthington,” Bruce said, and we looked toward the front seat, “we’ve arrived.”
I glanced back at Maya. “An hour, tops. Then we’ll be home, where I’ll shred off your dress.”
“Right.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “It’s all going to be fine.”
“That mouth,” I whispered, holding her by the chin and kissing the center of her lips.
Bruce opened the back seat door for us, and I climbed out first, waiting outside with my hand extended to help Maya. With our fingers now locked, I led her toward the area where the ceremony was being held.
We were only halfway there when Maya said, “There’s my mom.” Her fingers tightened when the words came out of her mouth.
I followed her line of sight. I assumed the woman she was speaking of was the one standing in the back, away from the media and the large group of people that had gathered, with her hands in the pockets of her pants, looking as though she didn’t have a place here.
“Let’s go meet Mom.” I pulled her hand up to my mouth, kissing the tops of her knuckles as we walked over to her.
It was easy to spot the similarities between the two: the dark-brown hair, even though Maya’s mom wore hers shoulder length and straight; their brown eyes, thick lips, and petite height. But where they differed—something I knew without having even met her—was their personalities.
There, they couldn’t be more opposite.
Maya released my hand so she could hug her mother, the embrace shorter than I’d expected, with Maya the more loving of the two. “I’m happy you came,” Maya said once they separated. She clung to her mother’s shoulders. “Mom, this is Jordan, my boyfriend . . . and your new employer.”
“Hi, Jordan.” Debbie offered a warm smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’d shake your hand, but I think this warrants a hug.” I wrapped my arms around her thin frame and gave her a decently long squeeze. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
When I pulled away, she said, “Thank you so much for the job. It’s awfully kind of you and your family to offer it to me.”
“We’re excited to have you. This project is going to help thousands of people in our city. You’re going to do a lot of good in this neighborhood.”
“Yes, well, it makes for a powerful connection when you can relate to someone on the level that I’ll be able to relate to these future tenants.
” She quieted, and a look passed between us.
Like identifying the elephant in the room, but watching the large animal find the exit and walk out.
“I’m looking forward to establishing relationships with them.
Helping. Putting them in these beautiful apartments that will become their home.
That’s all they want—a safe, comfortable space for their family. ”
Maya’s hand found mine and linked our fingers.
“And you get to be the one to deliver that to them. It’s going to be a rewarding feeling, I’m sure,” I said.
“And a sour one when I’m plagued with the task of having to evict them.”
There was no question she was hinting at her past. But she was also referencing a responsibility she would now have to take on. One that I knew wouldn’t be easy, given that she knew exactly how it felt.
“If anyone can handle it with grace, I’m positive it’s you,” I said gently. “And hopefully, there won’t be too many.”
“I sure hope not,” she replied.
A few seconds of silence ticked between the three of us before Maya said, “Mom, I haven’t met Jordan’s family yet, so I’m going to go meet them. Would you like to come?”
“I think that would be nice.”
Maya squeezed my fingers, gaining my attention as she mouthed, “Here we go.”