Epilogue
EPILOGUE
Opal
Six Months Later
I turn to look at Myra. She’s behind the bar, smiling brightly. I’m about to wipe that look off her face because I’m in boss mode right now, and she screwed up big time.
I glance around Turquoise Crown. As usual, we’re at full capacity. It’s barely past five p.m., and there isn’t an empty table in sight. I may have to consider opening up another location at some point.
Aunt Hildy has been pushing me to do it. She comes by at least twice a week to pick out a game to “ borrow .” She always leaves a twenty dollar bill on the bar as a security deposit for the game. The problem is that she refuses each time I try to hand the money back to her once she drops the game off.
She takes the games to Louie’s apartment so they can play together. Every time she tells me that, she wiggles her eyebrows. I know better than to ask for details.
His diagnosis hasn’t changed, but he’s spending the last of his days with the woman he’s loved forever. He told her last week that he hopes he’s staring into her eyes when he takes his last breath.
“What can I do for you?” Myra twirls a strand of her hair around her finger.
I hate scolding her, but we have a standard list of items we need to cross off whenever we book the bar for a private function. Myra skipped the list completely when she agreed to close Turquoise Crown for a private event tomorrow night.
I noticed the booking in the bar’s event calendar this morning when I glanced at it while confirming a booking for a birthday party a month from now.
I tap the screen of my phone over tomorrow’s date in the calendar app that every employee of the bar uses to track their shifts, special events, and anything else that one of us deems relevant. “You booked an event for tomorrow night, Myra.”
She cranes her neck in an effort to glance at my phone. “I sure did.”
“You forgot to add any details.”
Her hand jumps to the center of her chest. “I did?”
Something feels off, so I press for more. “There’s no mention of who booked it or what the event is celebrating. We need to know the details so we plan accordingly. Can you update it with that, the size of the party, and any food they’ve ordered? Did they ask for any special beverages?”
She glances past my shoulder, so I do the same and spot a couple waiting to check in for a table.
“I’ll leave you to them,” I say because I need to head to the back room to handle some paperwork. “You’ll get those updates entered soon?”
“As soon as I can,” she confirms with another broad smile. “Leave it to me.”
I need to, because in addition to that pile of paperwork I have to tackle, I have to post a notice on the bar’s door that we’ll be closed tomorrow night for that private event. I like to give our regulars advance notice when we won’t be here for them.
As I turn to greet the couple waiting to play a game, I catch sight of my favorite person walking into the bar.
Wearing the same suit he was the day I dumped Dicey Dip all over the sleeve of his jacket, William holds up one violet rose.
I wave him toward me so we can go to the back room together, but he has other plans. He curls a finger to lure me to go to him, so I do.
How can I possibly resist him?
* * *
The single violet rose that William gave me yesterday at Turquoise Crown sits in a tall, thin vase on the nightstand next to our bed. It was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. I rolled over to find the man I love standing near the window of our bedroom, staring out at the city we both love.
It’s given us so much, including one another.
I moved my things to the penthouse in Tribeca two months ago. My folks came to the city to help. They had met William the night Turquoise Crown opened. Since then, my dad has been texting William at least a few times a week. They’ve become fast friends, and my mom loves him just as much.
“What are you thinking about?” I ask.
He turns to face me. He’s only wearing silk pajama bottoms, but if he could get away with only wearing them all day, every day, I’d be forever grateful.
He’s a stunning man both inside and out, and he’s all mine.
“Forever,” he answers simply. “You’re my forever, Opal.”
I push myself up until I’m sitting with my back resting on the headboard. I was up earlier to get a drink of water, so I’m wearing one of the Knight’s T-shirts he’s given me.
I debated between the T-shirt and the button-down shirt he wore yesterday, which I stripped off him when we got home from the bar. I couldn’t wait to take him to bed, so I practically ripped his clothes off in the living room. He said it was exactly what he needed after a long day.
He’s been just as busy as me since the workshops he’s been running to help men reach their full potential have a long waiting list. He’s still providing one on one consulting to men, but he’s very particular with who he’ll take on as a client.
I’m proud of him for all the good he’s doing.
“You are my forever and always,” I tell him. “You’re my knight in shining armor.”
He laughs as he always does when I say that. The play on his surname is fun, but it’s also true. He saved me in a sense when I thought love was never in the cards for me.
He moves closer to the bed but stops before he reaches it. “Come here.”
I don’t hesitate as I slide across the bed and onto my feet. I tug on the hem of the shirt since it’s the only thing I have on.
As soon as I’m still, he drops to one knee. With a lift of his left hand, I spot a sparkle of light bouncing off the walls.
My gaze settles on his pinkie finger, and the ring wrapped around the tip. It’s barely holding on.
“William,” I whisper.
“Opal,” he reaches for my left hand with his right. “I rehearsed what I wanted to say when I did this. I’ve been reciting it over and over to myself for days, but I can’t remember a word of it.”
“Speak from your heart.”
His eyes lock on mine. “Forever won’t be long enough for me to show you how deeply I love you. You changed my life the moment you crashed into me on the sidewalk. You changed me forever the first time we kissed, and when we made love, fuck, that was everything. You are everything.”
“You are,” I whisper, not knowing if he can hear me.
“Please, Opal, be my wife.” He smiles so brightly that I wish I could capture that light for always. “I will make you laugh every day. I’ll feed you good food and rub your feet after you’ve been at the bar all day. I’ll fuck you as many times a day as you want.”
I hold up three fingers to wiggle them in the air.
He laughs. “I’m the man for the job. I’m the man for you. Please say yes.”
This is everything I’ve always wanted, so I launch myself at him. Wrapping my hands around his neck, I kiss him.
He growls through it before our lips part. “Is that a yes?”
I fall to the floor on my knees. “Yes! It’s a big yes!”
He slides a beautiful pear-shaped diamond in a platinum setting onto my ring finger. “I know how much you love this one.”
I stare at the ring that I’ve admired in the window of a vintage shop two blocks from Turquoise Crown. Each time we passed it, I’d make up a different story about the couple who treasured it as part of their deep and unending love.
A month ago, it disappeared from the window. I questioned William about it, but he always changed the subject. That was all the confirmation I needed to know that one day soon, I would be his wife.
I hold up my hand to catch the morning sunlight flooding our bedroom. “It’s perfect. I can’t wait to show Aunt Hildy.”
William tugs me onto his lap, nudging his nose next to my neck before he kisses a trail to my ear. “You can show her and everyone you love tonight.”
Sighing, I kiss his mouth softly. “I can’t. There’s a private party at the bar tonight. It’s all hands on deck, including mine.”
He gazes down at the ring. “What’s the occasion?”
“Good question.” I shake my head. “Myra was supposed to fill in the details on the calendar app. Things got so busy at the bar last night that I planned on checking it again when we got home, and then we got busy.”
His head pops up. “Did we ever. Do you want to check the app now?”
I bite the corner of my bottom lip. “I want to get busy with you again, but I should check the app. I may need to reach out to Leo to get some food ordered. I don’t even know if it’s possible for him to get it done in time.”
He quiets me with a kiss on my cheek. “Leo doesn’t need to make any food. Franzini’s is on board to deliver pizzas. Every table will have a vase of violet roses on top of it. Posey and Lola are taking care of that. There may even be a few bottles of extra cold root beer behind the bar for those that want to indulge.”
My mouth falls open. “What?”
“I’ve been hiding your phone since we got home last night.” He chuckles. “I didn’t want you to see anything about the party I booked for tonight until after I proposed.”
I slap his shoulder playfully. “You booked the party?”
He slides me off his lap and then tugs me up by both hands until I’m standing. A few quick steps, and he’s pulling my phone out of the top drawer of the nightstand. “See for yourself.”
I laugh as I slide my finger over my phone’s screen to open the app. Tears flow when I read the details for tonight’s party at my bar.
I read them again out loud, “William Knight has requested your heart from now until forever. He also wants to throw an engagement party for you that begins at eight p.m. sharp at your beloved Turquoise Crown. Everyone you love will be there to congratulate you and the luckiest man in the world.”
“You wrote this,” I accuse with a smile. “Didn’t you?”
“I am the luckiest man in the world,” he says. “Marry me soon, Opal. I can’t wait to be your husband.”
“I promise it will be soon.” I stare into his eyes, grateful that he’s mine and our forever is just starting.
“Tomorrow works for me, Wife.”
Tears fall onto my cheeks as he picks me up and tosses me on our bed. “I’m not your wife yet.”
“You are to me,” he whispers before he kisses me. “My heart is yours. My life is yours. I will always be yours, Opal. Always and forever.”