Epilogue
‘Til Death
As always, The Dragon’s Roast was bustling with the late-dinner elite. Brandi was absolutely sure she’d spotted one of her favorite actresses on the way in, sitting at a table with two men. She’d have to tell the girls about that when she saw them next. They had an unofficial who’s-who bingo game going and someone always seemed to cross another name off their list after a night at the restaurant. It was completely stupid, but that same inanity was what made it fun.
Tonight, however, she wasn’t here to gather names. Nor was this one of the nights when the wives occupied a corner booth and pretended their highly attentive wait staff weren’t doubling as bodyguards while their husbands discussed deeper topics in backrooms. This wasn’t a work night at all. It was her anniversary.
I can’t believe it’s been a year already.
Brandi let her gaze linger on the still shining diamond she’d come to love that adorned her left ring finger. That really had been such a dramatic day, it turned out.
Benny, their server, disappeared when Mikey finished his order and Brandi lifted her gaze across the small table. The lighting in the restaurant was purposefully low and moody, which had surprised her at first. She was fond of it now. She particularly loved the way the surrounded darkness made it look like Mikey’s eyes were glowing as he smiled back at her.
“Happy anniversary, kitten,” Mikey said, the low tone of his voice just barely carrying over the din of their fellow diners.
Brandi’s smile broadened. “Happy anniversary, Michele.”
He grinned faintly. “Behave yourself, or we’ll both get in trouble.”
She matched his grin. “I have no idea what you mean.”
Without breaking their stare, Mikey reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a manila envelope. He set it on the table beside the bottle of wine and said, “Though I would rather not mention it at all, I won’t break my promise to you. Your year is up. If you want out, for any reason whatsoever, that option is available.” His jaw tightened the way it did when he was less than thrilled with something. “This is the contract we signed, plus a simple non-disclosure I would ask you to sign if you make that choice.”
Her heart faltered in her chest for a single moment. For just that moment, she thought he was asking her to. Then she pushed aside the old, reflexive doubt to hear what he’d actually said, and she let out an easier breath.
She had come to know Mikey quite well in the past year, and one thing she knew about him was that he took his obligations seriously. If he made a promise, he made every effort to see it through. He also didn’t tend to make haphazard promises. Knowing him so well reassured her that he wasn’t sending her off—in fact, the tension in his jaw and dip in his brow were indicators that he wasn’t happy even with discussing it.
That was all she needed.
Brandi glanced around briefly and her gaze landed on one of the restaurant’s flashier features. A wall-mounted dragon’s mouth-styled fireplace with real flame flickering inside. The flame never licked up past the dragon’s jaw and was placed too high for small children to reach without deliberate aid from an adult, and it was located in a visible but technically non-seated area of the building. A decoration to enhance the atmosphere, nothing more or less. But it was perfect.
Brandi snatched up the envelope and stood from the table, but met Mikey’s wide-eyed stare. “Watch closely, husband,” she said. Then she turned and navigated her way through the few tables between theirs and the back wall, following the line of the wall to get to the dragon’s head. She swore she could feel his eyes on her like he was the only one in the room. She ignored everyone else, even the ignorant server who called out to her when she neared her destination.
With a twist of her wrist, Brandi tore the small metal clasp off the envelope, then raised the envelope over the dragon’s open jaw and dropped it inside.
Someone gasped behind her.
“You can’t do that!” the same ignorant server exclaimed.
Mikey’s hands settled at her hips and he tugged her a single step back from the dragon structure as the usually low flame flared brighter, larger, in response to the atypical fuel. He lowered his lips to her ear. “You could’ve just said you were staying.”
Brandi smiled and twisted around, bringing herself chest-to-chest with the man who’d taught her what it felt like to have a place and a purpose in life. The man who’d given her a family, despite that she had never truly had one of her own. She curled her fingers around the lapels of his coat. “Oh, I’m staying.”
Mikey dipped his head and kissed her, his tongue invading her mouth and his arms folding around her.
Someone cheered and applause broke out, as if they’d just witnessed an engagement.
Mikey eased back, the heat in his eyes scalding compared to the fire behind her. “Let’s at least eat our dinner before I take you home, wife.”
Brandi laughed softly and allowed him to lead her back to their table, where she squeezed his hand and said, “Since we’re married for real for real now, can we have a honeymoon?”
He chuckled and she swore she didn’t know how his rolling, rumbling laughter didn’t ignite a spark in the air. “Here I thought we’d been married all this time.” He rubbed his thumb deliberately over the band of her ring. “But if it’s a vacation you want, I think I can swing that. Might even be fun.”
Brandi spotted Benny making his way toward them with a tray of undoubtedly delicious food on his arm, but she couldn’t stop herself from a little more teasing. “I believe fun is the point … sir.”
Mikey’s nostrils flared and his eyes flashed, his fingers gripping hers tighter. They both knew she knew what she was doing when she teased him that way and she had certainly been cautioned against it in public before. But it was always too worth it to stop. Still, what he actually said when he spoke surprised her. “I fucking love you, Brandi De Salvo.”
Her heart beat a little faster at the vehement intensity of his words, and that look she loved so much in his eyes. She managed to offer him a smile. “You always knew I would stay.”
His grip eased just enough for him to rub his fingers over her skin. He didn’t blink, didn’t look away. “I owed you the option.”
Brandi curled her fingers around his in return, as best she could. “Well, ‘til death, Michele. Many, many years from now. That’s how long I’ll stay.”
The End…