Epilogue
One year later.
DEREK
I shove the backpack over my shoulder and pull up my phone, staring at the map. We arrived in Nagano, Japan, yesterday evening and went straight to bed because we have a full program for the next week before we head to South Africa, where we’ll be spending six months or so.
How did that happen?
After Daniel and I became official, he expressed his interest in joining me at the annual Tech Gala in Portland, wishing to tackle his social anxiety.
It was hard on him, but I never left his side.
He was still smiling by the end of it, so I think it went okay.
We plan to have him join me for a couple more appearances.
Alistair from Devon Holidays and Jack and Emily from JE Pharma were also at the Gala, so I made sure to say hi.
They loved Daniel. After the event was over, Daniel cornered me and asked me what I wanted to do with my life.
I spent quite a bit of time thinking about it.
Salinger Tech has always been my number one priority—growing it, making more money, connections, climbing the ladder, being at the top.
I was so laser-focused on all of that and being the best version of the billionaire Derek, that I never had time to consider what I truly want from life.
Daniel changed that, turning my world upside down the moment we met. And after we got together, he helped me discover a few things about myself.
“Derek, are you ready?” Daniel asks, walking into the lounge of our hotel room. He’s wearing pants and a Hawaiian shirt, a sheen of sunscreen shining on his bare arms.
I loop my arms around him, feeling my stomach flip in anticipation. “Yep, car’s waiting. You got everything?”
“I do! Let’s go!”
Mount Takatsuma, which overlooks the city, is where we are headed. There is a trail to one of the lower peaks we plan to tackle, and contrary to what Daniel thinks, it’s not only so that we can draw the view it offers of the city. Yes, we—as in both him and me.
Twenty-five minutes later, we arrive at our destination.
Tourists are meandering around like headless chickens, some holding physical maps, others looking at their phones or tablets as they trickle in and out of the parking lot.
I hoist the backpack over one shoulder and grab the easel and Daniel’s canvas, leaving mine behind since I’m still a little self-conscious about painting where people can see me. My tablet is good enough for now.
As we head toward the peak, I snap a few pictures and send them to Jared, Salinger Tech’s newly elected second CEO.
His reply is immediate, demanding I show him Daniel’s drawing and send him souvenirs because he’s doing an amazing job keeping my company running and as such deserves the best of the best.
No arguments there. It’s a little unconventional to share the CEO position with somebody, but it’s the best decision I ever made. He’s always treated Salinger Tech as his own baby, and now that he holds the reins alongside me, our profits have already increased threefold.
It was actually quite a fight to get my Board to agree with my decision to give him the CEO title and relegate a lot of my responsibilities to him.
They bent over eventually, but not before I had everything in place and a foolproof plan, including a new PR face, the idea for which I shamelessly stole from Emily and Jack Keller.
But anyway, in short, my involvement with Salinger Tech is a lot more offhand now, and my presence is rarely ever required.
I’ve taken to traveling the world with Daniel so he can draw it all to his heart’s content.
That dream of his was so simple and yet so captivating, I couldn’t resist making it mine too, especially after rediscovering the spark for art I had in me that never quite died. And it was all thanks to him.
Of course, this new development in my life doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned my company.
I’m just employing a more progressive model, including higher salaries, benefits and more flexible working conditions for all employees.
It worked great during the two-month trial period, and while I am still testing out various approaches, I have to say that Jack is definitely onto something with his crazy and futuristic working models.
The sun is right above us when we make it to the clearing where we plan to set up our outdoor studio.
Daniel wastes no time getting started on that while I just stand and watch him and feel even more nervous with every second that passes.
He’s unaware of my ulterior motive, clueless about the small box I’m hiding in my pocket.
I love this man, and I know he loves me just as much.
Neither of us says it too often, but it’s there in every action, in every glance and smile.
Even in his paintings, where more often than not you’ll find the model resembling me to some extent.
I don’t complain—it’s such an honor, and it fills me with joy.
It’s his love declaration, his way to declare to the world how much I mean to him.
Still, what I am about to do is scary. It’s a step I’ve never even entertained taking, not with the hollowness that lived inside me.
But with Daniel’s help, I no longer feel alone.
He’s there by my side, every second of every day, and what I am about to do feels like the rightest thing in the world.
The last step for me so I can make my life truly perfect.
I can procrastinate it though, let myself stew a bit more while I watch him do his magic, bringing to life what he sees in front of him.
“You are not drawing?” he interrupts my inner pep talk, his head tilted to the side as his gorgeous eyes find me. That copper accent they have is even more prominent during the day, making the brown seem like it’s on fire.
“I wanted to watch you,” I say and vacate my spot by the tree trunk.
“It’s really pretty,” he says, casting her gaze around and taking the fairytale view in.
Okay, this is it—the perfect moment. It’s now or I’m a dickless coward. “Daniel,” I say, stroking his cheek and drinking him in. “I would like to ask you something.”
“Yeah? What is it?” He smiles, those eyes dancing with love. There is a bit of graphite smeared on his right cheek, but I leave it there. It’s kind of cute.
My breath catching, I take out the small box before I’ve lost my nerve. He inspects it with a quizzical look on his face, but the moment he realizes what it is, the loveliest flush crests his nose and cheeks.
I open it and hold it up. It’s a simple design, more like a wedding band, with the diamonds slotted alongside the ring itself. I’d have gotten him the biggest stone, but it would only get in his way when he’s drawing.
“Will you marry me?” I ask, my voice shaky even to my ears.
His eyes fill with emotion, and he beams at me, his smile more radiant than the sun above our heads. “Yes!” He hugs me, trembling with joy. “Yes, I will, Derek!”
I wrap my arms around him as onlookers take photos of us while cheering. Oh shit, we have an audience? I don’t mind it though, and Daniel doesn’t go stiff either, showing off the ring when I put it on his finger. He’s already gotten so much better at handling crowds. I’m so proud of him.
Daniel kisses me as the cheers grow louder, and in that kiss I feel it, that sensation I get whenever I look at one of his paintings, that rightness that speaks to my soul. I’ve still got a long way to go, but I can say proudly that I am no longer a sad, grumpy billionaire.
I’m still rich, sexy as fuck and I have a bit of an attitude, but I also want to make the world a better place so I can keep the smile on Daniel’s face.