Epilogue
epilogue
“So why don’t you have any furniture?” Olivia asked me. “You clearly have money saved.”
We were sitting on our stateroom balcony on the cruise ship, watching Miami recede in the distance as we headed toward Mexico. Sharing a bottle of wine, I was feeling lucky as shit to be there with Olivia. I hadn’t been convinced she would agree to go with me and then I would have been taking a cruise solo and feeling like a rejected loser. But instead, here I was with the most beautiful woman I’d ever met, watching her smile at me.
“Because my mother always told me if you save your money, they can never break you. Because you won’t be tempted by easy illegal money if you have your own in the bank. I don’t need to show off by buying stuff. I know what I have. My integrity.” And more now. The chance to have love in my life again, and I was one happy motherfucker.
“What do you have?” She reached out and ran her fingers lightly over my knee, raising her wine glass to her lips.
“I have a job, a roof over my head, friends, and a mother who would strangle a man with her bare hands for me. If I let her, which I wouldn’t.” I covered my hand over Olivia’s and let her see the truth in my eyes. “And I have you. A woman smart enough to see through my bullshit and call me out on it.”
She took a sip of her wine slowly and set the glass down on the end table. “You’re welcome.”
That made me laugh. “There’s a robe in the closet.” I gave her a wink. “I think you should put it on for old times’ sake. With nothing underneath.”
“Is it a matter of life or death?” she asked, giving me a flirtatious tilt of her head.
“Yes. I will die if you don’t get naked.”
She smiled. “Well, I can’t have that on my conscience.” She rose out of the chair slowly, seductively.
And I followed her in to the future I had never expected, and now intended to hang on to with both fucking hands.