Epilogue
Our Promise for Forever
Three years later
Lorielle took her time getting ready. She hadn’t seen her husband’s face for two months. He had been away on business one month, then he had to be in Wilmington to prepare for the grand opening of the new location of Cup of Jo.
She was so proud of Benny. He had rebuilt the original Cup of Jo and it was doing better than ever. Then he went off to build two more locations in Winston-Salem and now Wilmington.
“You look good, girl. He is going to want to eat you up.” Lorielle complimented herself as she placed the finishing touches on her makeup. When she was finished, she moved to the bed, waking her sleeping son.
The entire ride down, he had been up, and when they pulled into the driveway of the beach house, she saw he had fallen asleep. Instead of waking him, she let him sleep so she could do all the things that needed to be done in preparation for today.
“Time to wake up, B.”
Barryn Dominic Collins was an energetic two-year-old, and she loved him with her whole heart.
He was her twin. Not only did he steal her whole face, but he had brown skin and thick, black hair like her. The only thing he would probably get from his daddy was height, but she wasn’t that short either, so B had a good chance of being very tall.
It was still hard to believe she had a son. She just kept thinking Barryn was a girl. She had even convinced Benny to the point they picked out a girl's name. Brielle Dakota Collins.
Maybe next time…
“Oh, Elle, let me take him and you can finish getting ready.” Mrs. J entered the room. It was like she had a monitor that went off when her grandchildren were around and awake.
“You’re the best, Ma.”
Mrs. J insisted she call her Mama, but when Lorielle’s mom was in the same room, it could get confusing, so she called her mother Mama and Mrs. J, Ma.
“He just got up so he might need to warm up a bit,” Lorielle said as she kissed her sweet boy on the head, then passed him to her mother-in-law.
They had all traveled down together for Benny’s big day.
Family trips looked a bit different nowadays. Mr. B traded out the Sprinter for an RV since he has grandkids now. Jo and Trey had their almost three-year-old daughter Jolie Tiffany Walker. Gavin was still happily single, playing the field.
Mr. B and Mrs. J were in heaven with two grandchildren, and they wanted more.
“Thank you, Ma.”
“We’ll probably have him tonight. You know your husband.” Mrs. J wiggled her brow before leaving the room with Barryn on her hip.
Benny loved him some Lorielle, and after three years, they’d worked hard and built an unbreakable bond.
After the incident with Tara and the fire, Benny vowed to never let something like that come between them, and Lorielle promised to stay and fight even when times got tough.
They both continued to hold up to their end of the bargain each day.
Speaking of Tara, she had been released a few months ago.
Lorielle was waiting to catch her, but her scary ass moved.
Lorielle chuckled at the thought. She didn’t want a beat down.
Because though she was a mother and wife, she would still get down, but everything happened for a reason.
She just looked at it as something that brought her and Benny closer together.
Lorielle slipped into the outfit she would wear that day, then moved into the bathroom to fix her hair. She counted down the minutes until she would be reunited with her husband.
Benny knew the exact moment Lorielle walked into the building.
He was being interviewed, but his eyes followed her until she found a spot a few feet away from him.
He was enthralled by the sight of his wife in front of him.
It gave him a flashback to when Lorielle stood in front of him reciting her vows.
He stayed on her for a few more minutes before he acknowledged the rest of his family surrounding her.
His mother and father were to Lorielle’s left. His father held Jolie’s hand, and his mother held Barryn in her arms. B almost jumped out of her arms to get to Benny, but Bernard Sr. took him, and his mother reached in a bag for a snack. His little man took it but kept an eye on him.
Gavin, Jo, and Trey were on Lorielle’s right.
His heart was all in one building, and he was thankful for times like this.
“Mr. Collins, it’s true that you already had two established locations in Raleigh and Charlotte that your father started, then you began to distribute coffee products to businesses all over North Carolina.
Then a few years ago you had to rebuild the original Cup of Jo in Charlotte after your ex-girlfriend burned it down.
“But you didn’t let that deter you. You not only rebuilt at the Charlotte location, but built two more locations, one in Winston-Salem and the other, which we are here to celebrate today in Wilmington.
How does it feel to continue to see success after all the hard work and everything you’ve been through? ”
The grand opening of Cup of Jo’s fourth location was a success. His family brand had supporters all over and it showed with the overflow of people crowding the shop.
“It’s just a testament of how situations happen and how people will try to bring you down, but you have to be stronger than it all.
You have to say you’re more than what happened to you.
I couldn’t have done this without my family.
Cup of Jo Incorporated is a family business that I grew into a million dollar corporation, but I couldn’t do it without them.
“Cup of Jo could have gone down the toilet years ago, but my family pushed me to do what needed to be done. Now I’m up two more locations.
I have a beautiful family, loyal friends, and outstanding employees.
As long as I keep God first, do right by everyone, and keep my promises, I’ll continue to be successful. ”
He passed the mic he pulled from his shirt back to the interviewer. “Excuse me.” He took strides toward his family, only his wife wasn’t there anymore.
“Congratulations!” They all sang.
Benny took his son from his father and kissed his head. “Hey, y’all. Thanks for being here.”
“You know we wouldn’t miss it for the world. We’re so proud of you.” His mother wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you.” He went around hugging and dapping up every one of them before he asked a pressing question.
“Where’s Lorielle?” He was asking Jo in particular.
She reached for Barryn and he went to her easily. Her belly was poking out with baby number two, so he was hesitant about giving him to her, but B damn near jumped into her arms. “She said meet her in your office.”
He had an owner’s office in the back of the store equipped with a sitting area, bar, and bathroom. He told Lorielle about it during their many talks over the phone.
“Okay, I’ll be back.”
“Y’all can’t wait until later? Just nasty,” Jo teased.
“Says the one with a belly full of baby.” Benny threw the words over his shoulder as he made his way toward the back.
Jo was probably right about waiting until later to ravish her with all his love he longed to give to her, but it had been Elle’s idea to wait to see her at the shop. So whatever happened in this office…
Benny opened the door and there was Lorielle propped against his desk. She wore a red and orange patterned maxi dress that flowed over her body. He noted one thing: it would be easy to remove.
He locked the door before moving into the room.
“Hello, Mr. Collins. Congratulations.” She passed him the roses she held.
“Mrs. Collins, what a sight it is to see you.” She looked radiant. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. When she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, he knew what his next step would be. “Thank you for the flowers.” He placed them on the desk. “How could I ever repay you?”
It started with passionate kisses, smearing her lipstick. Neither of them cared as they pulled off each other’s clothes.
“I missed you so much,” she mumbled as he placed her on his desk. It was the perfect height for what he had planned next.
“I’m never leaving you this long again, and I’m damn sure not listening to you about not seeing you on the weekends if I have to be gone. Five days top, Elle, then I’m coming to see my woman.”
With his erection free, he connected them, intimately coming home.
“Benny.” She held on to him tight as he moved inside of her.
He threw his head back, knowing he wouldn’t last long, but they didn’t have long before someone would come looking for him.
“Ah, Benny. Tell me you love me. Tell me I’m your everything.”
He couldn’t speak. He could barely breathe. So instead of talking, he showed her how much he loved her. He moved inside her with angled strokes that punished her pussy, making her essence leak from her center.
“Ah. Ah. Yes! Benny!”
Her climax triggered his, letting his love flow. He couldn’t hold back even if he wanted to.
“You are my everything. Without you, my world is dull and gray. I love you with everything in me, and I’m never letting you go.”
She kissed him. “I love you, too, baby.”
Benny helped Lorielle to the bathroom, where he cleaned them up.
He returned to his office getting dressed as Elle pulled products out her purse to fix her makeup.
She rejoined him back in the office with only her panties and bra on.
She had been naked underneath her dress, so he assumed she had taken them off before he arrived.
“Here.” He grabbed her dress from the floor to cover her body. She only had about ten seconds before he would be ready for his redemption round, and that would go on for hours.
“Something is different about you,” he said as he helped her into her dress.
“Bad different?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.
“No. Just… Maybe it’s because I haven’t seen you. I mean it, Lorielle. You and B are coming with me, or I’m taking time to come see y’all.”
“Whatever you want, baby.” She turned and kissed him before taking his hands and guiding him back toward the front. Customers were still flowing in, and he was honored they chose his establishment.
“Did y’all get it all out of y’all system?” Jo asked in a playful tone.
“Not even close,” Benny answered honestly. But tonight, he had a hotel room ready for them because the family beach house wasn’t going to work for all the things he had planned for her.
“Well, at least I can’t tell y’all been sexing.” Jo pulled out her phone. “Smile for the camera.”
His family came behind Jo, smiling at them.
Benny pulled his wife against him and smiled for the camera.
“Say Elle’s pregnant!”
“Elle’s…” Benny snatched away. He stared at Lorielle with wide eyes. “Is she serious?”
She nodded with tears in her eyes. “It’s a girl.” She placed her hands on her pretty flat stomach. She had a little pudge, but he didn’t think anything of it. Her stomach looked like that after she ate.
“What? How far long are you?”
“Eighteen weeks.”
She had been like that with Barryn, barely showing until she was halfway through her pregnancy.
“That’s why you didn’t want me to come see you. You were keeping it a surprise.” He picked her up, hollering, “Baby Brielle is on the way! I’m having another baby, y’all!”
Applause sounded out through Jo’s. Benny couldn’t believe he had gotten everything he wanted in life.
He placed Elle back on her feet, kissing her. “Stealing you away from Jo was the best thing I ever done.”
Lorielle gasped before bursting into a fit of laughter. Jo punched him in the back. “She’s my girl for life.”
“And my wife for life.” He kissed Lorielle again. “I love you, baby,” he mumbled against her lips.
“I love you, too.”
Benny would spend the rest of his life thankful that Lorielle gave love another chance. She let him show her the true meaning of love and how a husband should be, and as long as he kept his promise and she kept hers, they would have a long, lasting love.
The End.