Epilogue #2
“No.” His lips thinned beneath the neatly trimmed salt and pepper goatee he’d sported for longer than I could remember.
“I am not finished. What you will leave here and never pick up again is this shitty attitude you’ve had since college.
I don’t know who told you it was acceptable…
well, I guess I do. If you tangle with street trash, you’re liable to get dirty.
” He waved a hand, and the gold from the ridiculous pinky ring with the firm crest on it, caught my attention.
What law firm even had a crest? It was beyond ostentatious to the point that it could be construed as obnoxious.
That’s exactly what this entire meeting was—obnoxious, intolerable and whichever other word that conveyed it was getting on my fuckin’ nerves.
“I wouldn’t know about tangling with street trash, Daddy.
What I do know is that I am not leaving my job.
I’m not returning to Boston and I’m never allowing you or your assistant whom you’ve been fucking for the last twenty years, and probably while Mama was still alive too, to pack up my house, look for a new one, or anything else the two of you have decided is best for me.
” My heart hammered in my chest. I’d never spoken to my father in this tone before.
Sure, I’d been adamant about going to law school here in New York instead of continuing with the plan he had for my education, but I was still giving in to him on a partial level.
That’s the only reason he didn’t fly his ass down here then and drag me off to Penn Carey.
My father stood from the chair slowly, anger filling every crevice of him as evidenced by the rigidness of his body.
His nostrils flared, hands fisting at his sides.
I didn’t stand to meet his glare, was actually glued to my seat as my mind attempted to process what I could’ve done to make this man, my blood relative, hate me so much.
“You’re just like your mother.” The words dripped with haughty venom from his mouth, and I gasped.
“She got those letters behind her name and became sassy and headstrong, too. I had to reel her back in, remind her who we were and what her duty was to this legacy. But I see I should’ve kept a tighter rein with her handling of you.
And you’ve been down there with her people in that rundown old town.
Thought I’d cleaned all the Ruthers’ blood out of Sandra before she up and died on me.
But now here you go, showing those same disdainful and uncouth traits. ”
I did rise then, just as slowly he had. Not because I was angry, but because I didn’t think I could trust myself not to hurl myself over this desk at him for the way he was talking about my mother.
And yes, this was my father and the last thing I should be thinking is trying to attack him in any way, but I wasn’t about to stand here and let him continue to disrespect me and disparage my mother and her family as well.
“From what I recall, Mama always did exactly as you said. Even going so far as to be almost as mean and unyielding with me as you were. Now, I see why.” I shrugged.
“But the past is the past. I don’t live there anymore.
I stand firmly in the present where I am a grown woman who can make her own decisions.
Whether you like those decisions or not, is not my concern. ”
When he opened his mouth to speak, I held up a hand to stop him.
“I’m not finished,” I said, this time narrowing my gaze at him.
“I don’t need your approval of where I live or work, or who I’m romantically involved with.
All of those choices belong to me.” I took a breath to steady the erratic beat of my heart.
“Now, I’m gonna tell you just like I told Sawyer, if you can’t talk to me like I’m one of the children you honestly care about and like the adult that I am, we don’t have to talk again. ”
There was a beat of silence while my father simmered like a volcano about to erupt. That unfortunate result was interrupted by a quick knock, then the opening of my door.
NOAH
This was the second time I was interrupting Serra dealing with a man who didn’t have her best interests at heart.
I walked into the lobby of Agbara Agency admiring its cream, black, and white modern aesthetic.
From its sleek leather and marble furnishings to the Black art—whether paintings or the bronze sculptors of historic Black sports figures—it looked like money and dreams were made here.
I loved that it was Black woman owned and run, that gave an extra air of Boss Bitch vibes that I could appreciate.
My former agent’s office hadn’t looked anything like this, and I’d never felt as comfortable in his office as I automatically did here.
And that was saying something since I’d sworn off big cities a while ago.
The receptionist had directed me up a short winding staircase to the second level where I was greeted by another woman. There was obvious less enthusiasm to her, “Good afternoon. How may I help you?” than the woman from downstairs.
“I’m here to see Serra Ward.”
The woman whose platinum and black braids were pulled into a bun at the top of her head, arched a brow.
“Serra. Ward,” I repeated since staring back at me had been her only response.
“Right. Yes.” She cleared her throat. “Is this business or personal? She didn’t have any meetings on her schedule this afternoon.”
I slipped my hand into my front pant pocket. Then I nodded. “Yeah, this is a surprise visit.”
“Another one,” she grumbled.
And something about the way she rolled her eyes skyward then began angrily punching the keys on her computer keyboard put me on high alert.
“Who else came to visit her today?”
In the two months since Serra and I had been back together, this was the first time I’d come to her office.
While I’d met Freddie over a Zoom meeting Serra had taken while she was at my place, I didn’t know anyone else who were a part of Serra’s life here.
So this woman wasn’t quick to respond to me and I didn’t blame her.
It was her job to make sure only people who were supposed to be in Serra’s office were allowed back there.
She had no idea that just six days ago, I’d spent a weekend inside each one of Serra’s holes.
On any other day that recollection would’ve had me getting hard and hating our long-distance relationship a little more, but the woman’s continued silence had me all the way on guard.
“I’m her boyfriend, Noah,” I said. “Which way is her office?”
Her eyes widened this time as she pointed down a short hallway. I almost ran to the door not knowing what to expect but feeling compelled to get there fast, to get to her, to…save her.
Not again. I sent up the silent prayer as I came to her door. Touching my hand to the knob, I took a steadying breath and heard yelling. A man was yelling.
“You’re just like your mother,” was what he said, and I froze.
Was this man her father? I didn’t know how I knew, I just did.
He could’ve been someone else who’d known her mother, but something in his tone…
No, it wasn’t just that, it was her silence.
Serra would never remain silent while someone else spoke to her this way.
Only someone she held a deep reverence for could say these things to her and she not shoot back.
Until she did.
The pride that bloomed through me made up for the creepiness of eavesdropping on this private conversation.
“I don’t need your approval of where I live or work, or who I’m romantically involved with.”
That last part…who I’m romantically involved with…sent my heart soaring.
Me, she was talking about me. Us. The relationship we’d just decided to jump all in on and all I could think about was how much time we’d lost. How we could’ve been this happy and together so many years ago if they hadn’t interfered.
Irritated now, I knocked on the door. Then said fuck it, and opened it.
She was standing behind her desk, looking as beautiful as always.
She’d mentioned her work office being decorated in white and she wasn’t lying.
From the plush rug on the floor to the leather love seat covered in pillows that looked like clouds and the glass topped desk, I don’t know how she could breathe in this place let alone work without fearing getting something dirty.
Amidst all this pure and pristine décor was a man dressed in black. Not all black. He’d turned so that he was halfway facing me, and I could see the white shirt and gray tie breaking up the darkness of the suit. But there was nothing that would change the complete look of fury on his face.
“When you knock, it’s customary to wait for someone to answer before coming in,” the man said in a deep baritone voice.
This could go a couple of ways—the good way or the bad way, basically.
I’d come here unannounced because I missed the hell out of my lady.
I missed her in my bed, sitting at my bar, cooking in my kitchen, riding me in the middle of the night.
I missed her scent, her smile, the way she separated her plain M&Ms by color before eating.
Every fuckin’ minute of every day, I’d missed her and I was tired of that shit.
So I’d jumped in my truck and took the almost eight-hour drive here.
With that thought, I decided to try for the good way.
Closing the space between us, I extended my hand to him.“Noah Jordan.”
He never acknowledged my hand but kept his scowl in place as he turned to completely face me. “You’re the one who corrupted my daughter.”
I dropped my hand and swallowed the rage that wanted to lace a very disrespectful retort. I’d been talked down to and criticized for far too long. As an adult, I swore I wouldn’t take that shit from anybody ever again. But this man was Serra’s father. This moment had to be different.
I cleared my throat. “No, sir. I’m the one who is going to marry your daughter.”
Serra gasped.
“What the fuck did you just say?” her father asked.
I tore my gaze from him to find Serra staring at me. One hand was pressed to her chest, while the other hovered over her mouth. “This wasn’t how I planned this,” I said, moving around her desk until I could stand beside her.
“I was going to surprise you by coming here unannounced.” I took both her hands and turned her until she faced me.
“You did,” she said with a chuckle.
I smiled because I loved seeing her smile. “Then I was going to whisk you out of the office for a dinner at one of those over-priced restaurants you’re used to eating at.”
“Are you trying to call me bougie?”
“Nah.” I shook my head. “I’m calling you perfect.
When we were in college, you were the perfect girlfriend even when I didn’t know I was looking for one.
And when I was convinced I’d never give my heart again, you showed up in that elevator for what will go down in history as being a perfect reunion. ”
“We were stuck, and I thought I was gonna die.” Tears filled her eyes. “But you were there, so if that was going to be my last day on earth, I’d want it to be with you.”
I brought her hands up to my lips and kissed them. “You’re perfect for me, Serra. You know the worst parts of me, and you still stayed.”
She nodded. “This time I stayed.”
“This time is forever.”
The tears fell and instead of wiping them away because I hated to see her cry even when I was fairly certain they were happy tears, I released one of her hands.
After digging in my pocket, I pulled out the box that had been sitting in the bottom desk drawer at the office in the bar.
The one I’d put there the day I returned from my first visit to New York.
I knew then that this long-distance thing wasn’t going to last long. I needed her too much.
Releasing her other hand, I went down on one knee, opened the box, extended it up to her, and said, “Serra Deneen Ward, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
She backhanded her tears away, then fanned her hands over her face as if that was going to make her stop crying. “Of course you would show up out of nowhere and ask this question while my nerves were already shot. And now my face is a mess and I can’t stop shaking, and—”
“Answer the question, sweetness.”
She sighed heavily, bottom lip quivering as more tears flowed. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, Noah Franklin Jordan, I’ll stay with you forever. I’ll love you. I’ll trust you and yell at you when you’re being mean to me in the gym.”
I laughed as I removed the four-carat pear-shaped diamond set in white gold from the box and slid it onto her finger. She was still staring down at the ring when I stood and pulled her into my arms. “Say it again,” I whispered.
“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you!”
My lips were on hers before the last word fully fell from her lips. We kissed and kissed with every ounce of happiness neither of us thought we’d feel again wrapping us tight in this promise of forever.
Neither of us heard when her father left the office.
Neither of us cared.