Epilogue
“You sure you wanna do this?” Henry asked.
He didn’t want to pressure Jia. But it had been a long time coming. Months, actually. It never seemed to bother her, except
that it remained a loose end she wanted to tie up.
“Yeah, let’s get it over with. I don’t know why I didn’t deal with it sooner,” Jia said.
Henry grabbed her hand, and they walked together into the airport.
When Jia had first come to stay with her grandmother in Palm Springs, the airline had lost her luggage. It had arrived shortly
after, but she just never wanted to go and pick it up.
Henry was secretly happy she hadn’t. Because there was something about the way Jia described herself and her life when they’d both lived in New York that kind of broke his heart.
She’d struggled financially, and she’d struggled finding herself.
A woman without an identity. Her clothes became a way to pretend she had it all together, despite not being able to afford that life.
Coming to the desert, she’d shed all of that. She’d found herself. She didn’t need to play dress-up anymore. Henry always
found Jia sexy and adorable and put-together in her own way. He loved her bright colors and vibrant patterns. But he loved
her freedom and confidence even more. She didn’t need to hide, so she didn’t.
“There are some really great pieces in there that I think would sell quickly in the vintage shop. It would be nice to make
some extra money to put toward the graduation gifts,” Jia said.
Sunset Hills was having its first graduation class for the eight residents who had gone through and passed their inaugural
CPR/First Aid course. It was an exciting time.
“Hi there. I’m here to pick up my luggage,” Jia said to the older man working the customer service desk. “For Jia Chung? It’s
a big yellow suitcase.”
“Well, goddamn. You actually showed. I woulda won the entire pool if you’d have come just two days later. Horace,” he yelled
at someone in the office behind him, “looks like you’re taking home the pot, you lucky motherfucker.”
“What is happening?” Jia leaned in and whispered to Henry.
“Looks like there might have been a betting pool on when you would come to get your bag.”
“Huh. Wonder how much Horace won,” she said.
Henry kissed Jia on the top of her head. He, like Horace, knew what it felt like to be lucky.
“Jia, babe, we gotta go. We’re gonna be late,” Henry called from the front door of his condo downtown.
He hadn’t been sure where he wanted to end up, exactly.
But he liked this particular block, with his favorite coffee shop and a really good workout gym.
And it was walking distance, two blocks, from his office where he read up on cases and had already been studying diligently for the California Bar Exam.
Plus, it was less than five minutes to Sunset Hills, and that was an easy-enough drive to visit the people he loved the most.
“Coming. I can’t find my shoes,” Jia called out from the bedroom.
“Which ones?” Jia only had three pairs: sneakers, sandals, and flip-flops. Two were sitting right there at the doorway. “Your
sneakers and flip-flops are here.”
“Wait,” she said and popped her head out, “did I wear my flip-flops here? I think I did. So my sandals must be at my place.
Ooops.” She smiled and came out to meet him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’d lose my own head if it wasn’t attached
to my body. I swear, when I downsized moving out here, I feel like it got harder to keep track of stuff.”
Henry gave her a quick kiss and pushed her out the door. They had exactly seven minutes to get there, which, if they caught
every red light along the way, would make them late.
“Did you finish?” she asked as she strapped into his car.
“Yup, last night.”
“Why didn’t you wake me up, then?” She pouted. “You promised.”
“But you were completely out, snoring and everything,” he said.
“I don’t snore,” she said.
“If you say so,” he teased.
“You were supposed to try that thing once you were done,” she whined.
“I’ll try it when we get home later.”
“Which home are we at tonight?” she asked.
“Yours. It’s closer, and I’m not sure I trust myself driving home after.”
Jia’s face broke into a smile, with a bit of an edge. She was excited.
Frankly, so was he. He could not wait.
“God, you were so sexy talking about the themes of the book tonight. I wanted to crawl into your lap right then and there,”
Jia said, pulling Henry into the house. His mouth was already on hers.
He slammed the door shut, kicked off his shoes, and lifted her up. “Wrap your legs around me, baby,” he commanded.
She did as she was told.
As the new community manager at The Sunset, Jia got to live in the manager’s cottage behind the office. It was a cute two-bedroom
home, small but tidy. She’d gotten the approval to do some renovations from the board, and she couldn’t wait to get started.
Jia and Henry split time between her onsite home and his condo downtown. She loved both places for different reasons. It didn’t
matter where they stayed, frankly. She just loved being with him.
A few months ago, she wouldn’t have dreamed that the two of them could end up together, in Palm Springs no less. Near their
favorite people, doing fun activities like Book Club, where they had just come from.
Tonight’s romance novel was a spicy romantasy that Jia had devoured.
Henry took longer to finish it, taking in every detail of the world-building and dissecting the themes.
Jia flew through the dialogue and the sex scenes.
They were chef’s kiss. It was a great recommendation from her favorite online book reviewer, @irene.loves.love.books.
The reviews were mixed among the Sunset Hills Spicy Book Club, however. It was a spirited discussion. But Jia could barely
focus, what with Henry’s flirtatious glances and smiles.
What they hadn’t discussed, thankfully, was a specific scene in which the male main character did some unspeakably dirty things
with his tongue to the love interest. Henry was supposed to try those same things on Jia last night.
Except her snoring had scared him away.
But she was ready for him now. God, was she ready.
Her man was, she had come to find over and over again, incredibly talented with his tongue.
Looking down at the gorgeous woman underneath him, Henry was reminded how lucky he really was. Just a few months ago, he had
been in a thankless job, living a joyless life, and resigned to a loveless existence.
And then came Jia . . . with her zest for life. And her huge heart. And her knack for pushing all of Henry’s buttons in the
best way. He was a goner.
Jia helped him see that life was worth living in community. Who knew that the community he’d be surrounding himself with would
be a bunch of senior citizens?
He was happy.
And he loved seeing Jia come into her own. Find herself. Thrive.
Henry lowered his body down onto hers. Her legs were open and waiting. He greedily lined himself up and slowly pushed his
way inside her.
He’d never get used to how good it felt being connected to Jia this way. It was like he was made for her and she was made
to receive him. He pushed all the way in, and the moan it elicited made him even harder, if that were possible.
“Henry,” she whispered, “I love you.”
It made him emotional every time she said it, and she said it often.
“I love you too, Jia,” he said. And he began to move, slow thrusts at first. But when she wrapped her legs around his and
pushed her feet into his ass, the message was loud and clear. Faster, harder. She lifted herself slightly, meeting him with each pump.
Jia dug her fingers into Henry’s hair, and Henry knew she was close . . . again. He’d made her come already with his mouth,
tonguing both the front and the back just like they’d read about in the book. She giggled when he explored the back side but
let herself relax into it when she realized how committed he was to keep going, how much he loved eating her out.
Henry pounded a little harder, and the sound of their bodies slapping together was like the sexiest beat he’d ever heard.
The weather had cooled down by winter. But it was still warm compared to what it was like in New York. And without the ceiling
fan on, Henry’s and Jia’s bodies were slick with sweat. He’d wash her off in the shower later.
Henry felt Jia stiffen underneath him as she squeezed her cunt around his cock. “I’m coming,” she yelled. Thank god her cottage was set off the main road without any neighbors on either side of her. His girl was a screamer.
“Come for me, baby,” he said.
“You come too,” she insisted.
“I’m almost there,” he said as he pushed himself inside her warmth.
She let out a scream as her pussy began pulsating. He pushed in once, twice more before the wave of his own pleasure took
over. He rode her through it until it became too sensitive for her.
When Henry gently pulled himself out, Jia felt like a boneless blob. He’d marked every inch inside of her. She sighed, completely
satisfied. God, she loved this man.
Henry wrapped his entire body around her from behind, and they held each other. It was warm and they wouldn’t stay in this
position long. But she savored it for now.
Jia couldn’t believe this was her life.
She’d been fired from a thankless job just a few months ago. She’d felt rudderless and uncertain of the future. Now she had
a job she loved, in a neighborhood she felt safe and secure in, with a man that made her feel like she could conquer the world.
Life was funny. And no longer felt overwhelming.
Because even on days when it was hard, Jia knew that, like clockwork, there would always be the sunset.
And after sunset, always, the promise of a new day to come.