Chapter 40 Incandescent
INCANDESCENT
Jack
The ballroom was filled with important people networking, gladhanding, or hoping to find entree into the high-powered world represented here tonight.
This was my scene, the kind of place I’d normally be slapping the backs of guys I do business with, passing cards to new ones and accepting them from others, daydreaming about new deals and what Michelle might be wearing when I got home.
But none of that was really on my mind tonight as I sat at the head table of the charity gala at the Waldorf-Astoria with Casey. My thoughts were consumed by something else entirely. A choice that wasn’t impossible at all.
“You’re okay with what I’m about to do and say?” I asked her quietly, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye.
Casey smirked. “You big idiot. I couldn’t be happier for you. I’m all set to capture it for posterity,” she said, holding up her phone, ready to record.
The woman running the charity took the stage, introducing herself to the crowd. After a few minutes of warm pleasantries, she gestured to the front of the room, where all the lights were suddenly on me and Casey.
“We are so very grateful for our biggest supporters, Jack and Casey Sullivan at Joy Delivered,” she said, pausing to hold up a hand. “Can we just have a show of hands? Who here is a fan of Joy Delivered?”
Laughter rippled through the room as nearly every hand went up.
“And we are simply overwhelmed and overjoyed by the money this company has raised for breast cancer research—not just tonight but through its tremendously generous partnership with Eden.” She turned toward me. “I’d like to invite the co-CEO of Joy Delivered on stage to say a few words.”
Casey gave me a nod, her finger hovering over the record button. I straightened my bow tie, stood up, and made my way to the stage. After a quick thank you, I took the microphone.
“It’s a pleasure to be here tonight and an honor to give back,” I began, letting my gaze travel across the crowd.
“When I funded this company several years ago, it was because my sister had a simple mission: bring pleasure to people. Bring happiness to people. Make them feel good. When we operate from our pleasure centers rather than our fear centers, we can make the world a better place.”
I paused, letting the words sink in before lightening the mood. “So she does that, and I handle the business deals.”
A ripple of laughter ran through the crowd, and I took a moment to look out at the sea of faces. Employees, donors, supporters—they were all here for the same thing. Helping people. The most important thing we can do.
“It’s a lofty goal for a sex toy company, but I think we all—even the accounting guys—want the same thing: a world with more pleasure, less pain.
Kidding aside, I’ve had some amazing times.
I’d like to think we have done some good, brought happiness to many people.
In many ways, I have the best job in the world. ”
The ballroom lights were bright, the sounds of plates being cleared and waiters’ footsteps blending with the rustle of evening gowns. I wanted to imprint this moment in my memory, even though Casey was capturing it all on her phone.
“But it’s not everything. And as of now”—I stopped to glance at my watch—“I did have the best job in the world. The plan had never been for me to stay indefinitely, I just wanted to. Now I have something else that I want more. So, I’m announcing tonight that I’m stepping away from Joy Delivered.”
There was a ripple of shock, a murmur that spread through the room.
“My sister, Casey, will be taking over as the sole CEO. She’s already the brains and the heart behind this company. I trust you’ll all be in good hands.” I gestured toward Casey, who was beaming and crying at the same time as she held up her phone.
“Come up here and say your first words as the CEO of your company,” I said, stepping back from the mic.
Casey rose from her seat, walking up the stage steps as I walked down. We stopped halfway to hug. “I’ll send it in fifteen minutes,” she whispered.
“Thank you,” I said, releasing her.
As I made my way out of the ballroom, I loosened my bow tie, slipped out the back door, and quickly hailed a cab. I had something to pick up from home first, something important, before heading to Murray Hill to find Michelle.
All the problems she’d faced—every bit of trouble, every loss, every piece of collateral damage—had come from my job. I couldn’t change the past, but I could change this. This one thing I could do for her.
After all, she’d done everything for me.
Michelle
The blinking on my phone made me flinch. It was a knee-jerk reaction, one I didn’t know I’d ever get over. Most messages these days were friendly, but I still couldn’t look at an email, a text, or even my phone without feeling like it could be a point of violation.
Davis raised his eyebrows at me, his silent way of asking if everything was okay.
I was at Speakeasy with him and Jill, who was in town for just a few days before heading back to London for the opening night of her play.
Julia was behind the bar, Clay was here too, chatting with his wife as she poured a drink for Sutton.
Nearly all my friends were here tonight.
It felt good to be surrounded by the familiar, by people who loved me.
They were part of the reason I’d chosen to stay.
Friends, family, love—I had all of it. I was a lucky woman.
I glanced at my phone, my wish simple: Please let this be from a friend, not a foe. When I saw Casey’s name on the email, relief washed over me. I opened the note.
Jack wants you to see this. I think you’ll like it.
Curiosity took over, and I clicked the link, hitting play on the video.
It was only fifty-three seconds long, but by the end of it, tears were streaming down my face.
My hand flew to my mouth, my shoulders shaking.
I didn’t know what to do next. Should I find him?
Was he going to call me? And was this really, truly all for me?
“What is it?” Davis asked, moving closer. His concerned voice cut through the haze of my emotions as I wiped a tear from my cheek.
“I’m more than okay,” I managed to say, thrusting my phone at him and hitting play again. My heart pounded as I watched Jack’s speech a second time, this time through my brother’s eyes. I thrilled at the way his blue eyes shifted from curious to delighted.
“I told you, you should take the job,” Davis said playfully, tapping the screen. “He’s calling.”
He handed the phone back to me. My hands trembled as I answered. “Hello?” My voice came out a squeak.
“It’s me,” Jack said, his voice warm and steady. “I’m at your apartment, but you’re not here.”
“I’m at Speakeasy,” I said, quickly rattling off the address. “It’s nearby.”
As I waited, my phone made the rounds through the group.
Sutton hugged me tightly, Jill kissed my cheek, Julia raised a glass in a toast, and Clay grinned at me.
Their joy felt like mine, but they weren’t the ones I was dying to see.
My eyes kept darting to the door. Every time it opened, my head swiveled, my heart jumping. Five minutes felt like an eternity.
Then I saw him.
Jack walked into Speakeasy with the biggest grin I’d ever seen. His eyes locked on me, only me, and he strode across the room, each step purposeful and confident.
“I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” I said as he reached me. “It’s only been an hour.”
“It seems I have a lot of free time now,” he teased, pulling a small gift from his jacket pocket and handing it to me.
I unwrapped it carefully, gasping as I uncovered the sapphire-blue perfume bottle.
“You mentioned you wanted one,” he said. “But when you went to buy it, the shop was closed. It was closed for me that day too, the day I found you in the Gardens. But I went back the next day and bought it for you. I hope it’s the one you wanted.”
“It’s perfect,” I whispered, cradling the elegant bottle in my hands.
“Beauty for beauty’s sake. Love for love’s sake,” he said softly. “I’ve been waiting for the right time to give it to you. This seemed like the right time.”
“Did you really resign?” I asked, unable to believe it.
He nodded. “I want you to go to Paris. I want you to take the job.” He reached for my hand, holding it gently in his.
“You do?” My voice trembled with disbelief.
“Yes. More than anything.” His gaze locked on mine, his expression tender but determined. “But there is one more thing I want.”
“What is it?” I asked, barely able to breathe. I didn’t want to assume. I needed to hear him say it.
“What would you think about taking me with you?” He smiled softly, his lips curving into a grin that made my heart skip a beat. “I’m no longer the CEO of a sex toy company. I’m just a man in love with a woman, willing to go anywhere for her.”
My heart soared, bursting with joy. I could hardly believe this was real. “You gave up your business?”
He nodded. “My business caused all the trouble. You could barely do your job here because of it. I want you to have a private life, not just a public one. So I gave it up. You’re worth it, Michelle.
You’ve given me everything—love, a chance to be better, to be more than I ever thought I could be.
I didn’t know I was capable of love until you.
And I found that, with you, in Paris. Going there together feels like the perfect step on a new journey, one that we’re taking together. ”
I laughed, shaking my head. “What are you going to do in Paris?”
“Love you,” he said confidently. “So? Take me with you. You haven’t said yes yet. You’re toying with me, aren’t you?” His smile turned playful.
“I’m not teasing,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m just shocked. I didn’t think you’d make this choice. Isn’t it impossible?”
“It’s not impossible,” he said simply, and quoted me back to myself. “It’s worth it for love.”
I felt like I was dreaming. This moment felt too beautiful to be real, too precious to last. I wanted to hold onto it forever.
“You still haven’t told me if you want me to go with you,” he said, his voice soft, reminding me.
I turned, taking in the scene. My friends, my family, everyone I loved was here, watching us. All of them were witnesses to this incandescent happiness.
I turned back to him, gripping his hand tighter, pulling him closer, never wanting to let go. “Come with me to Paris.”