Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
J ill was used to the twice-monthly trips to Manhattan now, and Billy was falling in love with Nantucket too.
They’d talked about spending more time together there, maybe a full week vacation at some point.
Both of them rarely took time off for vacation, but they agreed it was something they should do more often.
Her heart swelled when she walked into the airport and saw Billy waiting for her. He wrapped his arms around her, picked her up, and kissed her thoroughly.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” he said softly. The warmth in his eyes matched the way she was feeling. She kissed him again.
“Me too.”
“Let’s get you home. I made reservations for us at a new place, well, new to me anyway. It’s a speakeasy, and it’s close to your condo. Have you been to Do Not Disturb yet?”
Jill laughed with delight. “No, but the name sounds perfect. Let’s go.”
Billy had a car waiting for them just outside.
Even though he kept his own car garaged, he rarely drove it around town.
It was easier to use the car service that he kept on speed dial for moments like this.
They loaded the car and then snuggled in the back seat while the driver navigated through Manhattan traffic.
Once they were back at Jill’s condo, she dropped her suitcase in her room and freshened up her lipstick. Then she and Billy walked a few blocks to the speakeasy that he’d mentioned.
“Are you sure this is it?” Jill asked.
They were in the heart of the West Village, standing in front of an unassuming town house.
It didn’t look like there was a business there.
Billy looked around and frowned, then pulled out his phone and scrolled to his text messages.
He grabbed Jill’s hand and led her to a side staircase that went to a lower level.
“This is it. It’s a hidden entry.” They went down the stairs and into one of the most beautiful restaurants.
The space was cozy and seductive at the same time, with glistening mahogany floors and a flickering fireplace.
Billy gave their names to the host, and they were quickly seated at a table for two.
Jill sank into a cozy crushed velvet chair.
The menu was intriguing, and Jill decided to order one of their craft cocktails. She went with the Sexxy Red, which had rose vodka, elderflower, watermelon, and basil. Billy chose the Do Not Disturb, which had bourbon, tawny port, almond, orange, and bitters.
They toasted when their drinks arrived and put their food order in.
They decided to share an appetizer of tuna crispy rice.
Billy ordered the smash burger and fries, and Jill went for the king salmon with roasted potatoes.
Everything was delicious, and as usual, the time flew as they laughed and shared the highlights of their week.
As they were paying the bill and stood to leave, Jill was surprised to see a familiar face. Jenna from the office and a friend walked over, and Jenna looked surprised to see them.
Billy made a joke of it immediately. “Fancy seeing you here! Have you been here before? Jill lives nearby and just flew in, so we thought we’d try it.”
It made sense to Jill, and Jenna nodded, but a look flashed across her face that made Jill think her assistant may have picked up on a different vibe between her and Billy.
New York was such a big city, yet it wasn’t unusual to run into people you knew.
She was glad that they were planning to tell the office tomorrow.
Jill hated keeping secrets. She and Billy were both bad at it, and she was ready for everyone to know what they were up to.
She hoped they’d all be okay with it, but if they weren’t, they’d cross that bridge if they had to.
They left the restaurant and slowly made their way back toward Jill’s condo. She’d been too full for dessert, but now that they were walking for a bit, she had a craving for something sweet.
“Let’s stop for ice cream. It’s still early. I’m not ready to go in just yet. Are you?”
“I can always go for ice cream. Lead the way.”
They stopped at a shop on the way to Jill’s condo, and she got a big scoop of coffee ice cream with chunks of crushed toffee and swirls of hot fudge. Billy got a scoop of vanilla, and Jill teased him. “You sure you don’t want something more exciting than vanilla?”
He grinned. “Why mess with a good thing? Vanilla is always good, always reliable.”
They found a bench nearby and sat and ate their ice cream and people watched for a while.
Even though it was after ten, there were still tons of people out and about, heading to restaurants, to night clubs, for ice cream.
There was an energy in New York that Jill loved so much.
At this time of night on Nantucket, it would be so quiet.
The night would be over. Here, it was just beginning.
Billy reached his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. She was just about done with her ice cream. His was long gone. “You happy?” he asked.
She took her last bite, then leaned over and kissed him gently. “So happy. Let’s go home.”
The next morning, Jill rolled over and looked at Billy, who was still sound asleep in her bed.
Jill was a little nervous that today was the day they were planning to tell the office that they were an item.
Billy had said he’d do most of the talking, which was fine with her.
She was happy for it to be out in the open, and she really didn’t think anyone was going to mind. She hoped not anyway.
She jumped in the shower, and by the time she was out, Billy was up and drinking coffee in the kitchen.
He gave her a kiss on his way into the bathroom. “My turn.”
Billy had called for a car, and it was waiting downstairs for them. They reached the office a little before eight. They were the first ones there, but within minutes, the rest of the team began arriving. It was a typical Friday, busy and loud, and as usual, the day flew by.
At four, Billy came into the bullpen, the large open office where all the recruiters sat in their cubicles.
He walked into the middle of the room, holding a bottle of champagne, and looked around expectantly.
Everyone quickly understood that he wanted their attention.
Once everyone was off the phone, Billy smiled and held up the champagne.
“We have an announcement and something to celebrate today. Jill and I wanted to let you know something. You all know we’ve been friends, best friends for many years?” He looked around the room as people nodded.
“Well, a few months back, we decided that maybe we wanted to be more than friends, and we started dating.” He grinned. “So we wanted to let you know that we’re officially an item. What do you think of that?”
There was a moment of silence and then a chorus of congratulations. Jenna caught her eye and smiled knowingly. Jill was relieved that they all seemed to be happy for them.
But Billy wasn’t done yet.
“There’s something else that I wanted to do, here, in front of all of you. This company that Jill and I started brought us together, and it just seems appropriate to do this here too.”
Billy set the champagne down, took a few steps closer to Jill, and shocked her by getting down on one knee and pulling a small black box from his pocket. He opened it and held up a huge, shimmering, square-cut diamond ring.
“Jill, we’ve been friends for a long time and then business partners, and there’s no one else I’d rather have as a partner in life and love. You are the love of my life. Will you marry me?”
His eyes were so full of love that Jill’s initial shock quickly subsided and was replaced by a sense of peace and a rush of love. “Of course I will! I love you too, so much.”
He slid the ring onto her trembling finger while the room erupted in cheers and clapping.
“Billy, I can’t believe this,” she whispered as he pulled her in for a kiss.
“Believe it. You’re it for me, Jill. I can’t believe it took us so long to figure this out. I don’t want to wait any longer.”
Jill smiled. She felt the exact same way. “You’re crazy, but I love that about you. I can’t wait to marry you, Billy.”