Thirty-Three
THIRTY-THREE
Noble
T y and I guided Holland, Ms. Elsie, Ty’s mom, Tanya, and our dads to the front of the historic brick building in downtown Brooklyn.
“Take your blindfolds off.”
Ty and I chuckled as they looked at each other, confused.
“Where are we, and why are we here?” Ms. Elsie asked, pulling her coat closed against the brisk February air. Everyone laughed.
“Look at the sign,” Ty said.
“Vive Brands?” Holland asked with her nose scrunched.
“You’re looking at the new home of Vive Brands, makers of nonalcoholic wine and spirits!”
Holland’s mouth dropped.
“You mean drinks that ain’t got no liquor in ’em?” Ms. Elsie asked, making everyone laugh.
“That’s exactly what it is, Ms. Elsie,” I said. “For people who want to live it up after they give it up. Our wines and spirits are made with pure organic ingredients and elixirs, blended to make you feel good and have a good time, without the negative effects of alcohol or hangovers.” I needed to practice our pitch.
Tanya’s broad smile gleamed in my peripheral.
“Mocktails are a growing trend and a great time to enter the market,” Ty said.
Still looking confused, Ms. Elsie planted her hands on her hips and said, “So you mean to tell me, I can drink as much as I want and won’t get drunk?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ty said.
“Where do I buy it!” She clapped her hands. Her jolly laugh infected everyone around us.
“I’m proud of you young men,” Ty’s dad said, putting one arm around Ty’s neck and the other around Ty’s mother.
“So this is what you’ve been up to?” Holland said. She knew I was working on something, but didn’t know what it was.
“You said I should start something on my own, so we did.”
“That was a great idea, Holland. We just didn’t know where to start. We did some research to figure out what made sense,” Ty said.
“And for many reasons, this did.” I looked at my dad. He winked. He’d been sober since his emergency surgery. “Let’s take a tour.”
Ty and I guided them through the lobby, our offices, and the area with all the shiny new machinery where the drinks would be made.
“I’m so happy for you, babe.” Holland kissed my lips. The sweet scent of lilies wafted in the air around her.
From the moment Holland said she wanted our relationship as badly as I did, I’d done everything I could to remind her she’d made the right choice. She helped me through my reconciliation with my father, and I was there for her as she began to build a relationship with hers.
Wading through tumultuous seasons, we kept one another together, weaving ourselves into the fabric of each other’s lives. There was no doubt in my mind that Holland was the woman I wanted to build a life with.
Even bundled up in a scarf, double-wrapped, gloves, and a winter coat, she looked as sexy as ever. No one else had scarves and gloves. This was Holland’s first encounter with a New York winter. It didn’t matter that we told her how mild recent winters were compared to when we were kids. This was way colder than she’d experienced growing up in South Carolina.
“Babe.” I grabbed Holland’s arm. “Let me show you the executive office.” Conspicuously, I looked left and right and tiptoed toward the large space designated as my office.
Holland twisted her lips. “Noble, what are you up to?” Still, she followed me without hesitation.
Inside, I closed the door and backed her up against it. Pressing my body against hers, I sighed. “What makes you think I’m up to something?” Before she could speak, I planted a series of pecks on her cheeks. “Do I look suspicious?” I kissed her breath away.
“I guess this is normal behavior for us,” she whispered and then giggled. We could never seem to get enough of each other.
I descended on her lips again, grinding against her. Holland’s hands roamed my chest. She slid a finger across my groin, and my erection responded. We got lost in each other, until someone knocked on my office door. We both jumped, looked at each other, and laughed.
“Coming!” I announced.”
“You got that right,” Holland snickered.
We straightened our clothes and opened the door.
“And this is Noble’s office.” Ty flashed us a subtle, knowing grin.
Our family and friends filed in.
“Mm-hmm,” Ms. Elsie said when she walked in. “You two got lost, huh?”
Holland’s caramel skin flushed with red undertones. She pulled both lips in, trying to hide her embarrassed grin.
“I can’t help it, Ms. Elsie,” I said with my hands up and shoulders raised.
“You sure do love that girl, don’t you?” Ms. Elsie said and continued touring my office. “This is nice.”
Holland’s smile slid down her face. Her mouth opened, her eyes darting between me and Ms. Elsie. She recovered quickly enough, but not before I saw the question behind her eyes. Did I love Holland? Absolutely.
I turned to lock eyes with Holland and said, “I sure do, Ms. Elsie.”
Holland’s eyes opened even wider, her mouth slightly agape. Despite the others milling about, checking out the new office space, we were the only two people in that room. No one seemed to pay attention to us, but we were hyperaware of each other.
Holland wasn’t huge on public displays of affection. Neither was I, until she came into my life. I couldn’t keep myself from hugging her, holding her hands, kissing her face. I didn’t care if the entire world watched. I loved touching her.
Holland had finally closed her mouth, but her eyes were still locked on mine.
“You love me?” she whispered.
“I do.” I nodded vigorously. If she didn’t hear my words, she’d see my answer. “I love you, Holland Davenport.”
“I love you, Noble Washington.”
Holland stepped closer, pulled me by my collar, and lifted her chin. I accepted her invitation and descended on her lips again. Neither of us cared that we were in the middle of a room full of people. This was our declaration to the world by way of the few family members and friends that were there. Holland Davenport and Noble Washington were in love.
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