Page 41 of One Drink

Epilogue

Stephanie

One year later

The rumbling soundsof cheers echoed past my office door which only meant one thing. Jake had stopped by for a visit. He stopped by often, and every time his old team cheered like they hadn’t seen him in months.

He and I had both underestimated the impact his departure would have on the staff. Everybody loved working for him and his going away party had been both a joyous occasion and a sad one for many.

His replacement, Lucy, was doing a fantastic job, but there were a few employees that still compared her to Jake. I would’ve thought that after a year, everyone would’ve gotten use to the change, but he made such a positive impact it was taking longer to get over his departure.

I walked over to my door and leaned against the frame. Jake was surrounded by his former team. So many questions were being tossed at him it was a wonder he could keep up. But in typical Jake fashion, he smiled and waited for them to quiet and answered each question one-by-one.

I crossed my legs at my ankles with my hands behind my back and watched him. It had been nine months since we moved in together and three months since we got married. We spent every moment outside of work together but that didn’t change the fact that I missed seeing him around the office. I guess I still struggled with the change as well.

He looked over at me, our eyes met, and a smile crept across his face I couldn't help but smile back. While he was happy to see his former team, I could tell by the gleam in his eyes there was more to his visit than just catching up with old friends and former co-workers.

“Mrs. Williams, here are the layouts for your approval.” Lucy handed me the portfolio for next month’s issue.

I took the portfolio and sighed. “Lucy, how many times are you going to make me ask you to call me Steph or Stephanie?”

“Can’t say for sure, ma’am.” She smiled before she headed down the hall to say hi to Jake. Lucy was an outside hire and she never really got to know Jake like the others, but she always made an effort to talk to him when he stopped by. It was her way of letting the team know she wasn’t jealous of their connection to Jake, but I could tell it bothered it her to a degree. They accepted her just fine, but for many of them, it wasn’t the same.

Jake pulled himself away from the group and headed my way. His grin grew the closer he got to me. When he reached me, he took me by the hand, pulled me into my office, and shut the door. He wrapped his arms around me and twirled me around.

“Jake.” I laughed. “You’re in a great mood.”

He sat my feet on the ground and kissed me. “Have I told you lately how much I love you.”

“Only about fifty times a day.”

“That’s not enough.” He kissed me again, this time deeper than the last. Every kiss with Jake was filled with passion, love, and need. We couldn’t get enough of each.

And to think I was almost stupid enough to walk away from him. Thank goodness he was a patient man.

He broke away, leaving me breathless. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He looked down at me through lidded eyes and the swarm of butterflies he often set off in my stomach were wreaking havoc on me again. “Did you come by just to get me all worked up or is there some other reason for this visit?”

“Maybe a little of both.” He reached behind him and pulled something out from underneath his jacket. “I have something for you.”

I looked at the thin rectangular package wrapped in brown packaging paper before I took it from him. “What’s this.”

“Open it.” His grin was contagious, and I couldn’t stop myself from kissing him. I stepped back and slipped a finger beneath the tape, pulling back the wrapping.

I gasped. “Oh, my God. It’s your book.” I glanced up at him filled with pride. “But how?”

After Jake left the magazine, he wasted no time getting to work on his novel. He finished his first draft within a month and was signed with an agent shortly thereafter. After a few rounds of editing, his novel was polished and ready to sell to publishers. I never doubted he’d find success, but I was surprised it happened this quickly.

“My agent got me a deal with an indie press. They love it and want to move fast. I wanted to wait and surprise you with the printed draft.”

“I am surprised.” I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. He was finally realizing his dreams and I couldn’t be happier for him. “We’ll have to go out and celebrate.”

“I managed to snag a table at L’Atelier tonight at seven.” His hands slipped down around my ass and pressed me closer. His cock stiffened at our closeness and I loved how his body reacted to being close to mine. After a year, our mutual desire for each other hadn’t wavered in the slightest. His lips grazed across my neck before his teeth found my earlobe and nibbled. “We can enjoy a quiet evening in a dark secluded booth in the same place this all started over a year ago. What do you say?”

“I think that’s an excellent idea.” I kissed his cheek and leaned in close to his ear. “But what do you say to locking my office door and we celebrate this achievement right here on top of my desk.”

His eyes darkened and his breathing quickened. His mouth covered mine hungrily, forcing my lips open with the thrust of his tongue. Jake never failed to take my breath away and kissing him like this always left me panting. He pulled back and sucked in a deep breath.

“I think that’s an even better idea.” He slipped his hand up my back until his fingers found the end of my zipper. He slowly pulled it down and my dress slipped off my shoulders. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

He released me and turned to lock the door.