Not only that, but the congressman is an investor with Van. As soon as the EPA pressure came down, he started trying to buy up all the other shareholders through a shell company at a fraction of the market value, in the hope of turning a huge profit selling off the company once Van was forced to fold.
Seems Ruby is still a sore loser and her dad is a money grabbing criminal. Van told me about how they met years ago, and Ruby practically flung herself at him. Then I guess when she saw him taking care of me, the grudges of the past multiplied and she went running to Daddy.
I don’t think she ever got over losing out to me as valedictorian.
Sore loser. But a dangerous one.
What she didn’t count on, is Van has connections as well. They couldn’t turn up any proof that they could bring to court, but his private investigators managed to get some very interesting pictures of the good congressman and a woman who is not his wife, canoodling in a Washington Hotel.
Good money can pay for a lot. Including playing dirty. And it can get things done fast. Sure, it was luck that they found out what they did, and skill that they got the pictures, but from what I understand, the woman—Gloria, who I heard him speaking to on the phone at the restaurant—practically begged Van to let her be involved in the sting. She’s an investor who made a lot of money on several of his wells and has quite a bit of her money invested in some of the ones the EPA shut down.
She was very motivated to help.
And, just so happens, she was the congressman’s type. A woman who just also happens to have a penis. Hit the congressman’s kink hard, and he crumbled like a dried-out cookie. From there, it was a few zoom lenses, some emails, and wala, all is once again right with the world.
“If I resign, it could still take a year or more for me to find a position I want, and someone is offering.”
Van snaps his tongue in his cheek. “Well, I have a thought. Might solve a few of our other problems as well.”
“Okay.”
He’s up and out of bed, opening the door to the sitting room off my master suite. George runs in and bounces up on the bed, licking my face.
Van’s naked body moves into the other room, and I watch as he unzips his computer bag, then comes back in holding something behind his back.
His half hard cock thickens as he walks and I’m still in awe of how much I desire him.
He sits down on my side of the bed, George giving him a little growl, but Van shakes his head, picks up the little dog and sets her on the other side of me with a stern look, and she lays down, looking up at him with puppy eyes.
“Issi.” He pulls a light blue velvet box from behind his back, pulling my left hand up and setting it on my palm. “You are the one for me. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You are the one. We are it. We fit. I’ve never felt more me than I do with you. I need you to be my wife. I need you to be my life. Marry me, Issi.”
Feelings tumble through me as Van slips the amazing ring onto my trembling finger. I reach for his face with my other hand, running it down his beard feeling the tense jaw muscle underneath.
I’m frozen, and Van’s eyes are wide, waiting.
“Issi, if you don’t say yes in the next two seconds, I’m going to have a fucking stroke.”
I nod and squeak out the word. “Yes.”
“Jesus, thank you. Took you long enough.”
He reaches over and pulls me into him, and I crawl into his lap. My arms snaking around his hard shoulders and burying my face into his neck.
There’s a knot inside me that feels like it’s snapping. A knot that’s been tied too tight for so many years.
Since the sixth grade.
Before I can hold it back, I’m sobbing. Van’s comforting words whispered into my ear, but I can’t stop. All the years of holding back my emotions come crashing out and into him.
He holds me until I finally breathe. It could have been an hour, I don’t know, but he just held me tight, told me everything is okay. I’m okay.
And for the first time since I was a little girl, I believe him.
I am okay.
When I can finally speak, there’s one thing on my mind.
“I want the biggest, whitest, girliest wedding dress ever.” The image of the dress on the cover of mom’s Bride magazine sweeps through my mind reminding me to always be open to the possibilities of life.