She walks to the railing and looks out at the city. We have a decent view, South Philly in one direction, the big skyscrapers of Center City in the other. She laughs and looks back at me as I lean up against the doorway, my arms crossed.
“I’m glad you approve,” I say.
“How can you afford a place like this?”
“I saved,” I admit. “I’m also ten years older than you and I’ve been working for my father since I was eighteen.”
“Still, this must be worth…”
“A lot.” I shrug. “And I can more than afford it now that I’m CEO of Cork.”
“Assuming it stays in business.” She shoots me a grin.
I grin right on back. “Exactly.”
“So what now?”
“Well, we need to go get your stuff.”
“No, I mean, with the companies.”
I hesitate then walk over to the railing to join her. It’s metal with stiff wires running horizontally all along its length. A patio umbrella is in one corner, down for the time being, and some comfortable chairs are scattered all around. I lean against the railing and look out at South Philly, out at the city I love.
“We need to convince the board,” I say. “But it won’t be that simple.”
“Do you think any of them are going to be on our side?” she asks.
“Maybe one or two. We’ll start with them and move on from there.”
“We’re doing this… individually.”
I shrug. “That’s the idea.”
“Josh.” She laughs. “How big is your board?”
“Twelve of the best men and women in the world.” I grin at her and cock my head. “You got anything better to do?”
“I guess not. I married you for a reason.”
“Exactly. Seven percent.”
She laughs and doesn’t argue. We stand there looking out over the city together and I feel strangely comfortable. I’ve spent countless hours up on this roof, just sitting and staring out at the skyline, but I’ve never seen it like this before. I’ve never stood next to my new wife, still in our wedding clothes.
“Hey!” I look at a roof a few houses down. An older woman with white hair and big sunglasses stands there waving at us.
“Hi, Cathy,” I call back.
“Did you get married?” She’s practically shouting. She always shouts, can’t help herself.
“We got married,” I shout. “This is my wife, Maggie.”
“Congratulations!”
“Thank you!”
“Why wasn’t I invited?”
I roll my eyes. She laughs and flips me off. The old bird is crazy in the head, but I like her. Sometimes we stand up on the roof and shout about politics together. Pisses everyone else off, but oh, well.
“She seems nice,” Maggie says.
“She’s a treat. You’ll get used to her.” I turn back to the house, the moment passed. “Come on, let’s go inside. You can pick your room.”
“Sounds like a plan. I need to change out of this dress as soon as possible.”
We head back inside. I let her pick which room she wants before I bring her bag up. She picks the biggest of the two rooms, which is the correct choice, since it’s the closest to the bathroom. I toss her bag on the bed. “Feel free to change it up,” I say, looking around. “I’ m not going to lie, I got most of this crap at flea markets.”
“I can tell.” She picks up an old doll missing an eye. “What is this?”
“Early American,” I say. “Worth thousands.”
She frowns and gingerly puts it down. “Really?”
“Nah. Bought it for a dollar, thought it looked cool.”
She sighs. “It’s creepy.”
“Then burn it. Come on, get changed. I have a feeling there are a lot of bags in my future.”
She gives me a huge grin. “Damn right there are, hubby.”
“You know, since we’re married now, I think I get to stay while you strip down. That’s how it works, right?”
“Not even a little.” She pushes me toward the door. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I may be your wife, but I’m not yours.”
“We’ll see,” I say, grabbing her wrist as she tries to push me again. I stare into her eyes then down at her body. “I don’t think you’ll last long.”
“Last long until what?”
“Before you’re crawling up to my room, begging me to strip you down.”
She glares and pulls her hand away. “Asshole.”
“Hurry up.” I turn and leave, shutting the door behind me.
I knew this would be an adjustment. I mean, I’ve never been married before, and she’s a total stranger.
But for some reason, I’m looking forward to it.
Maybe it’s the way she looks at me. Maybe it’s the way I feel when she’s around. Or maybe it’s just those lips, so delicious and pouty and good.
Doesn’t matter what it is. I’m excited to have my new little bride move in with me. We’ll figure out the rest from there.3MaggieDad helps us move my stuff in with Josh. It’s a jarring transition, going from living with my father to living with a total stranger, but we all agree it’s the best thing. “Are you okay?” Dad asks me once the last box is dumped unceremoniously in my new room.