Love You Always

“He better not hurt you. I know I’d survive in prison but the food is terrible from what I’ve been told.”

I laugh. “I’m sure you’d do wonderful on the inside. You’d probably have your own crew and everything.”

“I love you. Have a good day and text me all the details. I’m going to call Kim and tell her that maybe we should open a matchmaking company because clearly we nailed it. Kim said that she could never get that man to go on a date with anyone. Look at him now. All in love.” Amelia looks like she’s doing a victory dance.

“He didn't say he loves me.” My heart races at the thought. It is too soon for that. That would be crazy. Still, there’s this feeling I have inside me. I don’t have a name for it. Could this be love? I know how to love. I love Amelia. I love my parents even if they aren't the best people, I still love them in some capacity. This thing with Max feels as though it’s something more.

“I talked to that man last night while you were passed out. I think he’s in love.” I sit up a little straighter, making sure the sheets are covering my breasts. Not that she hasn’t seen them before.

“What did he say?” I poke.

“Guess you’ll have to come over and ask me. You dish your details and I’ll dish mine.” She wiggles her eyebrows.

‘Fine! You win. I’ll stop by.”

“Laters.” She does a kiss face. I do one back.

“Love you. See you soon.”

“Love you too.” We hang up as I fall back onto the bed thinking that I could use a few more hours of sleep. It’s still early. I hear the shower going, which pulls all thoughts of sleep from my mind as I make my way to the bathroom to join Max.

Chapter 16 Mia

“I need to sign a few things and then we’ll be out of here.” Max takes my hand as we exit the back of his town car. I give his driver Smith a smile. I know my cheeks are red because he saw me climbing all over Max last night. From the way things are looking I’m sure Smith and I both will get used to it. It seems as though it’s going to be a common occurrence.

I look up at the giant building. “Do you own this whole thing?” It’s a silly question as my eyes catch the sign that says Kennedy Tower.

“Yeah, but I only use the top few floors. The rest are either rented out to independent companies or ones that I’ve invested in.”

“Oh.” He isn’t rich; he is wealthy.

“I’m only popping in because the contract I need to sign is one that I promised I’d get done today. I don’t break promises.”

My fingers hold on to his tighter. “I don’t mind.”

“Then I’m yours for the rest of the day.” He guides me inside. “Most of the staff won’t even be in yet.” He ushers me onto the elevator, hitting the button for the top floor. “Mark, my assistant, usually beats everyone in but I think he’s still feeling under the weather.”

“Is he okay?” We step out of the elevator.

“He got into a little quarrel with Kim. That doesn't tend to end well for her opponents. She’s crafty. I’ve learned how to handle her better than most,” he says with a small laugh. I smile, enjoying how when he talks about his sister he always smiles. When he talks about his nephews his whole face lights up. It gives me hope that he’s a family man. I’d do well to remember not to fight with Kim. So far I’ve seen her put out a debt of six million dollars against her brother and now she’s done something to keep his assistant out for the day. No wonder she is Amelia’s friend. You know what they say, birds of a feather and all.

Mrs. Brenner may have been on to something when she said I should look for a new job. She could see that I was more of a people person and should be out among them instead of being stuck in some cubicle. The truth is that I think I’ve been waiting. I wasn’t sure what I wanted but now that I have Max, I can’t stop thinking about having a family. I remember seeing all the other families growing up. They were all so different from mine. Other kids had moms and dads who showed up to everything and enjoyed being a part of their lives.

“He’s normally here.” He taps on a desk that sits right outside two giant double doors. He pulls one open, motioning for me to enter.

“This is giant.” I look around his office. One wall is lined with TVs with the stock markets and other numbers I don’t understand scrolling across them. His desk sits toward the back but off to the left in what looks to be a living room area. “You sleep here?”