To the shock of Lula and Berkley, I begin to laugh. Their eyes widen and they exchange a look as I lean back on the pillow.
“We met in an elevator.”
“You and Kade?” Berkley asks, and I nod.
“I had a job interview at Saks that was on the fifth floor and I was running late.”
I smile as I remember running through the store in my only pair of high-heeled shoes. I had a skirt that was my sister’s that was way too big and one of her old tops that was way too small. My boobs were threatening to pop the buttons clean off and I was having to hold the waist of my skirt to keep it from falling off me. I was sweaty from sitting on the broken-down train and my perfectly braided hair was a mess after I’d run six blocks. The whole day was a complete disaster and it was only getting started.
When I got to the elevator there was a huge man blocking the doors, but by the time I reached him they opened up and he stepped inside. I was in such a hurry I tripped over my own feet as I was walking in and planted right into his back before I fell to the floor.
The door closed as he loomed over me and all I could think about was how this elevator was not designed for a man his size. But to my shock he actually smiled at me before he reached down and picked me right up off the floor.
I don’t know how but in that moment I knew he wasn’t the kind of man that smiled very much. His hands lingered on my hips a little longer than necessary and his touch burned every part of me.
“He was so big,” I say as I close my eyes. “He was like some kind of god that fell from the sky.”
“When was this?” Lula’s voice is encouraging and peaceful.
I smile again as I open my eyes and look over to my sister. “Two weeks ago.”
“Collins, you were in the hospital for a week,” she says, her eyes widening, and I nod. “Are you saying you married this guy after, what, the first date?”
“Yes.” I bite my bottom lip as I look down at my diamond and twirl it on my finger. “He wouldn’t let me off the elevator until I agreed to give him my number and go out on a date with him that night. He tried to get me to ditch the interview but I wouldn’t. Although I should have because it went terribly.”
“I can’t believe this,” Berkley whispers, leaning back in her chair.
“He literally swept me off my feet,” I sigh and think back to our first date and how we stayed up all night talking and walking all over the city. We never went to sleep and we had our second date in the bakery around the corner of my apartment. It was like something out of a movie. One date bleeding into the next.
He kissed me as the sun came up and he tasted like coffee and fresh baked cinnamon rolls. I’d never felt so powerless yet so safe in my whole life. One look, one night, and I was done.
“After that we never spent a second apart.” I stare down at the ring again and smile. “He proposed the second night, and we were married by the third.”
“Did you give it up on the first date or wait until you got the ring?”
“Berkley!” Lula scolds, and she gives her a wicked smile.
“What? We’re all girls.” She shrugs and I shake my head.
“No, we’ve, um, never done it.” I feel myself blush as every memory of us together is totally clear. “He said he wanted to wait until the wedding night, so I made sure I didn’t have to wait long.”
“Damn,” Lula says in amazement and another smile tugs at my lips.
“Until this morning when Berkley walked in on us, all we’d ever done was kiss.” How crazy is that? I guess this all is a little crazy.
“And here I thought his dick had somehow hypnotized you into losing your memory.” She isn’t the least repentant about walking in on us.
“No.” My voice is solemn as I fold my hands together in my lap. “There was an argument with someone at our wedding ceremony. I was going to call you, Berkley, but it all happened so fast.”
“Clearly,” she says dryly.
“When he gave me the ring it was the middle of the night and as soon as dawn broke we had a judge at his house. Kade is rich and told me we could go anywhere in the world on our honeymoon. I told him I wanted to go to London. I was going to surprise the both of you but as we were packing our bags, everything went south.”