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Tears streaming down my cheeks, I muster a joyful, “Hi.”
Our lips seem to pull toward each other like magnets, but we restrain ourselves, knowing this isn’t the place or time for more. Instead, we simply beam at each other as he tenderly wipes the tears from my face.
“You need help with this?” he asks, nodding toward my workstation.
“Okay,” I manage to whisper, my throat tight with emotion.
Just then, my mom’s voice cuts through the air. “Alrighty then,” she begins, perhaps attempting to lighten the mood. “Keeping with our standards, I guess it’s my turn to dish about my daughter.” It’s hard to tell if she’s trying to be funny. Her tone shifts as she continues. “So why do you think it has taken two months for my daughter, who I have a very good relationship with, to tell me she’s pregnant?” Her question hangs in the air, clearly not meant as a joke. She’s genuinely upset.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I realize it’s time to address everyone—my parents, the ladies, and even the listeners. “I’m sorry, everybody. Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve, but I’m only human. It was hard to accept that the man I am deeply attracted to and have fallen in love with was portrayed as falling for another woman…”
Joyce cuts me off with a question. “How long have you two known each other?”
Surprised, I jerk my head back. Are they even listening to my apology? Randy and I exchange perplexed frowns, thrown off by the sudden shift.
“A year,” I respond, still a bit flustered.
“Thirteen months and twenty-three days,” Randy specifies more accurately.
“Are you going to marry her?” Carrie interjects abruptly.
My eyes widen in shock, nearly popping from their sockets as I gasp, horrified by the bluntness of her question.
Before I can shut down this line of questioning, Randy answers with a calm and steady, “Yes. One day, yes. That’s if she’ll have me.” Suddenly, he stiffens like a strong thought just came to mind. “I’m sorry,” he begins, and then he turns his attention to my mom and then dad. “Mrs. and Mr. Emerson, with all due respect, I can’t wait any longer. I need to kiss your daughter. And I’ve been missing her badly, so it’s going to be really juicy. Can you handle it?”
First, my parents exchange a look, silently checking in with each other.
My mom’s grin then stretches from ear to ear as she enthusiastically replies, “We can handle it.”
My dad, with a slightly more restrained smile, gives a thumbs-up.
And so, I’m soon feeling as if I’m floating on air as I become reacquainted with the taste of Randy’s mouth, the pressure of his tongue indulging in mine, his lips slipping passionately between my lips, and soon his excitement can be felt in all the right places.
Chapter 21
If Even By Accident
The drive to Randy’s house is torturous. We make out at every stoplight, although there aren’t many because he doesn’t live that far from my parents’ house. We quickly catch up on each other’s lives. Yes, Randy is running on fumes and has hardly slept since being released from the show. He shares how the lack of sleep and the physical demands have taken a toll on him, and he’s surprised he managed to make it through. Then in an unexpected twist, he reveals that he has purchased the Calypso Café.
My mouth falls open in shock, and all I can manage is a bewildered, “What?”
Randy explains that Jeremy used his savvy to navigate the bureaucracy and discovered that Steve, who is currently in rehab, still had the chance to transfer his loan to another borrower. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Steve transferred the mortgage to Randy, who promptly paid off the remaining loan amount.
“So you did win!” I shriek, realization dawning on me.
With a shrewd wink and a grin that lights up his weary face, I know the answer before he even speaks. Raising his eyebrows, he asks, “Can we keep this between us?”
“Yay, you won!” I erupt, clapping in celebration, unable to contain my excitement.
To that, Randy reclaims one of my hands, raises the back of it to his lips, and declares, “I missed you like crazy.” He then plants a sweet kiss on my knuckles before announcing that he is the new Head Chef Total Domination champ.
Unable to stop smiling, I say, “I knew you would be crowned the champion.”
“Thanks, babe.”
Beaming, I ask, “I’m really your babe?”
“Yes. And I’m yours.”
