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Her mother looks down at the red velvet box and then back up at me. “Has she seen it?”
“No.” I shake my head.
“Does she know it exists?”
I shake my head again. “No, I keep it in a safe at work because she’s nosy.”
“What about where you two work?” Her father chimes in, speaking for the first time.
“We are in the process of changing our policy. The CEO fell in love with his assistant.” I chuckle. “So, Marissa won’t report directly to me anymore but she can still work for the company and get promoted and thrive. I just don’t have a say in her salary anymore, which is good, because I would just…give her everything.”
Her mother reaches forward and picks up the ring box. She gasps when she opens it. “Oh, of course you have good taste.” She shakes her head. “You really had the potential to be perfect, you know?”
I chuckle nervously because I’m not sure if they’re giving me their blessing or telling me that none of this is good enough and I’m still the man who made their daughter my mistress for far too long. “I am sorry for everything. For what happened at Autumn’s shower and just putting Marissa in a position like that. I was being selfish and not thinking about how everything would affect her.”
Her father crosses his arms across his chest. “I had Eric pull your file so I could read some of the notes and the transcripts. I am not denying that you had a tough few years and that you got taken for a lot for not having a prenuptial agreement. It does seem that your ex-wife had some ulterior motives. This does not give you a pass, but you gave her whatever she wanted and you owned up to your mistakes. Not just with her, but in court and with your job and Marissa and now with us and I suppose I admire that, a little.” He sighs. “And if you’re really serious about marrying her…well, I guess I have to get on board with that. I’m not missing out on walking my favorite child down the aisle.”
Marissa’s mother gasps and smacks his arm. “Do not tell her he said that. You know Shane and Autumn already think we favor her.”
“They’ll be alright,” he says as he stands up and puts his hand out for me to shake, and when I reach for it, he squeezes it hard. “I will have my eye on you though. All my eyes and believe me, I have eyes everywhere. If you step a toe out of line in regards to my daughter, I will have you thrown in jail,” he says.
“Oh, he will not. Don’t worry about that.” Marissa’s mom smiles as she comes to stand beside him. “He’ll just kill you.”
Three Months Later
“Baby, the food’s here!” I hear called from the dining room. I’m at Marissa’s townhouse for the third night this week. We actually spend more of our time here than my apartment and I’m hoping that she’ll finally just let me buy it for us so we can live here together. I walk into the dining room to find Marissa and her sister taking the Chinese food we ordered for tonight’s ‘sibling dinner’ out of the bags and setting the table. Shane comes in with Megan and their two kids trailing behind them.
“Did you guys figure out what game I’m spanking you all at tonight?” Shane asks and Marissa rolls her eyes.
“Because you cheat at everything!” Autumn says as she opens up the containers. “I refuse to play any more games with you.”
“Sore loser.” He says
“Cheater!” She shrieks.
“Okay, can we not do this here?” Marissa chimes in. “Argue at your houses. I would like peace and solitude here please.”
“So, that rules out Uno,” Shane jokes as he takes a sip of his wine.
“And spades,” Eric says.
“And after the catastrophe caused by the last time we played Pictionary, I don’t even want to do that. This is why we can’t have nice things,” Marissa jokes.
It didn’t take long for everyone to get on board with me and Marissa after I got her parents’ conditional approval. Marissa told me that her mom told her how impressed she was by me coming to talk to them, and that I’m still her most handsome future son-in-law. I’m holding onto that for if I ever need it.
I know I am nowhere near out of the woods with them but, I am getting somewhere and I know as soon as we reveal our news, I’ll be in the clear.
I follow Marissa into the kitchen and see her on a step stool reaching for glasses and I’m behind her in an instant, pulling her down gently into my arms. “None of this.”
“This is going to be a long nine months if you’re going to be following me around like this. I can climb on a step stool.”
“No need when I’m around,” I tell her as I wrap my arms around her. We haven’t told anyone yet that Marissa is pregnant and I plan to have my ring on her finger when we do. For now, it’s our little secret.
“You’re always around and up under me!” She laughs. The one perk of us working together is that she can typically come with me whenever I have to travel and vice versa. I hate being away from her for longer than a few days, and I’m unashamed to admit that I’ve been known to show up in her hotel room when it’s been longer than that. I cup her cheeks and press my lips to hers.
“And will continue to be for the rest of my life. I told you before, you need to get used to me being around.”
She giggles. “I like the idea of that.”
