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“Great, they will send you the purchase agreement to your email in the next few days.” While Margaret is speaking about the next steps for the purchase of the agency, I’m still totally shocked, unable to digest the news. It feels too surreal to be true, too easy. I don’t know much about Andries’ maternal side of the family, but Margaret seems to be one of those persons that you better not have as an enemy. “I’ve made sure that your staff keep their jobs and I also have found a few potential candidates to become the next managing director.”
“When it comes to the next manager,” I begin. “I want her to have experience as an escort too and to always put the safety of the girls first. Those are my only requests.”
Her lips curve up with a smile. “They seem reasonable.”
“Thank you for everything,” I say as we stand up. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to pay you back for this.”
She looks me in the eye with a soft stern. “Just take good care of my Andries. That’s all I ask in exchange.”
37
Amsterdam, March 25, 2022
Roxanne
The Italian restaurantwhere I’m meeting Andries for dinner isn’t too far from my agency, so I get there in no time. After the meeting with his grandmother yesterday, I figured I should tell him the news in a more romantic setting. Plus, now that his parents have disowned him, he’s no longer been apprehensive of being seen with me in public.
Reaching the block of the restaurant, I can’t help but smile up to my ears when my eyes lay on a tall young man, blue eyes, wide shoulders, sporting an open dark blue trench waiting for me outside. Once I get out of the car, I walk in his direction, my heart fluttering in excitement.
“No longer afraid to meet me in the public, huh?” I tease Andries as I clasp my arms around his neck.
He chuckles at my joke, wets his lips, and gives me one of his irresistible smiles. “Meeting you in public was never the problem; what my family could do to us if they knew we were together was.”
“Well, they haven’t done anything we can’t get through,” I tell him, before I lean in to kiss him.
We shut our eyes when our lips touch, letting ourselves revel in the moment.
Once our lips part, we make our way into the restaurant and are immediately greeted by a hostess who leads us to our table. I’m pleased to see we’re sitting at a corner table by the window. The table is cozy, lit by a floating candle in a bowl with two roses as a centerpiece. It’s perfect!
After giving us the menus, she serves us champagne and breadsticks as our starters. I nibble on one of the breadsticks as I take Andries in. He’s removed his trench coat, and is now rolling up his sleeves to his elbows, some strand of hair has fallen on his brow, and I find the all combination absolutely mesmerizing. He tries to brush them aside, but to no avail.
“Is there something wrong?” he asks, noticing me staring at him for a bit too long.
I clear my throat, cutting eye contact for a brief second. “Not at all,” I say, regaining my composure. “In fact, I have good news.”
“Ah, that’s something I want to hear.” He pauses, taking a sip of his champagne, before giving me all his attention. “Tell me what it is.”
“Well, your grandmother came to my agency yesterday afternoon,” I announce, causing him to gape at me.
“She did?”
I nod, reveling myself in his astonishment. “And not only that, but she found a German company interested in acquiring my agency. Isn’t that amazing?”
“She found you a buyer?” I can’t help but snort at how stunned he is. “I can’t believe it,” he says, visibly confused at the revelation. “That’s something I never thought she’d do.”
“I received the purchase agreement today and our legal teams are finalizing the last details,” I proceed, my tone coming across even more excited than before. “The signing will be on Friday, April eighth, and they’ll be hosting a cocktail party with dinner afterwards—which you are obviously invited to.”
“Now, that’s…” Andries lets his words trail off as he tries to find the right thing to say. “Absolutely incredible. I’m so damn happy.” His eyes hold a glow that wasn’t there a few seconds ago, and when he looks me in the eye again, he says, “Thank you so much for doing this for me.”
“I’m not doing it foryou,” I tell him, causing Andries to crease his brows in confusion. “I'm doing it forus.” His expression softens with a smile, and he leans forward just enough to give me a quick peck on the lips. “She also told me about your childhood and, um, about that hunting trip with your father.”
His eyes widen in surprise but he tries to play it off by taking a sip of his water. “Well, that’s…”
“I’m not here to judge or anything,” I add just as fast. “I want you know I’m here for you if you want to vent about him.”
He snorts at my reply, shaking his head. “That’s okay. I gave up the idea of having a healthy relationship with my dad a long time ago.” Somehow his words carry a heaviness that squeezes my heart. “He wanted me to be just like him, but I couldn’t be anymore different. I think deep down that fills him with a mix of anger and sadness, but I cannot change who I am.”
I can’t help but lean closer to him and rub my hand on his back in understanding. “I’m sure one day he will realize how amazing you are,” I say in a low voice, my mouth close enough to his.
