Nicole saw movement behind Gia and with a leaping heart, realized that Red was coming out of the conference room and was within earshot.
“Red told you to answer his cell phone and to prevent me from talking to him, no matter how urgent the call?” Nicole asked pointedly.
Gia nodded. “He was very specific that nobody get through—and I assume that includes you. Now I really think you should leave, because he’s in an extremely important pitch meeting.”
Red shook his head and walked past Gia and gave Nicole a big hug.
She’d never felt so warm and loved in all her life as she did right then.
Gia became suddenly awkward, standing there, making confused faces as Red kissed Nicole and whispered an apology.
“Sorry, Mr. Jameson,” Gia said. “I think there was some confusion about schedules and I was trying to explain to your wife—“
Red spun and looked at the younger woman, and she shut up as if he’d stolen the vocal chords right out of her neck. “I heard what you said to my wife, Gia. That was blatantly untrue. I told you specifically that you should come and get me if my wife was on the line, no matter what. And the idea that you would try and convince her to leave the very office that she co-owns? Did I really give you that impression?”
Gia shook her head. “No. No, sir. I just thought that you were so busy—“
“You’re fired, Gia. I want you to grab your things and go. Immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
Several of the other employees were coming out of their offices to see what the ruckus was about.
“I’m so sorry I stirred up problems for you,” Nicole whispered.
Red laughed. “Are you kidding me? I love you. I don’t give a shit about any of this stuff, I care about you.”
They hugged again, and a moment later, Gia rushed past them and down the stairs, her tight little butt wiggling one last time as she scurried out of sight.
“I love you, Nicole. I don’t want anything to ever get in the way of us. And if anyone or anything does, I’ll make it go away.”
“I know,” she said, smiling and burying her face in his chest as they hugged.
“Red?” someone called from behind him.
Nicole broke away as one of his employees came out of the conference room. “We were wondering if we should take ten or if you’re coming back in now?” the younger man with his hipster glasses asked.
Nicole started to walk away. “I’ll go now. Call me when you get out of your meeting.”
But Red grabbed her hand and wouldn’t let her leave. “Jonathan, take over the lead on the pitch for me. Tell everyone I’m sorry but I have something really important to attend to. My wife.” And then laughing, Red kissed her hand and pulled her toward the exit with him.
“You can’t just leave your pitch meeting,” she cried as they ran down the stairs, giggling like two kids cutting class.
“Fuck the pitch meeting,” he said.
“You’re crazy!” she laughed. “What’s gotten into you?”
When they got outside the building, he pressed her up against the wall and kissed her deeply and passionately. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Then, Red looked into Nicole’s eyes, as he caressed her hair. “I’ll tell you what got into me. You did. Your heart, your laugh, your smile, your caring soul. That’s what got into me. I don’t want to give you up for anything.”
“You don’t have to give me up,” she said. “I want you to have both. I want you to do your business—“
“Our business,” he corrected her.
“Don’t give anything up for me.”
“I’m not giving it up. I’m just making my priorities crystal clear, Nicole.”
She laughed and kissed him again and he kissed her back. When they’d broken off, she told him about the call from Danielle and firing Marcie.
“You took a stand,” Red said, shaking his head with admiration. “That’s my girl.”
“The wedding got blown so out of proportion,” Nicole said. “I don’t even know how it happened. I just let my head get filled with so many ideas and I stopped even making choices. This whole thing was supposed to be about us—you and me. I don’t care who else is there or what kind of cake we have.”
“What do you say we just skip town?” Red asked her, his eyes lighting up with familiar devilish mischief.
“Skip town? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that phrase used before, except maybe in an old black and white movie.”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here. Tonight. Right now, actually.” He grabbed her hand again and started to pull her as he picked up his pace.
“Where? Where will we go?”
“Anywhere!” he yelled.
***
As it turned out, “anywhere” meant Belize, a Caribbean island only a few hours away from New York by plane. It was one of the few places in Central America where English was spoken as the official language. Red told Nicole that he’d been there once before on business and had wished to go back someday with a special person.