The Billionaires Love Curves Finale - a BBW BWWM Billionaire Romance (7 page)

Epilogue

It was very close to Valentine's Day.

The sun was bright and the sky was an unusually clear blue for a winter afternoon, more like summer the way the sun reflected off the water. Lunch that afternoon was a light salad and some cold meats washed down with a bottle of Prosecco.

Lacey insisted on making a long, tall cocktail for both her and Nate so they could just sit and take in the peaceful warmth of the day. So they sat on their reclining deck chairs, cocktail glasses in hand, taking in the quiet lull of the afternoon. They had escaped the bustle and noise of the city and were happy to just enjoy their own company as they sat on Nate's yacht, just off the harbor, not far from his home in the Hamptons.

The cocktail Lacey made was one of the recipes that she and Elaine had discovered on one of their loud and boozy Friday evenings at the apartment. Lacey had moved back in with Elaine right after leaving Cole, and her best friend was only too happy to have her back.

Elaine had spent several nights drying Lacey's tears after her break up with Cole. They talked for hours into the night while Elaine tried to get Lacey to believe in herself again. Lacey's mind had been all over the place, so Elaine had a hard time convincing her that nothing that happened between her and Cole was her fault.

The words, “It wasn't you, it was him.” played a large part in their conversations and so did the word, “manipulation.”  Bit by bit, Lacey got her confidence back. It wasn't until a few weeks after her break-up with Cole that Lacey felt confident about seeing Nate for a date.

Gradually, over a period of months, she started seeing Nate in a proper relationship. Their reunion was well and truly sealed, which meant that during the autumn and winter months of that terrible year, Lacey and Nate were almost inseparable and going out every weekend as a proper couple.

For Lacey, the time just seemed to have flown by and she was relishing her rekindled love for Nate.

One of the things that kept Lacey's mind off all the terrible events of that summer was the whirlwind romance that Elaine had.

Elaine, who had been sick to death of her boyfriend, complaining non-stop about everything he said or did, decided that she wanted to find a rich man like Lacey had. Her reasoning behind it was that if he turned out to be a jerk like her last boyfriend, she wouldn't start to complain about him because all she would have to do is take his credit card and go out and buy herself something new.

But, after vowing to date a billionaire, Elaine actually fell in love with the janitor of a hospital.

It would be a story that she and Lacey would talk about forever. It happened just days after Elaine met Lacey for a champagne lunch to celebrate her liberty from the controlling Cole. She treated Lacey to a pair of high heeled designer shoes so they could go out and paint the town red.

“Once you go out in a pair of these your life will never be the same,” she said to a very nervous Lacey, who had never dared to go anywhere in heels that high.

Later that evening, the second she and Elaine entered the swanky bar where they were supposed to be meeting Lacey's former editor, Ali Russell, for drinks, Elaine declared “this is it, Lacey, this is the moment you start living.” Immediately after she said that, she took a step and twisted her ankle, falling down in a heap just by the entrance to the bar.

Just one slip and Elaine had come toppling over and had to be rushed to the ER with a swollen ankle, which Ali and Lacey insisted needed an x-ray. It swelled to the size of a melon and Elaine kept saying, “take me back to the bar. I can drink in bare feet.”

In the waiting room of the ER department, the janitor had gone by with a mop and pail. He and Lacey locked eyes, and he kept walking in and out of the ER with obviously nothing to do. Each time he did, Elaine would squeeze Lacey's hand so that in the end, Lacey went over to the tall and handsome, hazel eyed janitor and introduced him to her best friend.

Lacey couldn't be happier for Elaine. She could see she was truly happy and by Christmas, Elaine was married to her new man and living in their bijou apartment in the Bronx. What he lacked in money he made up for with a strong love and devotion for Elaine that money could never buy.

As far as her job went, Lacey had not gone straight back to work for Holden-Taylor. She had met with Ali for lunch several times before Ali could convince her that it was the right thing to do.

“The thing is, Lacey,” Ali had told her one afternoon, “I'm not so sure employees
should
date their CEO. I mean, I've seen the boss-employee relationship work and I've seen it go terribly wrong. But something has happened at Holden-Taylor that you need to know about.”

“What's that?” Lacey had been puzzled because Nate had not told her anything about the company and had not pressured her to return since they started dating again. All Nate had ever said to her about working again is that she should take everything at her own pace, considering what she went through that summer.

“Well,” Ali had gone on to say, “Nate has taken a back seat. He's sat out as CEO at Holden-Taylor so that he can start a smaller project of his own. I think he wants to prove himself all over again by building up another company. With all the accusations Cole Tyler made, Nate just had to satisfy himself that he had it in him to build a company from scratch. It's in a completely unrelated field, which puts him at a disadvantage, but he's already doing well.”

“So,” Lacey had said to Ali at the time, “if he's no longer CEO of Holden-Taylor, then who is?”

“Well,” Ali had gestured with her hands. “You're looking at the new CEO. And I'm going to do everything in my power to get you back at Holden-Taylor. There's a bright future for you there, Lacey, don't you forget that, and your office awaits you as soon as you admit I'm right.”

“You don't have to convince me, Ali. I want to come back. I wanted to come back the second I handed in my resignation. Another big mistake I made and I really want to rectify it.”

“Great,” Ali had said. “When will you start?”

“How about today?”

Lacey and Ali had celebrated her return to Holden-Taylor. Ali had gone as far as laying on a special meeting which was more like a staff party to welcome Lacey back. One of the things Lacey felt straight away was that the pressure was off her, now that Nate was not around as CEO. As for Lacey, it wasn't long before she started to shine at her job and it was pretty clear that if there was a chance of promotion, it would be hers for the taking.

Nate still had a financial interest in the company but Cole's words, the feuding and the fighting, had left him with a bitter taste in his mouth about Holden-Taylor. He had built it up, but now he was happier to reap the benefits of it from afar, concentrating on his new project instead.

So, within five months, a lot of changes had taken place. Lacey had gotten used to living on her own and occasionally seeing her now married friend, Elaine, who was expecting a baby, and working for her new boss, Ali Russell. But most of all she was happy to be back in a steady relationship again with Nate.

Lacey embraced all these new and wonderful changes, so she was more than happy to accept Nate's invitation to join him on his yacht in the Hamptons that lovely  day very close to Valentine's Day.

The large white vessel bobbed on the deep green water a little way out to sea. Every now and again a boat would go past where they were anchored, but Nate and Lacey sat in their adjoining deck chairs with their feet up, taking in the warmth of the day and the pleasure they were getting from each other's company.

“It's good to see you smiling again, Lacey. You look relaxed and happy.” Nate smiled over at her.

“I am happy, Nate,” she replied. “It's like everything has finally come together and worked out for the best. How about you, though?”

“How about me?”

“Well, how is your new project coming on? Have you made yourself a billionaire twice over?” she grinned at him.

“No, not yet. But what I did do is take on an apprentice who I can hand the reins over to when the money does start rolling in and it will. Maybe this apprentice will become my partner and then take over.”

“Who did you have in mind?”

“Oh a bright young spark I had the privilege to meet not so long ago. A guy by the name of Lucas Butler.”

“My brother!” she exclaimed. “Oh Nate, thanks for giving him a chance.”

“He's giving me a chance. I see it as a way of giving back.”

“Nate that is the kindest and most generous thing you could have done. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, Lacey,” Nate became serious, and it worried Lacey at first. “The thing is, I've grown up a lot,” Nate said. “It's not just about the money for me anymore, or simply just proving I can make it. What I've come to realize, and something that never really occurred to me is that what is most essential is quality of life. And you can't buy that. That's what means the most to me now.”

“I'm so happy you feel that way, it's the way it should be.” Lacey said. She hesitated before continuing, but there was something she needed to get off her chest. “I know Cole has bought out yet another company. He's becoming a very powerful man. Seems to me like he's planning to take over New York, the way he's carrying on. And he probably will. Do you think you should watch out for him?”

“He's just flexing his muscles, Lacey, trying to show that he is the better man. The most powerful out of the two of us.” Nate was not in the slightest bit worried about what Cole did.

“Well,” Lacey continued. “Let's just leave him to it. I don't want you two getting into some competition. I couldn't stand to see you two clash over money again.”

“Don't worry, that's the furthest thing from my mind.” Nate took the final sip of his cocktail. He noticed Lacey had finished hers and placed their perspiring glasses onto the table between them.

“The thing is,” Lacey said, lowering her eyes. “I know Cole isn't happy.”

“And how could you possibly know that? Who knows what kind of warped thoughts are in that man's mind?”

“I know and I don't suppose he ever was happy,” said Lacey. “The thing is, Nate, I got a letter from him, months ago. I didn't want to say anything to you before now but I want us to be completely open going forward.”

“And what did the letter say?” Nate tried to show an indifference but the thought of Lacey getting a letter from Cole was something he found hard to stomach.

“Don't worry, he wasn't trying to get me back, he knows that's a waste of time. I think the only reason he sent the letter was by way of some sort of apology. Even he has a heart. He claims that first of all he
was
trying to use me to get to you. But, and these are his words, he said that in the end he really did fall in love with me and he hopes he didn't hurt me. I'm not sure I can believe he really loved me.”

“I can,” Nate said, wistfully. He reached out and felt for Lacey's hand. She held his outstretched hand, looked over at him and smiled.

“Why wouldn't he fall in love with you, Lacey? You're an exceptional woman. Between us, me and him, we nearly crushed you. I think he sees that now. I saw it a long time ago.” He looked very thoughtful then.

“If only I had listened to you about going public with our relationship. I mean, I never felt so wonderful about declaring my love for you in public.”

“You have no idea how amazing it is for me to hear that now, Nate.”

“Well, it's true. You are the sensible side to my flaky one, the level headed woman with the brains and not to mention the body and all the curves I love so much. How could I ever have risked losing you?”

Nate got up off his deck chair and knelt in the gap between his and Lacey's. She sat up.

“What's the matter, Nate? Why so pensive?”

“Because I'm thinking about us.”

“But that shouldn't make you look so serious,” she laughed at the awkward way he knelt between the deck chairs.

“Lacey?” Nate took her hand.

“Yes, Nate?”

“There's only one thing I want from here on in and that is to be your husband and spend the rest of my life at your side. Everything I have is yours and everything I am today is because of you, Lacey. You have turned my life around. I never want to lose you and I want the world to know how much I love you. Please, Lacey, will you marry me.”