Epilogue

Ruby

It had been a year since Nathan had stood in my doorway and told me he loved me. That day had changed my life in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. When he said those three words, it was like everything I thought I knew about myself and about him changed and for the better. I realized that the man I knew was the real Nathan, the one he never let anyone see because he was afraid they would turn their backs on him. He was the man I had been looking for my entire life, and I didn’t know it until that minute.

Since that day things got better and better and after spending so many days and nights at his apartment in The Avalon, he asked me to move in permanently. I couldn’t have imagined anything more perfect, and I immediately said yes. We put my house on the market, and it sold quickly, giving me just enough time to get my things and move out. We redecorated the apartment and brought both of our tastes into one space. That routine we had settled into after just a month, blossomed and evolved to the point where we were our own little family. We rarely ate dinner out after that, making sure that we cooked at home and spent quality time together. I told him about the organization against outsourcing and all the protests I had been involved with. He immediately made a significant donation to us, helping us take our concerns all the way to Washington. There was a long road ahead for the cause, but I felt so much more optimistic with Nathan behind me.

As far as Pope Financials was concerned, Nathan went to work creating a plan to expand without outsourcing. He explained to the board why he felt it was the best way, and to his surprise, they all agreed. They wanted to see the expansion, and they had joined his team because they believed in his moral approach to business, something that was pretty much extinct in the industry. They started the project, Chris heading it up, and in the next month or two they will be opening their first office in London. Everything he wanted to do with his company was happening and he felt good about his choices because they were on his terms.

I stood there in the mirror, staring at myself, and admiring the beautiful diamond necklace he had given me just a couple weeks before. Nathan walked up behind me, and I smiled, feeling him grab the zipper of my dress and pull it all the way up. He leaned over and kissed my neck, sending shivers down my spine. He was taking me to dinner for our one-year anniversary, something that I had been looking forward to all week. He hadn’t told me where we were going, but I knew wherever it was we would have a delightful, intimate time.

I grabbed my shawl and followed Nathan from the apartment, riding the elevator down to the lobby and smiling sweetly at George as we passed. He had been the biggest cheerleader for me when I first moved into The Avalon and was trying to get used to all the wealthy people that were judging me on a daily basis. After a few weeks, though, they figured out who I was, and they left me alone. Turns out Nathan Pope is known as a very powerful man, even if he thought that was preposterous. I guess money still equates to power, just another thing that drove me nuts about society.

We hopped in the limo and headed out into the city, staring out at all the lights. I loved New York at night time, it was always so beautiful. The people, the giant buildings, and the sounds of the city made me feel like I was where I was supposed to be. After a few minutes we pulled up out front of the restaurant and he smiled, knowing he had picked one that I had been eager to try. It was the Public, and little did I know when we arrived, but Nathan had rented out the entire roof for our dinner. He continually spoiled me with such lavish surprises, and I wasn’t going to lie, it was heartwarming and made me feel loved.

We sat across from each other and stared out at the view. It was so gorgeous with all the buildings lit up in the background and the lights on the terrace creating a sexy and romantic vibe. We had our own private server who brought us wine, appetizers, and drinks that Nathan had preordered for the occasion. We sat there like not a day had passed since we first met, drinking, talking, eating, and laughing. He had become my best friend and calmed me even better than my sister was able to do. He smiled and listened as I ranted and raved about something that happened on the news or in Washington and then sweetly reminded me to remember the bigger picture, something I was getting better and better at as time passed.

After our entrée’s they brought out several desserts and we grabbed our spoons sharing all of them at once. The server tried to hide a smile, but I was sure she thought what we had been told a million times. We didn’t act like your typical billionaire power couple, we acted like regular folks, minus the fact that we had rented out the roof of one of the most expensive places in the city. That aside, we joked, laughed, and acted like children around each other. It was the perfect relationship for me, one that I knew I never wanted to see end. When we were done with the desserts, I noticed the server disappear back down into the restaurant, leaving us alone on the roof.

“Ruby,” Nathan said. “I want to tell you something.”

“What’s that?”

“When we first met I could not believe there was a woman out there that was not only beautiful, but passionate, intelligent, and motivated,” he said. “You were everything I wanted in a woman but had given up on finding because I felt like it was never going to happen. That night in the bar changed my world forever. You have shown me I can be myself and I don’t have to be afraid or guarded. You have shown me there is much more to life than working all the time. You have shown me how to be compassionate and empathetic toward others in a way that has not only improved me as a person, but it has improved my company as a whole. There is something to the saying that behind every great man, there is an even greater woman. You pull the strings, that’s for sure, but you pull the right ones. There hasn’t been a day that’s passed since India that I haven’t thanked the Universe for allowing me to keep you in my life. I don’t ever want to lose you again.”

I smiled at him and reached for his hand, but he had already pulled it away. I looked at him curiously as he stood up from his chair and reached into the breast pocket of his jacket. He slowly pulled out a small black velvet box and lowered himself down onto one knee. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands and immediately bursting into tears.

“Ruby Woods, you are everything in this world that makes me happy,” he said. “Please do me the honor of accepting this ring and becoming my wife.”

“Yes,” I said nodding my head up and down, tears streaming down my face. “Of course, yes.”

I stood up as he did and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing his lips and laughing through my tears. I looked down at the ring box that was open, and my eyes widened, the largest diamond I had ever seen was sparkling up at me. He reached into the box and pulled it out, taking my hand and slipping it onto my finger. I spread my hand out and looked at it, amazed at how it sparkled. I turned back to Nathan and hugged him again, this time pressing my lips long, hard, and passionately against his. I could feel the love pulsing through every inch of me, circling us like a bubble on the rooftop. I pulled back and stared him deep in his eyes.

“I love you, Nathan,” I said. “I cannot wait to be your wife.”

I knew right then and there that happily ever after was real, and I had found mine.