Chapter Twenty Nine
“Let me look at you.” Samiyah surveyed Jonas’ face. The last opponent was the only one who’d gotten a hand on him. His lip was cut, but it was minor. His hands, however, displayed multiple cuts with a slight swell. Samiyah was dismayed. “You could’ve broken your hand. What were you thinking?” She grabbed the hot cloth that was soaking in steamy water and squeezed it, applying it tenderly to his knuckles.
“I was thinking about you.” Her eyes met his, “I’m sorry. The last thing I want to do is lose control. Even though that’s the case, I’ve never felt a need for someone the way I feel for you. It goes without saying that I never want to see you hurt or in harm’s way. Since the moment I met you, I’ve felt a responsibility towards your well-being. At first, I couldn’t figure it out, and I continued to tell myself to dismiss it but now…”
Samiyah continued to pad his hands.
“Now what?” she asked.
“Now I know that I’m in love with you, Samiyah Manhattan. Irrevocably, in love. With everything that you are and everything that you do. Your respect for others, your motivation, your selflessness.” His fingers enfolded hers. “Marry me.”
Samiyah froze, her heart beat a million times a minute. He couldn’t be serious. He must be crazy, she thought.
“Don’t run,” he kissed her hands. “Don’t look to reason,” he kissed her lips, “Just marry me.”
“Jonas, please.” Samiyah searched his eyes. Jonas didn’t understand the magnitude of his question, Samiyah thought.
“I know what I’m asking you and you must know by now that I’m not the playboy you think I am. You’re the love of my life. I’ll beg if you want me to. He slid off the couch to his knees. “Samiyah Manhattan please do me this honor and spend the rest of your life with me.”
She was crying now. How could she not? “Oh my God.” She slid her arms around his neck and cried soft tears.
“Is that a yes?”
Claudia entered the room. “Girl if you don’t answer that man!”
Jonas smiled, and his brothers followed suit.
“Yes, of course!” Samiyah cried.
Whistles, handclaps, whoops and shouts flooded the room.
“Congratulations brother!” Jaden said. He slapped Jonas on the back, but Jonas was too focused on his bride to be. With tears still in her eyes, they kissed and held each other tight. Finally, Jonas stood lifting Samiyah with him.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too.”
As Claudia watched on, she squealed and did a little jig. “Ooooohh you lucky, lucky, girl!”
After all the commotion died down, Samiyah approached her mom. “Are you okay?”
Martha Jean observed her child. “I’m the one who should be asking you.”
Samiyah held her hands out. “I’m fine. He never touched me, well not in the way you may have thought.”
Martha looked alarmed.
“He tried to feel me up as a distraction technique. It’s bizarre, Jonas told me Kevin wanted him to fight and win, but during the match, Kevin attempted to distract Jonas. I don’t think Kevin thought Jonas would win and he was bluffing about wanting him to all along.”
Martha shrugged. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” A tear fell from Martha’s eye and Samiyah’s arms wrapped around her.
“Don’t cry mom, please, everything is fine.”
“I could’ve lost you. All this time, I’ve been, so hell bent on you staying clear of men and in an instant, you could’ve been gone.” She sighed. “That man really loves you. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it.”
Samiyah smiled, slowly rubbing her mom’s back as their embrace tightened. “I’m so glad you can see that.”
“I’d be crazy not to admit it. You may have truly done it this time.”
Samiyah pulled back astonished. “Are you saying you think he’s the one?”
Martha smirked. “I ain’t saying all of that.” They laughed. “But I do approve. He’s good for you.” Now tears were falling from Samiyah’s eyes. “Awe, don’t cry baby girl.” Martha wiped them away.
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so hard on you. You’re grown, this is your life, and I should trust you to make the best decisions for it.”
Samiyah placed a kiss on her forehead. “Who are you and what have you done with my mother?”
“Oh, stop it.”
“If you want to stay the night mom, it’s A-Okay. There’s plenty of room.”
“I don’t want to be a bother.”
“You won’t be. I promise; besides, you’ve got a wedding to help me plan.”
“When one door closes,” Martha chimed.
“Another one opens,” Samiyah finished.
They hugged each other and Samiyah led her to the guest room.
The following day, Jonas stepped into his office. “Sandra, cancel my meetings for today.”
“Sir?”
He turned to her. “You heard me correctly, cancel my meetings and see me in my office in fifteen minutes.”
“Yes sir.”
Sandra grabbed the receiver and went about canceling Jonas’ appointments. She had never seen him so serious before and in the office in casual wear. Amanda strolled past her and tapped lightly on the door frame. Jonas looked up. “Come in Amanda and close the door please.”
Amanda swallowed the lump in her throat and glided into the room shutting the door behind her.
“Have a seat.”
Amanda sat down in one of the comfortable leather chairs, and Jonas sat in the one adjacent to her leaning forward so she could look nowhere but his face.
“I want to start off by saying, I apologize.”
Amanda seemed genuinely astonished.
“You came to me as a friend and asked if I would place a bid on you at the auction and I didn’t come through. I never meant to hurt you, and I had every intention of placing a bid. You see, I’m in love with Samiyah Manhattan, and I’m going to marry her. I didn’t know that she would be a part of the auction. If I did, I would’ve made sure one of my brothers placed the highest bid for you. That way you still would’ve been in good hands.”
He sat back and rubbed his jaw. “Throughout the time you’ve been my assistant, things have run rather smoothly, and there’s never been a breach of contract. However, I need to ask you, do you feel like I’ve behaved unprofessionally towards you, at any point and time?”
Amanda hesitated.
“You can speak freely,” he said.
She sighed, “No, you’ve been nothing but professional. I mean you’re very charming, so it’s easy to be…” she reached back and massaged her neck, “taken by you.”
“I understand.”
Amanda bit down on her lip. “I love you Jonas, and I don’t quite understand why you would pick someone else to love over me. I’ve been here for you and done things no assistant should have to do so excuse me if I don’t get it.”
“What have you done that you feel no assistant should have to do?”
“For one, send flowers and a ‘thank you we had a nice time but it’s over cards’ to women you’ve dated. It’s embarrassing.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. For the longest time, I saw you as irreplaceable. You have no idea how many assistants I went through before hiring you. But honestly, the current events reveal that’s no longer the case.”
“I didn’t mean to fall in love with you, I just did.”
Jonas nodded his head up and down. “You also put my fiancé in an unbearable position. She could’ve been killed.”
Amanda gasped covering her mouth.
“Is that what you wanted?”
“Of course not, I was so angry, I just…” her eyes watered.
“You’re fired.” He stood. “Turn in your set of keys, please.”
“Jonas…” Amanda stuttered, “Mr. Rose, I promise it’ll never happen again.”
He peered at her. “You seem surprised. Did you think I would keep you on board after what you’ve done?”
Her eyes shifted away then back to him. She stood up. “I thought you would forgive me! I thought you would understand.”
“I do forgive you. However, you gave out my personal information. That never should’ve happened, under any circumstances.”
Her small frame shook. “Please!” Amanda begged.
“You’ll have a hefty severance package. Unfortunately, I can’t write you a letter of recommendation, and I wouldn’t put me on the call list for a reference either.”
Tears streamed down Amanda’s face. There was a knock at the door. “Come in.”
Sandra floated quietly into the room. “Sir.”
“Yes Sandra, I’ll need another assistant as soon as possible. Go through the list we have on file please and set up some interviews.”
Sandra glanced from Amanda’s wilted frame back to Jonas. “Anything else, sir?”
“Yes, I’ll need you to step in until I’ve replaced Amanda.”
Amanda clutched her purse and walked stunned towards the exit. After she left, Jonas closed the door.
“Have a seat Sandra.”
Sandra hoped this conversation wouldn’t end like the one between him and Amanda.
Jonas perched his hip on the desk in front of her. “It has come to my attention that Amanda had romantic feelings for me. I don’t reciprocate those feelings. She breached her contract, and I had to let her go. Now, I know you know, she’s been with me for years but make no mistake, I will not tolerate insubordination. I’m newly engaged.” Sandra’s eyes widened. “Does that present a problem for you?”
“No sir.”
“I need you professional at all times, can you do that for me?”
“Yes, of course.”
“No more flirting or lingering in my doorway.”
Sandra’s face lit up beet red. “Um, no, of course not.”
“Good, now that that’s out of the way. Make sure to have a list of interviews set up by the weekend.”
“Shall I change the passcodes that Amanda has?”
“I’m doing that myself; I’ve already started.”
“Okay, will there be anything else?” Sandra was all too eager to flee the office.
“No, that will be all.”
Before Jonas could count to ten, Sandra was gone.