He hadn’t told me what his plans were, even w
hen I went down on him that morning during breakfast.
"Have you made a decision yet to work with your brothers?"
"Now Margaret, you said you weren't going to bother him about that anymore." I reminded her.
"When you get to be my age, oftentimes you do not have to abide by the rules even if the ones that you set yourself."
Noah laughed. "I'll let you know, Gran."
I was surprised he was thinking of taking her up on the offer after so long being averse to it. I also wasn’t sure what there was to consider. But I didn’t push him. I wanted him to do the thing that made him feel fulfilled.
Since Margaret had paid me well, and was giving me a generous bonus when she left, I didn’t feel the need to begin my next job search yet. I could wait to see what Noah was thinking and then together we could make a plan about where we’d end up.
During the course of the party, he and I ended up in different groups, with Noah spending time talking with his dad and brothers, while I hung out with the ladies. It was embarrassing when they asked about intimate details between me and Noah, and at the same time, it made me feel even more included.
When the party broke up, Noah and I were back on the motorcycle but instead of taking me home or to his place, he drove Highway One along the beach. He pulled off the road into a secluded area that had a few scattered homes.
“Where are we?” I asked when he parked the bike and helped me off.
He took my hand and led me along a path next to a cute little bungalow to the beach. "I was trying for romantic."
"So far so good," I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. The moon was out lighting up the ocean as we walked along the shore.
"I think I made a decision about what I'd like to do in the future,” he said.
I don’t know why, but my gut clenched. I suppose I was worried that his plans might change things for us.
"I want to start my own company. A tech security firm and Strong Incorporated would be my client. I'm thinking that I can negotiate office space in the building with them."
"I think that's a great idea."
"I figure it's the best of both worlds. I get what I want, the freedom to own my own business, but I'm still there providing them with what they need."
"I think they’ll like that idea. They want you to be happy, but they'd also like for you to be close,” I said, feeling some relief that he was staying here. Not that I wouldn’t go with him, but I knew that despite his desire to be independent, his family was important to him.
"There's one other idea that I had." He stopped and pulled me until we were facing each other. "I’ll need someone who is smart and organized, and assertive to work with me."
For a moment, I just stared at him as I wasn’t sure what he meant. “Do you think it’s a good idea for me to work for you?” I loved the idea of working with him and at the same time, knowing how volatile we could be, I wasn’t sure it was wise.
"I don't want you as an assistant. I want you to be my partner. I know that will clash sometimes, but I know that together you and I are greater than the sum of our parts, at least when it comes to business."
“Partner? As in part owner?” I couldn’t hardly breathe, shocked that he’d want to share his dream with me.
He nodded, his expression uncertain as I felt. “Yes. But, of course, if your answer is no, I'm okay with that too. It won’t change what we have now. At least I hope it won’t."
“I’m just surprised.”
“Well, if you find that surprising, I'm not quite sure what you think of my next idea." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring that glittered under the light of the moon. "I don't want you just as a partner in business Andi. I want you to be my partner in life too."
I gasped as I looked at the ring, and then into Noah’s handsome face. “Noah."
"Maybe it's too soon and you'll need more time to decide, which I'm okay with. I just wanted you to know that you’re the one—"
"Yes."
He looked at me like he wasn’t sure he heard me. "Yes?"