“When I created Pope Financials I had a vision,” I began. “I wanted a financial institution that people could trust. I wanted a company that would help boost the economy. I wanted to run it like I wanted to run it, and I never wanted to be part of corporate America. When the company exploded on the market, I had no choice but to open a little to the idea of corporate mindset, but I fought it every step of the way. I want to expand, to take my services to other countries, but it is extremely expensive. Chris has been pushing the idea of outsourcing on me for months, and I have pushed it off repeatedly. Finally, when he came to me with the idea of me seeing the factories for myself, I agreed, knowing that at least when I turned him down, he knew I made the decision based on facts and reality not only my own thoughts and feelings. So, before the tour was even over I had already decided that outsourcing was not going to work for Pope, even if that meant expanding wasn’t possible for a long time.”
“I don’t understand why you would even consider it,” she said.
“I didn’t,” I replied. “But as the CEO of the company I had the duty to look at the information I was given and make an informed decision. I wanted to say no from the beginning, but I needed to have a backup and reasoning as to why I was saying no. I had to play politics with my shareholders so I could get what I wanted without looking dismissive or flighty. On top of all of that, I had no idea you were this passionate about the subject. I would have never taken you there if I had known. I am not interested in outsourcing, and I would never make a choice that would force me to give up my relationship with you. Money is not worth sacrificing happiness.”
“Money is what makes the world go around,” she said shaking her head. “I just don’t know how I am supposed to believe you. I feel like I don’t know who you are. I have seen this Nathan that no one else seems to have ever experienced and now with this, it makes me feel like no one has experienced him because it’s not the real you after all. I feel like I got played hardcore and I can’t figure out why. I can’t do anything for you that you can’t do yourself. I don’t understand Nathan, please help me understand.”
I stood there for a moment thinking about the right thing to say, knowing in the back of my mind what needed to be revealed. I was nervous, not just about losing Ruby, but being hurt so bad that I went back into my recluse stage, never letting anyone in, and turning my life into nothing but work. I wanted so bad to fix this, but I knew I had to make the right choice in what I was about to say. She deserved for me to be open and honest with her, not shielded by my own fear. I took in a deep breath and stepped forward.
“No one else has seen me this way for a reason,” I said.
“Yeah? And what reason would that be?”
“I love you, Ruby,” I said.
She stood there staring at me, her arms loosening and falling to her side. I could see her anger begin to melt away, but she also was watching my face, trying to figure out if I was telling the truth. It was the first time I had ever told her I loved her. I knew for a couple weeks those feelings were there, but I was scared to admit them out loud. I was afraid if I said them to her, everything would change. I was scared she didn’t feel the same way, and the last thing I wanted was to scare her away before she had the chance to feel the same way about me. However, the moment she ran off, leaving me in India with Chris, I knew I had to suck up that fear and tell her how I felt. I knew that if I didn’t, if I held it in and never said it, and she decided not to see me anymore, I would regret it for the rest of my life.
“Ruby, I’ve been in love with you for a while,” I said. “You’ve made me a better man, a more open man, a man that wants to see the sunshine now and not just be locked away in the top floor of my office. I want to travel and see the world, and I want to do it all by your side. I messed up, and I didn’t tell you about the outsourcing thing because I think in the back of my mind I knew you would be upset and that terrified me. I don’t know why I didn’t tell you that I wasn’t interested and was doing it for show, but I didn’t, and I can’t take that back. The man you know is the real me, not some made up person for you. The main point to all of this is I love you a thousand times, I love you.”
She stood there with her head tilted to the side for several moments before she began to walk toward me. She stood close to my body staring deep into my eyes, tears collecting in the corners of hers and slowly
trickling down her cheeks. My heart was racing, wondering what she was thinking, what she was feeling, but all I could do was stand there and wait. It felt like an eternity, a million hours of just standing and waiting for someone else to decide my fate. She cleared her throat as her face softened and she reached out, grabbing my hand.
“I love you too, Nathan,” she said.
I waited for the “but,” and it never came. Ruby leaned in and pressed her lips firmly against mine, and I smiled, feeling how much she meant it. This was the love of my life, I already knew it.
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.”