“Then I guess I better start booking this trip,” Jack said.
“You don’t want your PA to handle it for you?”
“Nah. This is something I want to do all on my own.” He smiled as he leaned over and kissed me.
Chapter Fifty
Jack
Thanksgiving was right around the corner and so was our trip to Disney World. I spent the weekends at Lorelei’s apartment, but during the week, I would pick her and Hope up. We’d drive Hope to school, stop at Starbucks together for our morning coffee, and then we headed into the office together. We even went out with Garrett and Coco and Stella and Sebastian.
Coco and I convinced our mother that it was time for her to retire. We told her that if she didn’t, we’d both be leaving the company and starting something of our own, which I still wanted to do, but instead, we decided that it would be in the best interest of the company to incorporate a division called Lorelei Designs. With our connections and help, Lorelei’s clothes would be in stores across the world. The bad thing about that was Lorelei was no longer going to be able to be my PA.
Garrett sighed as he sat down across from my desk.
“Here we go again, Jack.”
“Things will be different this time, Garrett. Clearly, you can see that I’m a changed man.” I winked.
Lorelei sat next to him and laughed.
“When you have a list of potential candidates, I would like to sit in on the interviews,” she spoke. “That way, I can help you decide who will and won’t be a good fit for Jack.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me.” Garrett smiled. “I’ll get to working on some interviews and I’ll let you know.”
We spent Thanksgiving at Lorelei’s parents’ house. Coco and Garrett spent the holiday with Garrett’s family in Tribeca. As for my mother, she flew back to Paris. She told us that since she was retiring from the business, she would probably be moving there since that was where Jacque was. That was music to my ears. I really just wanted her to be happy and if Jacque made her happy, that made me and Coco happy.
****
We arrived at the Grand Floridian and were escorted to the two bedroom suite I reserved us. Two bedrooms was a must if Lorelei and I wanted alone time together. The expression of happiness that overtook Hope was the best thing I’d ever seen. She was so happy and excited to be at Disney World. I had a surprise for her and it was something that even Lorelei didn’t know about. As we were settling in our room, there was a knock on the door.
“Hope, can you answer that please?” I asked.
“I can get it, Jack,” Lorelei spoke.
“No, baby. Let her answer it.” I smiled.
“What did you do?” she asked, narrowing her eye at me.
“Nothing.”
Hope opened the door and shrieked when she saw Cinderella standing there.
“Hello, little princess. Are you Hope?”
“Yes.”
I swear she was going to cry.
“I’m Cinderella. It’s so nice to make your acquaintance. I’m here to escort you to lunch and then spend some time with you and show you around my castle.” She held out her hand to her.
Hope stood there, frozen for a moment, and then turned to me and Lorelei with her mouth open, only no words were coming out.
“Go with Cinderella, Hope. We’ll be right behind you.” I gave her a smile.
I took hold of Lorelei’s hand, and as we followed behind them down the hall, Lorelei whispered in my ear.
“How the hell did you manage that? Oh my God, Jack. Did you see the look on her face?”
“I made a few calls. No big deal. And yes, I thought for a minute she was going to pass out.”
“How much did that cost you?”
“You don’t want to know, baby. You don’t want to know.”
She hooked her arm around me and kissed my cheek. There was no price too high for the happiness of my girls.
We had a private lunch with Cinderella and, after, she showed us around her castle. It was a wonderful trip and well worth every penny spent.
****
Three Months Later
Christmas had come and gone and it was the best Christmas holiday that I’d ever spent in my entire life. Spring was coming and Lorelei’s birthday was today.
“Where are we going?” she asked as we sat in the back seat of the limo.
“You’ll see when we get there.” I brought her hand up to my lips and softly kissed it.
Tony pulled up to the curb to 110 E. 64th Street and Lorelei looked out the window.
“What are we doing here?”
“You’ll see.” I smiled as I grabbed her hand and the three of us climbed out of the limo.
We stepped through the black wrought-iron gates and through the beautiful glass doors that led into a 6,300 square-foot home.
“Wow. This is beautiful. Who lives here?” Lorelei asked as she looked around the foyer.
“I’m hoping we will. The three of us.”
She laughed and I frowned. “What do you mean, Jack?”
“Happy birthday, baby.”
Her eyes grew wide as she looked at me. I took hold of both her hands.
“I love you so much, Lorelei, and I want this to be our home. But only if you like it. Come on; I’ve been dying to show you this place.”
“Jack, I don’t know what to say.”
“Mommy, come look at this. It has an elevator!” Hope exclaimed.
“I’ll be right there, baby.”
I took Lorelei on a tour of the six-story townhome. The expression on her face filled me with joy as she stepped into each room. Hope ran through the house as if she had already made it her castle.
“Do you like it, Lorelei?”
“I love it, Jack.” She threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. “I love you! I can’t believe you did this.”
“Does that mean you’ll say yes to living here?”
“Yes. Yes. Yes!” she spoke with excitement.
I reached down and high-fived Hope. Lorelei narrowed her eyes at both of us.
“Did she already know about this?”
“Yes, Mommy, I did. Jack brought me here the other day. He explained to me that if you said you liked it, then that means I would have to switch schools, which is okay with me! I love this house. I already picked out my bedroom.”
“It’s perfect, Jack.”
Elaine, the realtor stepped inside the home and gave me a smile.
“Well, Mr. Sutton?”
“She loves it, Elaine. She absolutely loves it.”
“Excellent. All I need is your signature on this line and the house is yours.”
I took the papers from her and signed them on the kitchen counter.
“Welcome to your new home.”
Later that evening, I had another surprise for Lorelei. We dropped Hope off at her parents’ house and then I took her to the top floor of the Empire State Building.
“Why are we back here?” Lorelei asked.
“Why do you have to ask so many questions? Just go with the flow, baby. Just go with the flow.” I kissed her lips.
When we stepped off the elevator, I took Lorelei off to the corner to look out at the brightly lit city.
“It’s so beautiful up here,” she spoke.
“Not as beautiful as you are.” I reached inside my pocket and held the small blue box behind my back. “Do you believe in soulmates, Lorelei?” I asked.
“Yes. You are my soulmate, Jack.”
“Do you believe in love at first sight?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “Why are you asking me that?”
I took hold of her hand. “Because it was love at first sight when I saw you. I had never seen a more beautiful woman in my entire life. You are my soulmate and you’re the only person I’m meant to spend the rest of my life with.”
“Oh, Jack.” Her eyes started to fill with tears.
“I love you so much, baby. I never knew it was possible to love someone so much. You opened up a part of me that I never knew existed, and for that, I thank you. You and Hope make my life complete and you make me whole. You, Lorelei Flynn, are the air I breathe. Without you, there would be no breath left in me.” I got down on one knee and held out the opened box in front of her. She placed her right hand over her mouth as I held her left hand.
“Will you marry me, Lorelei?”
By this time, tears were streaming down her face as she nodded her head.