Page 20 of Last First Kiss

“Madame Lorraine said her name would start with aJ,” Cheryl continues, braids swishing as she shakes him excitedly.

“Mom,” he tries.

She ignores him. “Look at you, Jor-Bear! On your way.Finallysettling down.”

Jordan wants to die.

“I need to call Alonzo, my jeweler,” Cheryl carries on. “It’s still a little early, but he books up fast. You can get Jess’s ring size later. Don’t forget to ask her favorite diamond cut.”

“I-I should go,” Jordan stammers. He carefully frees himself from her death hold. “Bigmeeting with the CEO. Can’t keep her waiting!”

“But—”

“We’ll catch up!”

Jordan speed-walks toward the open office door.

He leans inside, catching his breath.

24 Carter Gold’s CEO office is immaculate. The back wall is made of floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing Atlanta’s crisp blue skyline. A tall ebony bookcase holds numerous awards the company’s won over the years, along with framed photos.

Jordan smiles fondly. He remembers some of the pictures from childhood. Others are more recent with new faces he’s come to love.

In the center of the office sits a black lacquered desk. Opposite it is a lavender love seat. That single piece of furniture is famous. Iconic. It deserves its own plaque from the Atlanta Historical Society.

The lavender love seat is where EGOT Audrey Hudson sat nearly two decades ago. It’s where she cried over her upcoming wedding for millions of viewers. Where Uncle Kenny knelt and charmed his way into America’s hearts onMarvelous Weddings. Where 24 Carter Gold went from locally known to something bigger.

A brand. A benchmark.

Jordan’s future.

So much has changed since then. The most obvious being who’s sitting behind the CEO desk.

Kamifitshere. In the high-back chair, eyes fixed on her computer screen. In an office stuffed with memories and accomplishments. As head of the company.

She’s the perfect successor to the empire Kenneth Carter built. Hard-working, dedicated, wildly creative. Over the years she’s managed some of the best, most talked-about events Atlanta has ever seen.

It’s what won her the job after her dad retired.

As she types, Jordan thinks about the competition last year. The one that pitted Kami against Denz, her younger brother, for the CEO position. It was intense. Brutal, actually. Jordan still remembers how fractured things got between his cousins, despite how close they’d always been.

In the end, it had all worked out.

But he never wants to relive that drama again.

He raps his knuckles on the doorframe. “Knock, knock.”

Kami looks up with a frown. “Why do people do that?”

“Do what?”

“Knock on someone’s door, then say,knock, knock.”

Jordan shrugs. “I don’t know. It’s a… thing.”

“It’s silly and repetitive.”

“Good morning to you too,” he says, laughing lowly.