AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A woman can only take rejection so many times, T.”
“Is he worth it?”
“Damn you!” I say as I pull out my phone and call him. To my surprise he answers, and I almost don’t know what to say. I am so shocked. But he agrees to see me tomorrow morning. I hang up the phone still in shock.
I pay extra attention to my appearance and head out to the coffee shop to meet Joseph. I get there early, order a caramel iced latte, extra caramel, and take the table that would offer me the most privacy. He strolls in the coffee shop exactly when we set to meet, and he looks good enough to eat. The man loves his all-black outfits. He speaks to the barista and heads over to the table.
“Joyce,” he says as he leans over and kisses me on the cheek and takes his seat.
“Thanks for meeting with me. I appreciate it.”
“I figured thirty minutes out of my life to settle things between us is a small price to pay.” He says that like, once we walk out of here, we’ll never talk again.
“I…” I swallow and try again, “I have been giving a lot of thought to what you said about the contract and also about getting some help. No, please,” I interrupt him from saying whatever he started to say. “You were right. After T, my assistant, partner, and friend finished cussing me out, I found a therapist and began to see her. I am not saying these few months have cleared up my past, but I am saying I am facing it. If the offer still stands, I would like to try to get to know you without the contract. I am still not comfortable with openly dating though. Are you ok with that?”
“Joyce, we are in public right now. What’s the difference?”
“This could be passed off as a business meeting. A dinner date is a dinner date. There is no explaining it away.”
“So, we could get to know each other in secret, is that what you are offering?
“Joseph, please, I am trying. You have no idea how much I am putting myself out there for you.”
“Joyce, I appreciate that you are trying, but I will not be a secret for you or anyone else. I cannot understand how you are ok with having my cock down your throat without even knowing my name but dinner out…no? How does that make sense?”
“You are the only man I have slept with without the contract since I started using it, Joseph. I am not ashamed of my sexuality; I am fearful of what the wrong rumor or scandal could do to my company.”
“I have seven brothers, two of them are married and I have seen both of them risk it all for their wives, BEFORE they were even married. I want that, Joyce. As much as I love the company I have with my brothers, I will walk away from it for the woman who is meant to be mine. I won’t accept anything less. It’s out there; I see it every day. Anything less will feel less. I appreciate you trying but the same way you won’t compromise, neither will I. Have a safe flight back home.” He gets up, kisses me on the cheek again, and walks out.
I slide out of the booth and walk as fast as I can back to the hotel. I don’t even go to the room; I use the courtesy phones to call T and tell her to come down so we can go. I’m going to talk to T about coming back here from now on to handle the meetings with Peter after this last meeting I am having with him in a couple of weeks.
Joseph
Once again, I have not heard from Joyce, but I know she is supposed to be here. I replay our last conversation in my head over and over and I always come back to the same conclusion. I feel like she and I could have something amazing, but we’ll never get there with her rules. Thank goodness tomorrow is the weekend. I think I am going to tell Josh I am going to take some time off and get away somewhere. Maybe the new resort Peter and Asher designed and built. I walk back in the house we are working on to grab my tool bag; it is family dinner night and if I am late, True and Savvy will have my ass. I find my bag, turn to head back out, and everything goes black.
