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Imagine my surprise when I saw he responded. I opened and read his email.
Dear T.L.,
My apologies for taking some time to get back to you. I had to think about your request and weigh the pros and cons of working with Mr. Altair. I’m in need of getting my name out and him wearing my designs would certainly do that. Below is a list of my terms.
1. I will be the one to handle this request, not anyone on my team.
2. Every fitting will be done in my studio.
3. Half of the payment will be made up front before the designs are tailored to Mr. Altair’s needs. The balance will be paid upon completion.
4. I do not wish to be stressed. I will lay out the timetable to handle his request and ensure it’s done in a timely manner. Organization is key.
5. I’m only agreeing to one suit to start. Afterward, we can reevaluate to ensure we’d both like to move forward with more.
6. If at any point I feel threatened or in danger, I have the right to cancel with no refund for the time I’ve already put in.
If these are satisfactory to you and Mr. Altair, I look forward to working together. If not, I understand. Please advise me either way.
Sincerely,
Hartley Weathers
“Well then,” I muttered.
“What?” Romeo asked, coming to stand behind me.
“There’s a designer I contacted who wanted to know who my client was. At first, I didn’t tell him. Jordan’s name carries a hell of a reputation, as you know. Jordan told me to say who it was for. It’s been days, but I finally got a reply.”
I turned the computer so Romeo could read it. Dash stood behind him to do the same.
“Oh, I like him,” Dash chuckled. “Can I be in the room when they meet? This is going to be very interesting.”
“I don’t know whether Jordan will eat him alive or respect him for that email,” Romeo said. “Either way, I’m with Dash and want to be in the room.”
Taking my laptop back, I closed the lid. I’d email the designer later. “You’re terrible. There’s no way Jordan will let you be there.”
“Then we’ll need you to give us a play-by-play,” Dash stated. “Now open.”
I did and he put a tiny tartlet on my tongue. “Holy hell, that’s good,” I said with a mouthful of food.
Romeo’s mom stopped by yesterday morning and dropped off treats for us. If we had been home last night, I was certain most of them would have been gone by now. Romeo was at Untouchable. Dash and I hung out with Slater for a bit, watching movies, before we came back here. The only reason we did was because we couldn’t let this delicious food go to waste. Dash and I also wanted to see Jordan’s face when he found the latest gift Romeo’s mom left for him.
This one wasn’t on the counter, but rather a tall ceramic umbrella holder that sat facing the back door so there was no way for Jordan to miss it next time he stopped by. He was due tomorrow for a follow-up on the progress of what I was working on for him. Although, he could drop in at any time.
The umbrella stand was in the shape of a giant penis. Three feet tall with a hole in the back for umbrellas. I had no clue if Romeo’s mom had it specially made or if she found it online. Either way, it was glorious. She taped a sign to the head that read:For you to stuff your massive ego in.SignedWith a fuck ton of hatred, Pep. Then she drew a hand giving the middle finger.
When she first dropped it off, Dash rubbed the head and commented on how smooth it was. He also asked about the artist, but Romeo’s mom refused to tell. Then she displayed all the tasty food, and we quickly forgot about the giant penis in the back hallway for a bit.
As the three of us sat at the counter and ate the tartlets, moving on to the now warm bread she baked from scratch with homemade cinnamon butter, I smiled. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d end up with these two. I would have been lucky to find one amazing man to love me, but I got two. Now, I couldn’t picture us any other way.
There was still shit we had to worry about, like our connection to Jordan. I wasn’t sure if that bit of fear would ever go away. After the way he showed he cared the night when it felt like my world was ending, I would take the fear to keep him in our lives. There was no way either Dash or I would ask Romeo to give the safety he found in Jordan up.
It was messy, this life we lived with the people in it. Even in the quiet minutes where we were so damn in love and content to just be, we knew anything could happen. A rival could try to take Jordan or us out if they figured out how deep Romeo’s connection was, like his uncle did.
This time was ours. This place, this life, this amazing moment. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
EPILOGUE
