Page 19 of His Personal Stripper

In the weeks that followed she never heard from Felicity again. When they went to social functions, no one sneered her way. If anything, they gave her a wide berth, for which she was thankful.

Her and Jack’s relationship was always filled with speculation, but she didn’t pay it much mind.

It didn’t take long for her to realize that she’d been with him for several months, and still she’d not told him she loved him. But all he’d done was show her with actions and words that he completely loved her. The ring he’d placed on her finger felt heavy to her, and that was why she was standing on a Friday evening in an elevator at his office, waiting to go up to his room, when all of a sudden it just stopped.

Frowning, she began to press the button but nothing. There was no power and the lights went out, and then a safety light came on. Pressing the buttons again, she began to panic.

“No. No. No. No.” She didn’t like confined spaces, and now the stairs didn’t seem so bad.

Her cell phone began to ring, and she reached for it. Jack’s name flashed across the screen.

“Hello,” she said.

“It’s me, Rachel. The elevator has broken down.”

“I know, it’s me. I’m inside it.”

“I can see you.”

Tears filled her eyes, and she rubbed at them, trying to clear her mind. “I was coming to see you, and I didn’t feel like taking the stairs.” She closed her eyes, really not needing to see the confined space right now. She’d watched a lot of movies where the woman dies in the elevator, and of course she didn’t like to be trapped inside one.

“I’ve already got men working on it. They think it’s just an electrical fault that is easily fixed.”

“Erm, Jack, er, I have a problem.”

“What is it?”

She sobbed. “I don’t like elevators, and I don’t like being trapped.”

“You’ll be fine. I’m not going to go anywhere. I’ll talk to you throughout. Look at me on the camera, Rachel.” She turned her head left then right, turning in the direction he wanted her to. “I know you can’t see me, but you keep looking at that camera, okay?”

She nodded.

“What were you coming to tell me?” he asked.

“I don’t want to tell you over the phone.”

“Look at me.”

She didn’t even realize she hadn’t been.

“Tell me.”

Could she wait another moment to tell him? Did she want to tell him?

Yes, she really did.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I know you’ve been patient with me, and I wanted to tell you in person but seeing as I can’t do that right now, and this spoiled it, I’ll tell you now.” She took a deep breath. “I love you.” The moment she said the words, she couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ve been so scared to tell you, and now that I have, it feels so amazing. I love you, Jack. I should have told you ages ago, and I’m so sorry I waited this long.”

She heard him chuckle. “Is it too soon to ask you to marry me?”

“It’s not too soon at all.”

“Is that a yes?” he asked.

“Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you, and I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Sign a pre-nup, or whatever it is rich folks do.”

He burst out laughing. “I know you’re not after my money, babe.”

---