Page 12 of High Stakes (The Morrison Brothers #2)
"Not that surprising," Elena says. "She cornered me in the ladies' room last week to tell me you're 'significantly less unbearable' now that we're together."
"High praise indeed," I say dryly.
At the restaurant, we're shown to our regular table, tucked away in a corner with a degree of privacy.
The owner, Mario, greets us warmly—a far cry from the formal, slightly intimidated service I used to receive before Elena charmed the entire staff with her genuine interest in their lives and her surprisingly fluent Italian.
"So," I say once we've ordered, "are you going to tell me this news, or do I need to negotiate for the information?"
Elena smiles. "I had a call this morning from NYU."
"NYU?" I repeat, confused. "About what?"
"About the master's program in Corporate Communications," she says. "I applied last month, right after we got back from Saint Lucia. They've accepted me for the fall semester."
I stare at her, processing this unexpected information. "You're going back to school?"
She nods. "Part-time, evenings and weekends. I can keep working, just with a slightly adjusted schedule." She hesitates. "Are you upset?"
"Upset?" I shake my head, reaching for her hand across the table. "Why would I be upset? I'm proud of you. This is fantastic news."
The tension leaves her shoulders. "Really? I know it will mean some changes to our routine, less time together some days..."
"Elena," I interrupt gently, "I want you to pursue whatever makes you happy. If that's more education, different career opportunities, whatever, I support you completely. Besides, I can just visit you every single week."
Her smile is radiant. "Thank you. I was a little nervous about telling you."
"Why?"
She shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe because everything's been so perfect lately. I didn't want to disrupt that."
I squeeze her hand. "Nothing could disrupt what we have. Well, except maybe if you decided to become a Patriots fan. That might be a deal-breaker."
She laughs, the sound drawing smiles from nearby diners. "Never. I'm loyal to the Giants, even when they break my heart."
Our food arrives, and the conversation shifts to other topics—an upcoming charity gala we're attending, plans for the weekend. It's easy and comfortable, this rhythm we've developed.
Later, as we walk back toward the office, Elena's hand tucked into the crook of my arm, I find myself reflecting on how much has changed in a month.
The Caribbean seems like another lifetime ago.
Those first steps toward acknowledging what was building between us, the moment everything changed on that secluded beach.
Yet in other ways, it feels like we've been together much longer. Elena fits into my life as if she was always meant to be there, filling spaces I hadn't even realized were empty.
"What are you thinking about?" she asks.
"You," I answer honestly. "Us. How right this feels."
She stops walking, turning to face me on the crowded sidewalk. In typical New York fashion, people stream around us without a second glance.
"It does feel right, doesn't it?" she says, her eyes searching mine.
"More than right," I agree. "It feels... inevitable. Like everything in my life was leading me to you."
The words are uncharacteristically poetic for me, but they're true. Every decision, every success, every failure… They all created the path that led me to Elena Carter.
"Michael Morrison," she says with a soft laugh, "are you getting sentimental in the middle of Manhattan?"
"Apparently so," I admit. "Should I stop?"
"God, no," she says fervently. "I love this side of you."
We haven't said it yet—those three words that seem simultaneously inadequate and overwhelming. But I feel it growing stronger each day, this certainty that what we have is rare and precious and worth protecting.
My phone buzzes with a calendar reminder for my next meeting. Elena glances at her watch. "We should head back. You have the investment committee at two."
"Always keeping me on schedule," I tease.
"Old habits," she says with a smile.
We resume walking, rejoining the flow of pedestrians hurrying through their day.
To anyone observing, we probably look like any other couple—a man in a business suit, a woman in a blue dress, their steps synchronized, their hands occasionally brushing.
Just another New York story unfolding among millions.
But I know better. What we have isn't ordinary at all.
It's extraordinary, unexpected, and transformative.
A month ago, I was a workaholic CEO with a heart condition and no personal life to speak of.
Now I'm still a CEO, still driven and demanding, but I'm also a man who comes home to someone who loves him for who he is, not what he's achieved.
As we approach our building, Elena squeezes my arm gently. "Dinner at home tonight? I was thinking of trying that recipe Josephine gave us in Saint Lucia."
Home. Such a simple word, but it means something entirely different now that Elena shares my space. "Perfect," I say. "I'll pick up wine on the way."
We part in the lobby with a professional nod that fools absolutely no one, least of all George the security guard, who gives me a knowing smile as I head for the elevator.
Hours later, as I watch Elena move around our kitchen, telling me about her day as she prepares the promised Caribbean dish, I'm struck by a simple truth: I'm happy.
Not because I've achieved some business goal or outmaneuvered a competitor, but because I've found someone who sees me clearly and loves me anyway. Someone who challenges me, supports me, makes me laugh, makes me think.
When she turns to ask my opinion on something, her face animated and beautiful in the warm kitchen light, I don't hesitate. The words that have been building for weeks finally find their voice.
"I love you," I say simply.
She freezes, wooden spoon in hand, surprise giving way to joy.
"I love you too," she replies, her voice steady and certain.
And just like that, another piece falls into place.
Whatever comes next—careers, family, challenges, triumphs—we'll face it together, one day at a time.
Some might call it a happy ending, but I know better. It's not an ending at all.
It's just the beginning.