Chapter 752 Another Woman
Still standing in the Den, Matt looked at Candace as several questions swirled through his confused mind.
"Are you going to just keep staring at me or will you say something?" Candace asked, feeling slightly nervous.
She knew she had taken a big step by acting so boldly, but all that had been on her mind when she saw him was wanting to show him that she was ready to give their relationship a try if he was willing to accept her as she was.
"What are you doing?" Matt asked the first question that came to his mind.
"What do you mean?" Candace asked in confusion.
"You know what I mean, Candace. Last time at Tom's place you didn't want me there. Now I show up here only to find out you are here and you are calling yourself my girlfriend in the presence of everyone. I'm lost. What is going on?" Matt asked and Candace sighed.
"I apologized for the incident at Tom's place, didn't I?" She asked and he nodded.
"Yes, you did. But…."
"And I promised to do better. This is me trying to do better by acknowledging that we are in a relationship. Isn't that what you wanted?" She asked and he nodded.
"Yes. That is what I wanted. But…."
"You no longer want it?" Candace asked and this time Matt frowned at being interrupted again.
"Can you let me finish my sentence?" He asked and she nodded.
"Okay. Sure. Go ahead," Candace said with an awkward smile.
"I don't want this to be some sort of show on your end simply because you are bored…"
"What do you mean?" Candace asked with a frown.
"Well, it's possible that you're suddenly acting this way because everyone else has their partner with them and you're alone," Matt pointed out and she glared at him.
"Am I that shallow to you?" She asked with displeasure.
"This has nothing to do with you being shallow. I'm just saying I hope you have thought this through and didn't just do this impulsively. You just took a major step in front of everyone without talking with me about it first. You can't act this way now and act a different way later. I won't let you back out. You've made us public now," Matt said and she nodded.
"I know. I'm not going to change my mind later," she assured him.
"Why? What changed? I thought you weren't ready?" Matt asked curiously.
Was it perhaps because he had tried to play a little hard to get? If he had known this was what it would take for her to acknowledge him and their relationship in front of everyone, then he would have done it a long time ago.
"I figured I could learn on the job. I can do that, right? I don't want to lose what we have because I'm too scared to give it a try. You don't mind dating a retired stripper with zero self-esteem, do you?" She asked, and Matt shook his head.
"Your past doesn't define you, Candace. And God knows you don't have a bad past," Matt said and Candace snorted.
"I mean it. You are a lot more than what you see yourself," he said solemnly and she smiled wryly.
"Really? What else am I?" She asked and he smiled.
"You are a super mom to the most amazing little boy I have met. You are a brilliant law student. You are the most beautiful and sexy woman to have walked on this earth's surface. You are the woman I love. Is that enough?" He asked as he brushed his thumb over her lips.
"And just so you know, I've never thought of you as a stripper. To me you are a very hardworking mother who would do anything legally possible to cater for her child and to give herself a better life even if it means dancing naked. Do you know how proud I was when I found out you were studying law? I see a courageous woman when I look at you, Candace. And it's a damned shame that you are not walking about with your sexy chin in the air," Matt said and Candace smiled as he lowered his lips to her.
"So, I can learn on the job, right?" Candace asked and he smiled.
"I will be your employer and coach," Matt said and she giggled.
Away from there in the bedroom upstairs, Sonia had a smile on her face as she dressed up to head out with Bryan and he raised a brow when he noticed the smile, "What are you so happy about?" He asked and she grinned.
"Didn't you see that out there? It seems like Candace is finally ready to pursue a relationship with Matt," Sonia said and Bryan nodded.
"Yeah. Now we don't have to work on eggshells around them both anymore. It's tiring being around two people that care for each other but prefer to act like they don't," Bryan said and Sonia nodded.
"But that was Candace's doing, not Matt's," Sonia pointed out.
"That's true. He has always been open about his feeling for her. I wonder what made her change her mind now," Bryan said thoughtfully.
"Whatever it is, I'm glad. You know what's funny?" Sonia asked and Bryan raised a brow.
"What?"
"They hit things off before us, yet here we are planning to get married and we are happy she just acknowledged him as her boyfriend," Sonia said and Bryan chuckled.
"That's true. I remember how surprised I was to see her with Matt in my house." (chapter 84)
"And you were all judgmental because she was a stripper," Sonia said with disapproval.
"No, I wasn't."
"Yes, you were."
"No, I wasn't. I didn't judge her. I was only going to tell Matt about it in case she didn't already do so. That is different from judging," Bryan said reasonably.
"Why did you feel the need to tell him about it if you didn't think it was something bad?" Sonia asked and Bryan frowned.
"I don't get what you're saying but…."
"Let's say she was a medical doctor. You met her in the hospital, and then you saw her with Matt. Would you see the need to let him know about her profession that same way?" Sonia asked and when Bryan scowled she giggled.
"I see you've gotten my point now. So we can both agree that you were judgmental," Sonia said, happy to have won the argument.
"Was that why you broke my leg that night?" Bryan asked and she grinned at the memory.
"You didn't break your leg. Your ankle got dislocated. And it was an accident. But we both can agree that that moment led us to where we are now," Sonia said and in that moment they both smiled as they remembered all that had led them to this point.
"I still can't believe you locked me inside my own bedroom just to keep me from going to tell Matt about her (chapter 85)," Bryan said and they both laughed.
"It feels like such a long time ago," Sonia said as she held his gaze and then Bryan walked over to embrace her.
"Remember how you thought you flushed the key in the toilet and almost broke down my bedroom door?" Bryan asked and they both doubled over with laughter at the memory.
They both continued to laugh as they remembered and reminded each other of how they started.
"God! I love you, Sony," Bryan said as he brushed away tears of laughter from his eyes.
"I love you even more," Sonia said as she kissed his cheek.
Away from there, Harry and Lucy were seated at the balcony and Lucy was looking at Harry with interest, "So, what is it you want us to talk about?" Lucy asked when Harry remained silent.
"I'm surprised you got so attached to the kid when I remember how you were crying the first time Tom told she might be his," Harry said and Lucy smiled.
"But she is not his," Lucy pointed out.
"Do you think you would have loved her the same had she been his?" Harry asked and Lucy sighed.
"I think so. I actually started loving her when we thought she was his," Lucy confessed.
"I see. You're not going to contact Kimberly secretly, are you?" Harry asked and she shook her head.
"Nah. I already made up my mind on that. You don't have to worry," Lucy said, and Harry nodded in approval.
"I wanted to discuss something else with you," Harry said and Lucy looked at him curiously.
"What?"
"Although I wanted only Tom and Bryan to be aware of my plans, but I don't think I want to keep it from you. You have to promise not to tell Sonia about it. I don't think she is very good at keeping secrets," Harry said, thinking about how Sonia had acted when he arrived.
"Sonia keeps secrets when it is important, but I promise not to tell her if you don't want me to," Lucy assured him.
"I'm going to propose to Jade soon," Harry said and Lucy smiled.
"Yeah. So I heard. That should be sometime before Christmas, right?" Lucy asked since she had heard he was proposing in six months time.
"No. I don't think I can wait that long. I'd rather be marrying her in six months or less. By Monday we should have taken care of Sara, and after that I'm going on a vacation with Jade. I'm going to propose to her while we are there," Harry said, and Lucy smiled.
"That is good news. Congratulations. You must be crazy about her," she said and Harry grinned.
"You have no idea how crazy," Harry said and Lucy giggled.
"You know, sometimes I still can't believe you are the same Mr. Jonas who I was scared of. Back then before I moved to the head office, whenever we heard that Mr Jonas was coming for supervision, everyone was always so tense," Lucy said and Harry chuckled.
"You can't get too friendly with the staff else they will begin to slack in their duties. I have to keep everyone on their toes," Harry said and Lucy nodded.
"By the way, is there anyway I can help with the arrangements? Anything you need me to do?" Lucy asked and Harry shook his head.
"I'm not sure. I will let you know if anything comes to mind. But I'm hoping you will be there. You know Jade. She will need to flaunt her ring and show off to you ladies," Harry said with a grin and Lucy laughed softly.
"You really do know her so well."
"Of course, I do. How is your therapy going? And are you still reading the books I borrowed you?" Harry asked curiously, and Lucy smiled.
"Yeah. Therapy has been more helpful than I imagined it will be. Or maybe my therapist is just really good," Lucy said and Harry smiled.
"So? Any major changes yet?" Harry asked and Lucy could guess what he was asking so she considered it for a moment before leaning forward.
"Well, yeah. But you can't tell anyone. Especially not Tom," Lucy said and Harry raised a brow.
"What is it?" He asked even though he suspected she was about to tell him what Tom had said.
"Well, the Christmas party is actually going to be our engagement party," Lucy said, her eyes gleaming with excitement and Harry blinked, genuinely surprised.
"What?" He asked in shock.
It was true that he had suspected that she was up to something when she brought up the idea of a Christmas party, and he had also heard from Tom, but he had not expected that she would want to get engaged so soon.
"Don't look too surprised," Lucy said with a grin happy to have shocked him.
"I want to propose to him. You don't mind taking part in planning your best friend's engagement party, do you?" she asked since she knew she had not liked not being involved in planning Sonia's engagement.
"Say something. What do you think? Will he like it?" She asked when Harry remained quiet.
Without saying a word Harry rose and pulled Lucy out of her seat surprising her. He surprised her even more by pulling her in for a hug. Harry was unable to contain the joy he was feeling at that moment.
"Are you that happy?" Lucy asked with a grin as she pulled away to look into his face.
"If I'm this happy about it, do you have any idea how happy he will be?" Harry asked with a wide smile.
Just the thought of having Tom's dreams come true brought too much joy to him, and it made him wonder how Tom would feel if he could feel this much joy.
"Tom is going to be overjoyed, Lu. You are going to make him the happiest man ever," Harry said again, and Lucy smiled happily.
"You can't breathe a word of this to Tom. And not to Jade either. Not even through your actions," Lucy warned, and Harry made the zip gesture on his lips.
"I guess you're keeping it away from your family too?"
"I told Lucas about it. So, it's going to be just Lucas, Sonia, my favorite male cousin…."
"Favorite male cousin?" Harry asked with a raised brow.
"Yes. You are my favorite male cousin, and Candace is my favorite female cousin. You are both my only cousins," she said with a grin and Harry chuckled.
"Are you telling Candace too?" Harry asked and she nodded.
"Yes. It's going to be between just the five of us," Lucy said and Harry grinned again as he embraced her.
"Harry Jonas! What do you think you are still doing here?" Jade asked, glaring AG both Harry and Lucy as they broke the hug.
"I was just about to come in," Harry assured her with a grin.
"It didn't look like it. And why are you hugging another woman?" She asked and Lucy giggled in amusement while Harry chuckled.
"Lucy is my cousin. Your brother's girlfriend. Not another woman," Harry pointed out.
"Is she male or female?" Jade asked with her hands folded in front of her.
"Female."
"Are adult females called men or women?" She asked again and Harry grinned.
"Women," Harry answered, humoring her.
"Is her name Jade Hank?" Jade asked and Lucy stuck her tongue in her cheek as she walked away, leaving them to continue this on their own.
"No. Her name is Lucinda Perry," Harry answered dutifully.
"So, how is she not another woman when she is not your woman?" Jade asked and Harry pulled her to himself by the waist and kissed her.
"I love you. So, how about we leave for our vacation immediately after Bryan's wedding? I would have preferred us to leave immediately after Sara gets arrested, but we can't be absent from Bryan's wedding. I can't wait to have my beautiful woman all to myself," He said, wanting to
distract her.
Jade's eyes lit up, "Really?" She asked, forgetting all about her false annoyance and Harry chuckled since she had fallen for it.
"Yeah. You can wrap up Rebekah's case before then, right?" He asked and she nodded.
"Sure. The chief judge would want that," Jade said and Harry nodded.
"Good. While I'm away you can spend the time looking up romantic vacation spots you would like and when I get back we can discuss the details. How about that?" He asked and she bobbed her head happily, not seeing the need to tell him that she had done that since the first day they talked about going on a vacation.
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