A Year Later

"Check back with me next week, Mrs. Pearson. Our interview times are all booked up this week. However, we'd love have you in the office very soon."

So many all-star celebs calling to be interviewed by our journalists. The whole office is going crazy, grabbing stories and creating articles for the next issue. This next one is gonna be fun. Women, from all over, will be flocking to get this issue. Hell, a few men might as well.

My email's filled with tons of requests from inside and outside the office and, although I'm a little stressed, it brings joy to my heart knowing I now have that power to approve or decline articles. It feels great to give people a chance and help our journalists improve.

"Ms. Davenport, Collier Bennet is on line four, wanting to know about getting on the front page," the receptionist calls.

He's been calling all week for the same thing: wanting to be on the front page of our top 100 sexiest men alive issue. He's only number 59 and we've already chosen who we want on the front page.

"We've already told him-"

"Right, and I know that but he's pleading at this point. The guy is desperate. So desperate that he's offering to sleep with you."

I know we're pretty well-known around the state but damn. There's no need to be this desperate.

"Tell him I'll call him later. That's just uncalled for," I say through the speaker.

"Okay, I'll let him know. However, before I do, can I take your place in that offer for-"

"Hell no, Amy! You so nasty!"

Meet one of our receptionists, Amy. She's also a pretty good friend of mine and is pretty much like Cass. Basically, she's Cass in a white girl's body. Even though she's just as nasty, she makes up by doing her job and doing it so well. She's a breath of fresh air.

"But he's so fine, girl! You can't blame me for trying, Boss. Anyway, you feeling Chinese or Mexican for lunch? I can't decide between the two," she says with a indecisive tone in her voice.

I'm up here, hoping that she didn't just ask that nasty question in front of anybody that's coming for business purposes. I'd be so embarrassed because the lobby stays filled with people and she's always talking like that.

"I'm actually feeling Indian today. What you think?"

"That sounds even better. I'll get a table for us."

The phone call ends and I breathe in a sigh of relief. Whoever said owning your own magazine was easy lied to my face. It's so much work and I can't wait to get home to soak my feet. It's all fun and games until you experience everything for yourself.

I don't regret any of this because I worked my ass off. I stepped out of my comfort zone, quitting my job, and leaving my hometown for this. I took a risk, putting all of my hopes, dreams, and money on the line, just to have what I have today.

I cut on my tv and sat back in my chair while watching was popped on the television.

Sometimes, having your own magazine company sucks because you're speaking to and on popular celebrities. One of those just so happens to be Kyra and her new husband. It's sad but I can't do anything about it.

She pops up on the tv and I sigh happily to myself. It's crazy how her and Davin are still together after everything that happened. They felt no guilt in anything they did, especially Davin. After all of the times he cheated on her, she's still with that man.

What's that saying again? 'If they cheat once, they'll cheat again'?

She explains their marriage, saying that it's hard work and you've got to stick beside each other no matter what happens. It's sad because she was warned when we went to Hawaii. Can't help everybody, I guess.

At least, she's been nominated for an Emmy and happy with her life. It's just embarrassing that everything that's happening in their life is public. What's made public is the world's business and published everywhere. Plus, once is out for the world to see, it never goes away.

If they like the life they're living, I love it.

She offered to be interviewed for our magazine, as a way of apologizing and donating her services. I declined that offer so fast. Why would I want to interview my ex-husband's new wife? The same woman that keeps taking my leftovers? Let's just say it's bad for business. You never know who she'll start cheating with from my old roster.

Speaking of businesses, Dad's fitness clubs are flourishing and gaining more attention. He's opened up about five clubs around the country. He's just as busy as I am which means he can't call as often as he used to.

He makes time to call me every week and update me on everything that's going on with his life, still calling me at 5 in the morning, reminding me that I'm his butterfly, and encouraging me to have a wonderful day. Good thing I'm used to it now. I have to be up that early anyway.

My day flies by, working with clients, interviewing more writers and other businesses for the article, and attending events around town. I don't get home until about six at night.

As soon as I get home, I kick my shoes off and get a call from Cass. I forgot that it's time for our weekly girl chat on Facetime.

I answer the call and catch a glimpse of all of us before I take a seat on the couch.

"Y'all, guess who's pregnant again?!" Cass screams with excitement as she reveals a small baby bump in the camera.

"How many kids is that now? 12? Damn, Cass," Darian jokes before we all kind of giggle.

"No, it's actually four but thank you for asking. Speaking of kids, when do you plan to have one with Macho Man, busy body?" Cass asks.

"When Ryke and I are ready...which ain't any time soon. We stay too busy with work that we barely have sex anymore. I won't lie though. Sometimes, I think he's trying to get with some of his female clients-"

"Girl, the boy is so pussy whipped, he wouldn't dare look at anybody else. After that little stunt he pulled in Hawaii, I'm sure he doesn't want anybody else," Cass interrupts.

"That was a whole year ago, Cass. He's starting to change a little bit and I don't believe it's for the good."

I bite down on my bottom lip, feeling a little sorry for Darian. I think she could be just overreacting because Ryker is true to himself and changes for nobody but Darian. At the same time, I don't know what's going on up there so there's no telling.

"Well, hopefully, y'all are still coming down to my place next week. You two can rekindle your love and shit up here. Bae and I will have the beach house ready for y'all and all y'all kids," Angie says as she's walking around her kitchen. You can smell what she's cooking through the phone and it's gotta be seafood.

Darian and Cass smile lightly before Cass notes "Wait a minute. I'm gonna have to hire a babysitter. I don't want my kids hearing me get my freak on."

"I'm sure they're already traumatized, Cass. At your big age, I figured that you two would be done getting your freak on," Darian laughs and says.

"Honey, ain't nothing big about our age. We're still young and, when we do grow older, we'll still be getting our freak on. We get it in any and everywhere we can, at anytime we can. We do it because we're still in love, we're married, and we can do that shit."

We all laugh with her and I shake my head at her still being the same Cass she's always been. None of them have changed since we all first went on vacation. Maybe grew a bit but personalities are still the same.

"So, Journee, on to you. I thought of a way for you to meet somebody new. You ever thought about speed dating? They're having an event in your area," Darian says.

To answer her question, hell to the no.

I'm not down for any of that foolishness. It hasn't been that long since I divorced Davin and I let him have everything that was his. I wanted no money, no belongings, no anything from him. That even includes child support. Why force him to do it if he doesn't want anything to do with Nyla?

I felt free after that divorce settlement. He was shocked but happy about the result, believing that I made the wrong decision. Little does he know that he ain't got shit and will never be shit. He has to live with that.

As far as me, I left that courthouse happy as well. All of that unnecessary weight has been lifted from my shoulders and passed on to somebody else. No need to look back anymore. I'm happy where I am now.

I'm unavailable to date anyway.

We all finish catching up and agree to meet Angie at her beach house next week. It'll be nice getting together with everybody again. I miss my friends even though I see Angie every other week.

I finally got to meet her wife. She's stationed here in Florida, so she's not too far from me. We all get together and enjoy each other's company every so often. I'm ready for my other two friends to get down here. It's going to be a blast.

As you already know, I moved out of Kentucky with a dream and a little bit of cash on me. I wanted to explore and live out my dream as a business owner. So, that's what I did. There was nothing left for me in Kentucky so I jumped ship.

A tub of warm water is pushed up under my feet and frightens me for a second.

"It's cool, J. It's just me. I figured you were long overdue for a foot rub."

My smile grows as I watch my fiancée cater to me. It warms my heart so much because I'm getting back what I put into the relationship if not more.

"Where's Nyla and Noah?" I ask, repositioning myself on the couch.

"Nyla's doing homework and Noah's taking a bath. We came back in from playing volleyball outside and...uh..."

"He kicked your ass, didn't he?"

Nodding at my question, he chuckles with a dark tone in his voice. "Yeah, I'll accept my defeat. He's got skills."

We laugh and our playful banter takes me back. As he explains how his day was, I study that 100-watt smile and I feel grateful I get to see it every day, smell, the same strong cologne every day, touch the same body that lit my fire over ten years ago, and kiss those same lips that still drip with honey.

After the divorce, we had a heavy conversation about our relationship and decided to give this a chance again. So glad we did because I've been happy ever since.

He wasted no time throwing a rock on my finger. He said that he doesn't want to make the same mistake he made last time and isn't letting me go for anything in the world. So, I'm about to be stuck with him for life.

Nothing beats this kind of love and passion I have with Tripp. Our relationship is vulnerable, genuine, and warm. There are no secrets or lies and I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world.

Though we still have a bit more repairing to do, our world is perfect just the way it is. Just us and our kids. This world of love is all ours. All to ourselves.

***
And that is the official end of the Partnered Duology!

I really hope you enjoyed both books! Thank you so much for coming on this ride with me!

Please let me know what you think about these books! I'd really appreciate any compliments or constructive criticism that you have to make them better. I know some people felt that Tripp and Journee had a communication problem so please let me know your thoughts.

Also, I'd like to know if you guys want to read about the other couples too. Like Cassidy and Cameron or Darian and Ryker. Hell, even Angie and her main squeeze or Isaiah before...well, you'd know what happened to him if you read the first book.

Anyway, that's all I got! Again, thank you so much for reading and making it this far. I know I'm not the greatest writer but it's a lot of work to pull a book together and I'm glad it's done.

Until next time 🤎