Brittany Buckles

I knew I had a long grueling day ahead of me, I hoped the work would keep my mind off my birthday and Jack. For the first time I had been looking forward to my birthday, knowing Jack would make it special for once.

I had felt myself falling deeper and deeper into depression every day. I felt guilty, but I rarely reached out to Jack very often. When he called or texted me, I responded unenthusiastically. I started to think to myself he deserved someone who would make him happier than I could.

I was a walking zombie most of the day, going through the motions. Alex had given me a wide berth after our showdown, sending his assistant if he needed a decision made or a signature.

He is a damn good sales manager, I had to admit. Realistically he should already be the assistant GM, but that would mean more free time for me, something the family didn't want to happen.

Late afternoon, a floral van pulled up to the front doors. My heart almost stopped when the driver pulled a bouquet out of the back.

White roses.

I knew without looking that there would be twenty one of them.

Like a switch was thrown, I felt so alive again. I had told Jack about my dream on our first real date two months ago. I had never mentioned it to him again, nor my birthday. I was important enough to him even back then to plan for today.

The card simply said:

Love Forever

Suddenly I knew what I was going to do, feeling the weight of the world lift off me.

I took the keys to the building, handing them to Alex.

"Congratulations, the dealership is yours."

I love the shocked look on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I quit, and they have no one else to replace me with, so if you step up, they will probably let you run it. Good luck."

I didn't wait for him to say another word, I just turned and walked away.

I found a lot attendant to give me a ride to Enterprise. Within an hour I was packed and on my way back home. My phone started blowing up with calls and texts, but I ignored them all. Suddenly I realized since I had a company phone, they probably would be able to track me.

I pulled into a gas station and quickly spotted what I was looking for. A truck with Georgia license plates. I simply dropped my phone into the bed of the truck and walked away. They would think I was heading south until the phone battery died.

I pushed the speed limit hard. Thankfully, I didn't run into any speed traps. It was almost ten when I pulled into Jack's driveway. The house looked dark and cold. The scary thought came through my mind that he may not even be home.

I was more nervous than the first time I had knocked on Jack's door two months ago. I ran up to the front door, before I had a chance to knock, it flew open. I found myself in Jack's arms, holding me tight. I knew right then I was home for good.

Chapter 15

Jack

I had been starting to worry about Brittany more and more every day. Our conversations were becoming shorter and shorter. The family was working her to death, intent on breaking her. There was only so long a person could work ninety hours a week under that kind of pressure.

I knew her birthday was coming up, so I called the florist a week ahead of time to ensure they would be able to get white roses for me. She hadn't brought up her birthday at all. I gathered from previous conversations they weren't usually a pleasant day for her.

I received the notification from the florists the flowers were delivered shortly after four. I sat on the patio, sipping whiskey, hoping for a text or call. Hour after hour went by with no answer from her. I decided to text her shortly after eight, knowing her day should be winding down.

Me: 'Hey, I know you have had a long miserable day, but I would love to hear your voice before you fall asleep tonight.'

Silence, nothing.

I could feel my heart breaking, the love of my life was slipping through my hands. I wanted to ask her to quit, come live with me. But that was a decision she would have to make by herself. She knew I loved her, and I told her many times I would wait as long as it took.

I decided to give up hope and call it a night shortly after ten, hoping I would be able to sleep. I had just turned off the last light when I heard the driveway alert chime. I was a little concerned since my house is very secluded. Crime has never been an issue, but you never know these days.

I looked out the front window to see headlights coming up the lane fast. I unlocked my phone in case I needed to call 911. The car pulled into the drive, it had barely come to a stop when a frantic Brittany jumped out and started running to the front door.

My first thought was something terrible had happened. We both reached the door at the same time, the moment I swung it open she threw herself into my arms. Time stood still. We just stood in the open doorway and held each other.

She let out a little sob and looked up at me.

"I hope you still love me. I just quit the family."

"I told you I would wait for as long it took. I wanted to ask you to quit a long time ago, but it was your decision to make."

"Will you take me to bed Jack? I'm exhausted and need to be held in your arms."

"Yeah, do you need anything out of your car?"

"Just my roses."

I sent her to my bedroom while I put the rental in the garage. I found a vase and put her roses in some water, placing them in the middle of the table.

In that short amount of time, she had already crawled into bed and was fast asleep. I went ahead and carried everything from her rental inside so she would have it the next morning. I crawled into bed and curled up to my love, happy once again.

The next morning, I let her sleep in, knowing she was exhausted and needed to catch up on her rest. Shortly after noon she came out dressed in one of my t-shirts. I was shocked by how rough she looked.

She had lost weight that she couldn't afford to lose, making her look gaunt. There were dark bags under her eyes, even her beautiful hair looked frazzled.

We didn't say anything. I just held her in my arms, both of us content in the moment. Her stomach growled loudly to announce that she was also starving. For the first time since she had been home, we had something to laugh about.

"How about some lunch, then we will talk?"

"Ok."

I whipped up a couple quick omelets, toast and coffee. The way she destroyed them confirmed my suspicions she hadn't been eating very well.

"I'm so happy you're home. Why don't you tell me how you ended up back here?"

She told me everything, how Alex was supposed to seduce her, to her cousin being on vacation in Europe.

"I decided my place was here with you, even if I never see any of my family again."

"You know they will come here looking for you, right?"

"Yeah, but I can hide and you can send them away."

"So you are fine without ever seeing them again?"

"Yeah, they really aren't much of a family anyway, and after the stunt they all pulled, I don't care to see them ever again. I didn't get a call or text from one single person for my birthday, not that I had any other year but still it hurts. You and your family are all I need to be happy, until you give me babies that is."

"What about your apartment?"

"Honestly, there are just a few things I would like to pick up. Otherwise everything else is meaningless to me. I would like to just sneak in, get what I want and leave the keys in the landlord's mailbox with a check for the last month's rent along with an apology."

"Ok, we may as well do it as soon as we can before they start watching it. We can drop off the rental and head there. May as well stop and stock up on groceries so I can fatten you back up."

She started tearing up, a scared look on her face.

"Jack, I have no job now. I have almost a hundred and fifty thousand saved up, we can use it for whatever bills there are. Do you have a job for me in the workshop, or do you want me to find something else?"

"Hon, money is the absolute last thing I am worried about. If you want to work with me, I would love to have you by my side, but only if you want to."

"Being beside you everyday forever sounds perfect to me."

"Do you have a passport?"

She looked at me funny for asking such a question.

"No, why?"

"Well most of our equipment is sold in Central America and Mexico, sometimes we need to make a service call if there's a problem. We will apply for one right away Monday."

Thankfully, she was still in shock and bought my little white lie.

We cleaned out her apartment after dropping off her rental at Enterprise. Then we stopped at my favorite grocery store and loaded up with a ton of groceries. The light was back in her eyes as we talked about cooking together again. She squealed in delight when I told her I already invited Carmen and her family back for another Sunday Funday next weekend.

After we put everything away I sat her at the counter with a glass of wine. I cooked her a big steak with twice baked potatoes, all smothered in mushrooms and onions. After dinner I sent her in for a long hot bath with another glass of wine while I cleaned up the kitchen. After her bath, I guided her to bed and held her tightly in my arms. I smiled and let out a content sigh when she started snoring within a few minutes.

Monday morning, I didn't let her sleep in. It was the beginning of a new week and I needed to get her back into a healthy rhythm. I woke her up so we could work out together. Afterwards, we had sex in the shower for the first time since she returned, and then again in our bed before we went to work.

I had never worked with anyone before, but we fit together perfectly. She was eager to learn and willing to do anything to help. Surprisingly, we were actually able to get several units finished in between the kisses, the groping, and a couple of quickies.

Wednesday, the driveway alarm chimed. When I looked out the window, a sheriff's car was coming up the drive.

"Brittany, make yourself scarce, the police are here looking for you."

It was kind of cute and comical watching her scramble around trying to find a place to hide. She was panicked, excited, and childish all at the same time.

I pretended to be hard at work when the sheriff knocked at the door.

"Mr Costello?"

"Yes, that's me."

"We are looking for a missing person, Brittany Buckles."

"I didn't know she was missing."

"Yes, she went missing Saturday night."

"I'm sorry to hear that, I hope she's ok."

"When was the last time you saw Brittany?"

"About a month ago."

"When did you talk to her last?"

"We had a thirty second conversation about a week ago. I got the feeling she didn't want to hear from me anymore so I took the hint and left her alone."

"I see. Well, if you see her anywhere, or hear from her, will you call me and let me know?"

"Sure, but don't hold your breath, she wasn't really that into me. I think I was more like an experiment for her."

"Ah, I see. Well thank you for your time."

The sheriff wasn't even back to his car when I felt a hand slap my ass as hard as it could.

"I was never that into you, huh? I was just experimenting, huh?"

I laughed at her.

"You want me to throw them off the scent, don't you?"

"Ok, I guess I can forgive you this one time. It was so hard to keep quiet."

"You should probably call the police tomorrow and tell them you are not a missing person, just decided you needed a change of scenery."

"Ok, I will tell them I am in Florida starting a new life. My family really won't care, but I would feel a lot better knowing they aren't going to just pop in unannounced sometime. Remember, my mother is very petty and I could see her trying to get revenge on us just to be mean and vindictive."

"Thanks dear."

She reached up and kissed me while sliding a hand against the front of my jeans.

"Now let me show you how into you I really am!"

Our days quickly stretched into weeks.

Our love grew daily. She worked by my side, learning what we do and becoming a part of the whole instead of an employee. We worked together so well that we could do the same amount of work in two days that would have taken me a week working alone. We cooked together, we cleaned together, and we loved together.

On a clear late October afternoon, the day I had nervously been waiting for finally came.

UPS brought a package addressed to Brittany.

"Hey, I got my passport."

Immediately I dropped to one knee in front of her, pulling out a ring I have been carrying with me everywhere.

"Brittany, I love you so much. Will you please make me the luckiest man in the world and be my wife?"

She started crying, tackled me to the ground and started kissing me while saying, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."

She kissed me and hugged me forever, finally coming up for air.

"Go start packing for somewhere warm. We leave tomorrow morning."

"Where are we going?"

"We're eloping, unless you want to have a white wedding with all your family?"

"Absolutely not, you and I are all I need."

While she was packing, I made a few calls, putting into motion the plans I had made weeks before.

"Where are we going?"

"Sandals, Jamaica."

She squealed in joy and once again smothered me in hugs and kisses. That night, she made love to me like a possessed woman, not letting me fall asleep until we had made love four times.

The next day was spent in airports. She was in shock, but happy. Once she started thinking about things, the questions started.

"Who's watching the house while we're gone?"

"Carmen, of course."

"Really?"

"Yeah, why? Is that ok?"

"Yeah, I am just surprised she was ok with it at the last minute."

"I asked her three weeks ago."

"How?"

"Well I had a rough idea when your passport would show up, so I planned everything around it. I was actually starting to get a little nervous when it was two days later than I expected."

"What if I would have said no?"

"You would be at my funeral since I would have died from a broken heart."

"You are so cheesy."

"Yup."

When we arrived at Sandals, we booked our wedding on the beach. I told the wedding coordinator to find her a dress she would love. I also told her to not let her know the price of the dress, instead tell her they are all the same price.

We met with the minister who was going to perform the ceremony to fill out our wedding license.

"Will the bride keep her name, or change it to Costello?"

She had an odd look on her face and said very clearly, "Costello for sure."

After we were done, I asked what that was about.

"As a Buckles, I was forbidden to change my last name if I ever married. There is nothing more I want than to be Brittany Costello."

"That would make me the happiest man in the world my darling."

The morning of our wedding, I was the nervous one. Brittany however was on cloud nine and could see my nerves. She smiled at me and asked....

"Why are you so nervous today?"

"Because I am marrying the most amazing woman in the world, and I still keep expecting to wake up from this dream."

"Here, let me calm you down."

She leaned in and gave me a hot kiss while massaging my cock through my pants. She undid my pants and dropped to her knees to give me a blowjob. She attacked my cock furiously, and it wasn't long when I felt my impending orgasm building. She had gone down on me many times before in foreplay, but had never finished me off.

"Britt, I have to cum."

Instead of stopping, she pulled me in deeper. That was all the encouragement I needed, I exploded deep into her throat, she responded by swallowing everything I gave her. When she was done she smiled at me.

"Don't get too used to them. That was the first time I've ever swallowed, and although it wasn't as horrible as I expected, I don't want to make a habit of it."

"Thanks, my love. You are right, I do feel much better now."

We had decided to have a sunset wedding. Brittany cried and had to redo her makeup when Carmen and Adam joined us on the beach to be our witnesses. After the I do's, we spent the evening in a private pool drinking daiquiris and mai tais.

Suddenly it dawned on Brittany that Carmen and Adam were in on it.

"How did you guys get here?"

"Jack set it up weeks ago. We were all starting to get nervous when your passport showed up at the last minute."

The next morning, I asked Brittany if she was serious about having my babies.

"Of course I was, as many as you will let me have."

"Then why don't you throw your birth control pills in the garbage and we will get started as soon as they wear off?"

We all spent the rest of the weekend swimming, boating, drinking, and having a great time. I loved the look of happiness on Brittany's face. I'm glad that we have such good friends in Carmen and Adam. It's always fun having another couple to socialize with, especially when they are close friends.

When the week was over, Carmen and Adam boarded their flight back home, and we boarded our flight to Grand Cayman.

Brittany looked curiously at me.

"Is this our extended honeymoon?"

"No, This is a little business trip we need to take care of."

When we landed, I checked us into the resort and made an appointment at the bank for the following day. When we arrived the next morning and gave my name, we were shown right into the manager's office.

"Mr Costello, it's an honor to have you here again. How may I help you?"

"This is my new wife, Brittany Costello. I need to change my account to a joint account and add her to it."

"Yes sir."

After Brittany provided her passport and signed all the paperwork, I asked to make a transaction.

"Yes sir, let me bring in a teller."

"We would like to withdraw nineteen thousand in cash please, all hundred dollar bills. Can you give us a balance after the withdrawal?"

"Yes sir."

Brittany was looking at me curiously.

"Mr Costello, after the withdrawal, your account balance is nine million, seven hundred thousand."

"That sounds correct, thank you."

As we were leaving the bank I took her hand in mine before she started asking questions.

"How about we go back to the room and order room service? We will have lunch on the balcony while we talk."

Too stunned to argue, she just shook her head in agreement.

When we got back to the room, I tried to act like nothing had changed. I pretended to pore over the menu, trying to decide what to order. In mock frustration, she grabbed the menu and phone out of my hand, swatting me with the menu before ordering for both of us.

I opened a bottle of champagne, poured each of us a glass and took a seat at the balcony table.

"OK my love, ask away."

"Where did all that money come from?"

"It's our business account."

"You told my mother you made eighty thousand last year."

"No, I told her my accountant told the IRS I made eighty thousand last year. What the IRS doesn't know is most of the money from our international sales are deposited here in the Caymans, out of their reach."

"Why do you do that?"

"Because it saves us thirty six percent in income tax."

"Is that legal?"

"Yeah, sales to foreign countries are not taxable until the money is brought back into the United States. As long as we don't bring the money back, it's not taxable."

"So why did you withdraw nineteen thousand in cash?"

"Because legally, we can each bring up to ten thousand dollars in cash into the United States without claiming it or filing any paperwork. We will use this money to buy groceries or any other bills we can pay cash for."

She sat there processing everything.

"Why didn't you tell me before now?"

"Because I didn't want your decision to be swayed by money."

"So if I wanted to, I could walk into the bank, withdraw all the money and flee to Europe?"