Chapter 62

“Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive her?” Rachel asked softly.

Derek lifted an eyebrow. “For what?”

“For abandoning you,” she replied.

He sighed again and looked away. When the elevator reached the first floor and swung open, he took her hand in his and led her out of it. Cheryl was beaming like the sun when she saw them together and she waved at Rachel as they left.

“I think Cheryl is my number one fan here,” she remarked as Frank and Mark escorted them to the parking lot.

“Nope. She’s number two,” said Derek.

“Who’s number one?” She asked.

“Me,” he said with a grin and followed her into the white Bentley.

Their arrival at the restaurant was uneventful but after enjoying a gourmet Italian dish, they were accosted outside by dozens of camera flashes coming from the paparazzi as they left.

Rachel found the presence of the photographers to be intrusive but she knew that this was going to be the norm for her as long as she remained with Derek. When the valet brought their car, Rachel hurried inside and exhaled in relief.

“Are you ready to experience this madness every time we go out?” He asked when he joined her in the backseat.

“Do I have a choice?” She laughed.

“We could move to a remote island in the Caribbean and live there peacefully forever.

“What an exciting suggestion.”

“We never got to complete our worldwide vacation,” he mused.

“It was a year-long vacation, not worldwide,” she corrected him.

“Let’s make it both. How about that?”

“Let’s discuss that after your birthday.”

“Ah, yes. I completely forgot about that. Have you started planning it?”

“Yes. Taylor and Rob are helping me. Mostly Taylor, by the way.”

Derek chuckled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think Taylor was your brother, not Rob. He would go to war for you.”

“He’s an amazing guy,” she agreed, “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner for Rob. They’re so perfect together.”

“Just like us,” said Derek.

Rachel grinned and leaned into him for a kiss. “Yes, just like us.”

He pressed a button behind the driver’s seat and a divider swished down, blocking the bodyguards from seeing them in the backseat.

“Now, just what exactly are you up to, Derek Fraser?” She asked with false surprise. “Are you trying to ravish me inside this car?”

He laughed. “Guilty as charged. Now, tell me, how do you want it?”

She leaned back on the seat and spread her legs wide apart for him. “Care for a second dessert?” She asked seductively.

“I would love nothing more,” he replied thickly and buried his head between her legs.

************

“How is this even a surprise? I knew you were planning my birthday party, didn’t I?” Asked Derek with a small frown as he let Rachel drag him by the hand to the banquet hall of the Ritz-Carlton which was the venue of the party.

“You’ll see,” she said with a mischievous smile.

She was dressed in a shimmery Mugler outfit that was reminiscent of 1920s fashion. Her hair was styled in finger waves and tucked in to look like she’d gotten a haircut and then adorned with a headdress that featured pearls and a white faux feather. She wore a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes with kitten heels in a color that matched her dress. Derek on the other hand was dressed like a character from Peaky Blinders with his form-fitting suit and bow tie. His hair was gelled and sleeked back with a deep part on the left side, giving him a fresh, young look.

When she arrived at the hall entrance, she let go of his hand and threw the double doors open. Instantly, the lights came on and as he stepped in, he was welcomed with shots of confetti and a roomful of guests yelling, “Happy birthday!”

To his delight, the moment surprised him indeed because he hadn’t expected this sort of fanfare for his entry. His initial reaction slowly transformed into joy when he recognized his guests – Uncle Alfred; Jonah, and his family; Rachel’s extended family from Atlanta, her mother, brother and Taylor, and his sister, Laverne; the bodyguards, Diane, and a handful of his business associates. Derek was blown away to see all these important people in his life in the same place under the same roof.

“How did you manage to pull this off?” He asked Rachel.

She grinned happily, glad to see how impressed he was by her choice of party guests. “I told you you’ll be surprised, didn’t I? Besides, a lady never reveals her secrets.”

“Ah… we’ll see about that later,” he said and winked at her. “Let’s go and say hello to everyone.”

They walked arm in arm to go and greet their guests and the next fifteen minutes were spent hugging, laughing, and swapping jokes. Everyone was dressed to the nines in their Great Gatsby-inspired outfits and the venue looked like a 1920s ballroom. When it was time to settle down for dinner, the live band thrilled them with old-school tunes that got heads bobbing and feet tapping as they eat.

Next up, was dancing and the efficient hotel staff seemed to materialize from nowhere to clear out the tables and chairs to allow the guests to dance their hearts out. When it was time to cut the birthday cake, Derek was ushered onto the makeshift stage to make a wish and blow out the 33 candles that Rachel had requested the caterer to add on top of the three-tier white and gold cake.

It was by far the best birthday party that Derek had ever had in his entire life and it made him emotional. While everyone was mingling about or swaying to the soft blues from the live band, he pulled Rachel aside to speak to her.

“Thank you for this,” he said softly.

“You’re welcome, but you paid for it,” she laughed.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I paid for it but you know what I mean. This has been an incredible night, Rachel. It’s been better than anything that I could have ever imagined.”

“Aww… I’m glad you like it.”

“And… I think this is the perfect time and place to say something that has been on my mind for some time now,” he said a bit nervously.

“Hold that thought,” she said, putting a finger on his lips. “I have another surprise for you.”

He grinned. “What else can top this?”

“You’ll see,” she said mysteriously and took him by the hand, leading him across the room. When they got to the balcony door, she released his hand and said, “Your gift is outside. Happy birthday, Derek.”

Rachel left him there and went back to rejoin the party. Derek knew he would probably never succeed in guessing the surprise correctly, so he didn’t bother. With a sigh, he turned the knob and opened the door.

At first, all he saw was an empty balcony with a magnificent view of the city. He stepped outside and closed the door behind, inhaling the cool night air deeply with his eyes closed and his hands on the railing.

“Derek.”

His eyes snapped open instantly and whirled around to see a woman standing by the wall beside the door, wearing a bejeweled black dress with tassels and a matching masquerade mask that hid half of her face. He would have wondered who she was if not for her fiery hair that was styled to perfection in line with the party theme.

“Mom?” He whispered.

She stepped forward tentatively as if she was afraid to approach him. “Oh, what joy it is to hear you call me that again,” she said softly. Her blue eyes were misty and her hand shook when she lifted it to touch his cheek.

Derek reached down and removed the mask from her face. “How…?”

Yasmin chuckled. “Rachel is a genius,” she said. “She’s the real deal, Derek. She’s a keeper.”

“I still can’t believe that you’re here,” he said in wonder. “I feel as if I am dreaming.”

“So do I,” she admitted. “Derek, I am so sorry for everything. I am sorry I didn’t give you a chance to get to know me but instead allowed your father to drive a wedge between us. I am not trying to paint your father as the bad guy because if I’m being honest, I also share in the blame. I am so sorry for abandoning you and letting you mourn my fake death while I lived my best life somewhere else.”

“I didn’t have time to mourn you,” he confessed. “I was so angry at you and I drowned myself in work.”

“I am so sorry,” she said again, crying openly. “I am so, so sorry, Derek. Can you ever forgive me?”

Seeing his mother cry and express so much remorse broke something inside of him. It was as if she had smashed the block of ice that had held his heart in a death grip for years, into tiny pieces. Tears rolled down his face as he wiped away hers with his fingers.

“Your life became hard the moment my father stormed into it and you did everything you could to escape from it. I am not going to lie and say that I wasn’t hurt by your past actions, but after learning all the facts, I realized that you did what you had to do to get your life back. You made a huge sacrifice by leaving me behind so that you could earn your freedom. I salute your bravery, Mom, and I know you are not perfect, and neither am I.”