By: Stephanie Woodworth
© 2000 Chaotic Bliss Fan Fiction
My day had just gone from bad to
worse. I couldn’t believe that the
airline had lost my reservation and I was now sitting in coach. I just had a bad feeling that the flight was
going to be full of screaming kids and turbulence. I don’t want to sound like a snob or anything, but after flying
first class you just get used to it, the comfort, the service and most
importantly the privacy. Today’s trip
was mostly to fix a problem that I knew nothing about, I was sent in because
they wanted to see the owner of the company.
I’d tried to get them to allow me to send the person that really ran the
company, but to them only I would do.
I opened my bag and grabbed the
CD player and CD’s that Mindy, my personal secretary, had packed. I flipped through the CD’s and decided on
the last one. It was a CD that I’d had
made with all the music my husband once loved.
As the first song began I thought back to the night I met Rob for the
first time.
*~*~*~*~*
My habit for running late had
once again taken over my life as I ran into the computer class. I was taking the class to learn something
about the monstrosity that I’d just purchased.
I couldn’t believe that I’d spent all that money and barely knew how to
turn the damn thing on. I was going
back to school to better myself or so I had told myself when I signed up for
college classes at 23. I looked around
the room and was relieved to see that I wasn’t the oldest in the room like I
was in the rest of my classes that morning.
The man teaching the class was
just finishing role as I quickly found an empty seat. “And you must be, Grace . . . um . . . . I’m sorry how do you say
your last name?”
I blushed at the fact that he
singled me out. I hated my last
name. “Cabera.” I said.
Why couldn’t my ancestors have changed the spelling? Why couldn’t I have an easy name like Smith
or Jones?
The class went well that night and as I was leaving
the teacher pulled me aside. Oh great,
I’m in trouble on the first night. “Ms.
Cabera, I usually don’t do this, but I was wondering if you’d like to join my
for a cup of coffee.”
Flabbergasted was the best way to explain how I was
feeling, the man standing before me was at least twenty years my senior. He probably had children my age. I wanted to say no, but something deep
inside of me made me go.
*~*~*~*~*
“Excuse me, I’m the window seat.” I looked up at the young man standing
there. I didn’t hear what he’d said.
I pulled the earphones off. “What?”
“That’s my seat.”
I stood to let him in. At least he looked like a nice person; maybe he’d leave me alone
for the rest of the trip. I had no more
than placed my earphones back on my ears when he was bothering me again.
“What are you listening to?” His piercing blue eyes stared at me.
“A CD that I made,” I grabbed the case out of my
bag and handed it to him.
“Wow, this is really old music, Jim Croce, James
Taylor, Bread, Air Supply, Carole King, Carly Simon. Do you like this old stuff?”
“As a matter of fact I do, my husband turned me on
to them.” I’m sure I sounded rude, but
I really didn’t want to hold a conversation right then. I placed the earphones back on and smiled at
him. “Do you mind?” He shook his no and I pushed play again on
the CD player. ‘Time In A Bottle”
started and I returned to my previous thought of Rob.
*~*~*~*~*
It didn’t take long for us to fall head over heels
in love with each other. To my surprise
my family accepted the age difference and my relationship with the fabulous,
Robert Nelson. I dropped the class he
was teaching and before the next semester we were married.
Our life together was perfect. Little did I know at first, but Rob owned
one of the largest computer companies around.
He installed systems for corporations all over the United States.
He was a brilliant man and doted on me
constantly. I held a seat on the Board
of Directors for Nelson Technology and slowly he was teaching me the ins and
outs of his business. I loved going to
work with him every morning, spending all day with him and our evenings alone
together. We talked about everything
and loved just being together.
After the first year of marriage we decided to
start a family. I knew my sisters never
had a problem getting pregnant and hoped I would be the same. After months of trying without success I
began to worry and consulted a specialist.
I was extremely worried that I was the problem,
come to find out it wasn’t me with the problem it was Rob. Through the course of tests we found out that
Rob had Prostate Cancer.
As devastating the news that we would never be able
to conceive, the news of the cancer was worse.
The oncologist tried to tell us that there was hope for a full recovery,
but Rob did the unexpected and refused treatment. Not to sound morbid, but when we first started dating I came to
the realization that he would most likely die before me and I had come to terms
with it. Little did I know that it
would be this soon.
I did everything in my power to convince him to
change his mind. I couldn’t imagine
losing him. Nothing I said or did
changed his mind. Soon after we found
that the cancer was spreading to other areas of his body.
The following year was awful. Rob’s health deteriorated and I continued to
take care of him along with trying to run the company. When I was a little girl I’d never dreamed I
would end up like this. At the age of
25 I was taking care of my dying husband, running a company that I knew very
little about and yearning for a child I’d never be able to have.
Rob died quietly one Sunday afternoon. As I came back from the hospital I realized
that my world was changed forever.
*~*~*~*~*
I turned the CD off and sat in silence as the plane
prepared to land. I looked over at the
man sitting next to me. He’d fallen
asleep. He was very good looking; he
had dark black hair, chiseled features and a very kind face. I tapped his arm.
His eyes flew open. “What . . . . where . . . ?”
He looked at me trying to remember where he was.
“We’re about to land.”
“Thanks,” he smiled at me. “My name is Josh by the way.”
Did I mention he had a killer smile? Wow, did I notice that earlier? No, I guess I was too busy being rude to
him. “Mine’s Grace. I’m sorry if I seemed rude earlier.” I took the outstretched hand and shook it.
The flight ended and I stood to leave. I straightened my Dior suit and grabbed my
purse and carry-on bag. “It was nice to
meet you.”
“Yeah, have a great day.” He walked toward the baggage claim.
I exited the airport and quickly found the limo waiting
for me. It swept me off to Jive
Records, the company I was there to smooth things over with. Once again in my life I was running
late. I tried to fix the problem, but
ended up calling, Keith, the person I wanted to send in the first place. He helped me iron out all the problems
quickly. As I was getting ready to
leave I heard a familiar voice echoing in the hall.
I stuck my head out the door to see the man from
the plane walking down the hall towards me.
“Hello,” he said as he entered the conference room.
“Josh, nice to see you again.” I shook his hand again. “Do you work here?”
“Sort of, I’m one of their recording artists.” I watched as Josh looked me over. He seemed to be taking in everything. I thought I could feel myself blush. I watched as his eyes traveled down my legs
then he asked, “Do you work here?”
“No, she owns the company that just installed the
new computer system.” The gentleman I
was working with answered.
“Well, I hope you have fun while in Orlando.” Josh said as he exited the room.
My business meeting ended soon after that. I’d saved the day again and told myself that
I should give Keith a huge raise.
I quickly left the company and got back into my
limo.
“Where to Ma’am?” Larry, my driver asked.
“The hotel, but don’t disappear. I’m going out tonight.”
The limo dropped me off at the hotel and I got all
checked in. The young lady behind the
counter looked about my age so I thought she’d be the best person to ask. “Where’s the best place to go clubbing?”
She told me the name of a few clubs. I thanked her and went to my room to
change. I got out of the suit I was
wearing and pulled the hotel robe on. I
picked up the phone and dialed my office.
“Nelson Technology. Grace Nelson’s office.
May I help you?”
“Mindy, it’s me.
How’s everything there?”
“Hello Grace, everything is fine. How did the meeting go?”
“Great thanks to Keith. By the way, please make a note to give him a raise. He definitely deserves it.” I caught up on a few other things and hung
up with her. I sat down in the lounge
of my suite and returned to my thoughts from earlier.
*~*~*~*~*
After Rob’s death I couldn’t stand my grief. He had no other immediately family to speak
of, so I inherited everything. I was
overwhelmed. The company more or less
ran by itself. The house was my domain
already and it took care of itself too.
The staff was great and left me alone.
I had everything in the world I could ever ask for except the husband
who gave it all to me.
*~*~*~*~*
I had to quit living in the past. My life hasn’t been easy since Rob’s death,
but I found a way to forget everything for a short time. I went into the bathroom and showered. A half hour later I was stepping off the
elevator a completely different person.
My naturally curly hair was now straight and tied neatly up into a
ponytail. The custom made Dior suit had
been replaced with a black leather skirt that left little to nothing to the
imagination. I was wearing a backless
top that tied around the chest. The
stiletto heels replaced the fine Italian pumps from earlier in the day. The subtle make-up that normally adorned my
face was now dark and gave my face a completely different look.
The strolled through the hotel lobby and noticed
how the men looked at me. This was the
attention I craved I needed to survive.
Larry opened the limo door as I walked up. “Going out Ma’am?”
“Yes, take me to the best club you know of.” I settled into the back seat and pulled a
mirror from my purse. I checked my
make-up and tried to avoid the look in my eyes. I’d been lost for months.
It was easier when I traveled. I
knew that whomever I met tonight wouldn’t even know who I was. Back home I was well known. At first they didn’t put the two pieces
together, but slowly people began to recognize me and whisper behind my back
about how I’d changed and how they couldn’t believe that I was the same person
who owned and ran a multi-million dollar company. The little slut was a common reference. I guess I deserved it.
Picking up men in bars had become a hobby of mine. It filled an emptiness that nothing else
could fill.
The club was hopping. I slipped the guy at the door a hundred dollars and was ushered
into the club. The people waiting in
line snickered and called me names, but I’d lost interest in what others
thought of me.
The music was loud and the dance floor packed. I made my way to the bar and ordered two
shots of Tequila. Why not start off the
evening with a bang! I downed the shots
and worked my way to the dance floor. I
was approached immediately by a good-looking young man who I ended up dancing
with most of the evening. We were
grinding to a fast song when he finally suggested going back to his room. Score!
My brain screamed. Another
conquest won for Grace!
“Let’s get one more shot for the road.” I yelled as
I drug him back to the bar. I’d had way
too much to drink by this point in the evening or morning as the case was, and
had trouble walking back to the bar.
“What’ll it be?”
“Shot of tequila.” I replied. I’d lost count hours ago, but imagined I’d
put a good size dent into a bottle of tequila.
“Make it two,” the guy said. I tried to remember his name, but
couldn’t. Didn’t matter anyway I’d
never see him after tonight. The bartender
handed us our shots and I turned to toast my conquest. As I lifted my shot glass I was shocked to
see Josh standing there instead of . . . . . Dan . . . . . yeah that’s his
name.
“What happened to Dan?” I slurred.
“My friends, Joey and Chris, are helping him find a
cab.” I followed his finger and watched
as two guys walked Dan out of the club.
“What are they doing that for?” I yelled.
“Because I know
what a guy like that had planned for someone who looks like you look tonight.”
“How do you know that’s not what I was looking
for?” How dare he even presume that he
was helping me! That’s when my brain
switched gears. Don’t be mad, maybe
he’ll replace Dan for tonight’s fun.
“Were you?” he questioned.
“Well, I . . . um . . . now that you mentioned it
maybe Dan was all wrong for me.” I
raised my shot glass, but before I could gulp the liquid down Josh grabbed it
from my hand.
“I think you’ve had enough.”
“Awe come on Joshie, join my fun. Come jump on my sin wagon of fun!” I grabbed a hold of his belt loops and
pulled his hips into mine. “Let’s go
back to my hotel room and do a little mattress dancing.” I leaned forward and tried to kiss him, but
before I could the room spun and then went black.
The sun was streaming in the window as I awoke the
next morning. My head screamed from the
amount of alcohol that I’d consumed. I
lifted my head off the pillow and noticed the body sitting across the room in
two chairs that were pulled together.
Oh god, he’s not gone yet.
They’re usually gone by the time I wake up.
I looked over to the other side of the bed and realized
that it hadn’t been slept in. I flipped
the covers back and found that I was still dressed in the clothes I’d worn out
the night before. I slowly sat up and
swung my feet over the side of the bed.
The room spun and I could feel the alcohol in my stomach
begging to come back up. I ran to the
bathroom and rid my body of the poison.
I’d lost count of the hotel room bathrooms I’d done this in. I looked in the mirror and was horrified at
the vision I saw there. What was I
doing to myself? I glanced around the
bathroom and realized that I wasn’t in my suite. Where the hell was I and how did I get here?
I finished washing up and returned to the
bedroom. I quietly grabbed my shoes and
my purse and snuck out of the hotel room.
I grabbed my cell phone and dialed for a taxi. I sat out in front of the hotel waiting for the taxi and began to
cry. Oh god I had to change
something. I was slowly killing
myself. I wiped the tears falling down
my cheeks.
“Were you going to just disappear?”
“I’m sorry.
I don’t know what happened last night.”
I knew that he wasn’t going to just let me leave, but when the taxi
pulled up I stood anyway.
He grabbed a hold of my arm and turned me towards
him. “Please don’t go. I want to help you.”
“You don’t even know me.” The tears were once again streaming down my face.
“Please,” he begged.
I allowed him to lead me back up to his room. In the months since Rob’s death no one had
offered to help me, not even my family or close friends. Granted I wasn’t totally honest with them
when they asked.
We entered his suite and I sat down on the couch.
“Would you like something for breakfast?”
I shook my head ‘no’, the thought of food made my
stomach retch. “What happened last
night?” I really didn’t want to know,
but had to ask.
“You were at a club I was at,” he looked at me
before he continued. “You came in
shortly after we did. I wouldn’t have
even guessed it was you at first, but you caught my friend, Joey’s eye. Are you sure you want to hear all this?”
I nodded.
“I remember most of the evening.
What made you stop me from leaving?”
“A look in your eyes. You didn’t really want to go home with that guy did you?” I shrugged my shoulders. “Why?”
“Because I could.”
It was the only answer I’d allow myself to give. I didn’t know this guy I was talking to
anymore that any of the guys I’d slept with night after night. “Why do you even care what I do?”
“Do you believe in fate? Cause I do. I wasn’t
supposed to be on that plane yesterday.
I was supposed to already be here, but I got delayed and had to take a
later flight.” He got up and made
himself a cup of coffee. “When I first
saw you sitting there I knew there was something about you that I was supposed
to change or something I was supposed to help you with. I’m not sure how I knew, I just did.”
“What did you know?”
“I’m not sure I just saw something in your face,
your eyes.” He sat down across form
me. “It’s something to do with your
husband, isn’t it?”
Oh god how did he
know this?
“I'm right aren’t I?” I nodded unable to answer.
“Where is he?”
The tears that I thought had stopped began to fall
again. “He died,” I said in barely a
whisper.
“How long ago?”
“Five months.”
Josh handed me a Kleenex.
“How? If I
may ask.”
I stood and began to pace around the hotel
room. “It was cancer. He refused treatment and died fairly quickly
after the diagnosis.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I didn’t need any more sympathy. I got plenty of that from the people I
know. “I need to get going. I’m flying home tonight.” I grabbed my purse and shoes and headed
towards the door again.
“Wait, I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”
“Josh, that’s awful nice of you to offer, but
there’s no need. I can take a taxi.”
“Please call me JC, it’s no problem and I’m not
taking no for an answer.” He held the
door open for me as we left his suite.
We rode back to my hotel in complete silence. I didn’t know what to say to him. As he pulled up outside the hotel I asked,
“Do you live here in Orlando?”
“No . . . well I’m really bicoastal. I have a house in California, but I’m in
Orlando often.” He pulled into a
parking spot. “Where did you say you
were from?”
“Chicago now, South Bend originally.” The conversation was tense at best. “I guess I should thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I opened the door to get out.
“If you need anything please give me a call.” I hesitated before taking the business card that JC handed
me. He grabbed my hand, “Even if you
just need someone to talk to.” I nodded
wanting to just leave and forget that this ever happened. “Promise me,” he pleaded.
“Promise.”
I managed a smile and slammed the door before he could say anything
else.
I returned to my room, quickly packed and was on my
way to the airport. I kept seeing JC
looking up at me in the car. I couldn’t
stand the pity in his eyes. I spent the
plane trip in silence thinking about how I’d been living my like the past few
months.
I threw myself into the company and spent most of
my time there, if nothing else this might help me feel closer to Rob again.
I also checked out a fertility clinic in a nearby
town. I knew I wanted a family and
decided that this would be safer that having sex with strangers.
Dr. Harper assured me that undergoing an Inter
Vetro fertilization (IVF) was safe and the results usually good. I’d picked a donor from the provided
list. It was very weird, kind of like
shopping for a daddy. ID #5862
won. 6’4”, brown hair, green eyes,
sounded good to me. I couldn’t remember
enough of my genetics from Biology classes, but imagined that our child would
be perfect.
My IVF was performed on a Friday night and I was
ordered to rest. The following Friday I
went to the doctor’s to have a pregnancy test done only to find out that I
wasn’t pregnant. I was devastated to
say the least. I saw young girls barely
out of diapers themselves pregnant and I couldn’t get pregnant. I was never able to get pregnant with Rob
and now I couldn’t even with the help of a doctor.
I sat at home later that night with red swollen
eyes. I hadn’t cried so hard since Rob
died. I needed someone to hold me. As if hearing my hearts plea the phone
rang. I was screening my calls and let
the machine pick up.
“You’ve reached 219-760-5017, please leave a short
message and we’ll get back to you . . .. beep.”
“Um . . . I’m not sure if this is the right number
. . .” I recognized the voice immediately, JC.
I listened a moment longer.
“Grace, um . . I hate these things . . . um. . this is Josh Chasez. . um
. . . JC. We met in the plane. I’ve waited for you to call me, but you
never did.
“Hello,” I picked up the phone. “JC, it’s great to hear you voice.” It wasn’t a lie. He was just what I needed.
“Oh my it’s really you, I wasn’t sure I had the
right number.”
I began to cry again. “It’s the right number.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m not pregnant.” I began to sob again and continued to tell
him all the stuff I’d been through to get pregnant. “I would have spent the pregnancy in bed had they told me to. Hell I would have hung upside down for nine
months. I just wanted to have a baby.”
“I’m coming over.”
“What?”
“Give me directions to your house. I’m coming over.”
I rattled off the directions almost
unconsciously. Hardly any time passed
before JC showed up at her door.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
If the puffy red eyes and runny nose weren’t tell
tale signs, the light whimpering clearly showed that I’d been crying. I reached out and hugged him. “I am now.”
And I was. There was something
about JC that I’d felt from the very beginning. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew that JC was sent to me to
help me get over my heartaches.
We sat in almost silence. An uttered sentence here and there. We held each other for most of the night. JC told me about his wife and I shared more
stories about Rob. As morning drew near
I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crawl into my huge bed upstairs
and sleep for a week.
He comforted me that night and we ended up spending
most of the next week together. I
showed him around my company and he took me to the studio he was working
at. All in all I was more relaxed and
laughed more than I had in a long time.
The week was coming to an end and I began to miss
JC already. “We can talk on the phone
daily. I promise I’ll call you.” We were standing at the airport waiting for
JC’s flight to be called. “I should be
back in Chicago in a few weeks. We’ll
get together then.” He leaned over and
gave me a hug.
Flight 4678 to
Las Angeles is ready for boarding at gate 8. I frowned when I head the announcement for his flight. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Me too.
I’ll be back before you know it.”
He leaned over and instead of hugging me he pulled me into a kiss that
took my breath away. I watched as he
turned and walked toward the plane.
What was I doing? What were we
doing?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I was soaking in a luxurious
bath when the phone interrupted my tranquillity. “Hello.”
“Hello Grace, whatcha doing?”
“Lounging in a bubble bath,
you?” Every night when he called I
could still remember the feeling of his lips on mine.
“Flying.”
“Where are you going?” He wasn’t supposed to be back in Chicago for
two more days.
“The question is where are we
going and the answer is it’s a surprise.”
“Ooh I love surprises, but
you’re not due back for two more days.”
“I finished early. Get yourself out of the tub and pack. I’m taking you away for a couple of days.”
“What should I pack?” I was getting excited. I hadn’t been anywhere except for business
related trips for longer than I could remember.
“Pack light, if we need
something we’ll buy it.”
“Okay, casual or dress?”
“Jeans and t-shirts. I’ll be there in about an hour. I’m in the air. Meet me at O’Hare in an hour.”
“Okay, I’ll be there.” I got out of the tub, dried off and packed a
few things in an overnight bag. I
called my driver and had him take me to O’Hare. When I arrived I was surprised that JC was already there. He greeted me at the door and handed me one
white rose.
“Hello Gracie.” JC leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.
“Okay, now can you tell me where
we are going.”
“No,” JC smiled. “Not until you pick our first
destination.” He pulled a baseball cap
from behind his back. “Draw one of the
pieces of paper.”
“What is this?”
“Just be a good girl and pick a
piece of paper and then I’ll tell you all about our trip.” JC shook the cap to mix up the papers.
I drew one on the paper and
before I could open it and read it, JC grabbed it from me.
“Seattle. Have you ever been there?”
“No, have you?”
“On tour, but I really didn’t
get to see anything.” JC grabbed my bag
and offered me his arm. “Your private
jet awaits you.”
I took his are. “Where’d you get the private jet?”
“It’s yours. I called Mindy and she said that we could
use it.”
“My personal assistant gave you
permission to use my private jet.
That’s funny. What’d you have to
do to get it?”
“I told her what I had planned
for you and she was sure that you’d allow me to use the jet.” He smiled and continued to lead me to the
plane.
“What do you have planned for
me?”
“You’ll just have to wait and
see.”
He leaned over and kissed me, “I
told you it’s a surprise.”
“You know I’m beginning to hate
surprises,” I kidded.
We boarded the plane and made
ourselves comfortable. The jet was a
new toy that I bought. I was flying
more frequently and thought the plane would cone in handy. Little did I know that I’d be flying off to
Seattle with JC.
As the plane reached it’s
cruising altitude JC grabbed a folder out of his brief case. “Okay, Seattle.” He studied some of the maps and papers and began to scribble
notes in a notebook.
I was staring out the window
when he finished. “Penny for your
thoughts.”
“I was just thinking how
peaceful this is.”
He picked up my hand and kissed
it. “I’m glad that you came.”
“I’m not quite sure what you
have planned, but I trust you.”
“You are going to have fun, that
I promise you.”
They sat in quiet the remainder
of the flight. As they landed in
Seattle JC grabbed the notebook that he’d scribbled the notes in. The plane taxied and stopped next to a limo. “Your chariot awaits m’lady.”
Hours later we returned to the
plane. I was exhausted as I threw the
bags down and sat in one of the oversized chairs. “Did you have fun?”
“Oh yes,” I answered grinning
from ear to ear.
“What was your favorite thing?”
“I can’t pick just one. I loved it all, the piers, the merchants and
the underground city.”
JC smiled as I went on and on
about our day in Seattle. He finally
produced the hat that I’d drawn out of earlier that day. “Pick again.”
“Again?” I drew a piece of paper and opened it, “LA.”
JC picked up the phone and rang
the pilot. “The lady picked LA,” he
spoke into the phone and then replaced it.
“Ever been to LA?”
“Yep, once, Rob brought me there
while he was working.”
“Well then we aren’t’ working
and we’re gonna do all the cheesy tourist things.”
The plane took off and we were
on our way to LA. The day flew by and
as JC promised we did do all the tourist things, Mann’s Chinese Theater,
Universal Studios and went shopping on Rodeo Drive. Again it was late when we got back to the plane.
“Did you have fun?” JC asked
again.
“Yes,” I smiled. “Thank you for this . . . all of this. I really needed it.”
“Well, it’s my pleasure and it’s
far from over.” Once again the hat was
produced and I was drawing a slip of paper.
JC opened it, “New Orleans.”
“Oh I’ve always wanted to go
there.” I drifted off to sleep curled
up next to JC as I was flown off to New Orleans.
We continued on our tour of the
US, the French Quarter in New Orleans; Time Square, Central Park and a play in
New York; the Grand Canyon in Phoenix; skiing in Aspen; horseback riding in
Houston; scuba diving in the Keys; Niagara Falls; site seeing in Boston; Disney
World in Orlando; sailing in Maine; the museums and monuments in Washington DC
and on and on all over for an entire month.
We were at the last stop, Las Vegas.
As we exited a show I was almost
glad it was over. “Can we just stay
here tonight?” JC and I had been living
on the plane for almost a month and I really missed my house and my bed.
“Are you ready to go home?”
I nodded. JC’s face got long. I placed my hand on his arm,” I know why you
did this and I’m grateful, don’t get me wrong, but I’m also ready to go home.”
JC kissed my forehead. “Let’s get you home.” We headed back to the airport and I was
sound asleep before the plane ever took off.
The next thing I remember was JC carrying me up the stairs toward my
bedroom. We’d known each other for
months and other than a stolen kiss here and there, hugging and cuddling we’d
never taken our relationship to the next level and I wasn’t sure that JC even
wanted to.
I continued to pretend to be
asleep in his arms as he laid me down on my bed. He pulled the covers up tight.
“I love you,” he said barley above a whisper.
I
didn’t move. I loved him too, but
didn’t want to ruin the friendship that we’d found. I wanted him terribly and desperately wanted him to hold me. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him how I
felt. He left after his confession and
I hadn’t heard or seen him for days afterward.
I was gardening out back when
the phone rang, “Nelson’s.”
“Grace, can I come over?” There
was an air of sadness in his voice.
“JC, what’s wrong?
“I’ll explain soon,” with that
he hung up the phone.
Thirty minutes later JC stood at
the front door of my house ringing the bell.
“Coming,” I ran from the back porch where I was replanting some
flowers. I was covered in dirt. “I’m sorry it took so long to ans. . . .” my
sentence was interrupted by JC’s lips.
The kiss seemed to last forever and was like none that we’d ever shared.
It was JC who finally pulled
away, “Can I come in?”
I was still stunned from the
kiss as I looked around noticing that we were standing in the doorway. “Sure.”
JC took my hand and lead me into
the front room. He motioned for me to
sit on the love seat while he stood in front of me. He was nervous. I could
tell by the way he stood and how he didn’t know what to do with his hands. “I have,” he began then sat down next to
me. He grabbed my hands and began
again. “I’ve loved you for so long I
can’t remember not loving you. The
first day on the plane, that night at the club, the next morning driving you
back to your hotel,” he kept on rambling, recalling most of the time that we
spent together. He finally stopped and
stared at me. I had tears streaming
down my face. “Oh god, I didn’t mean to
make you cry.” He wiped the tears from
my cheeks.
I smiled at him. “They’re tears of joy.” I pushed him back on the love seat and
straddled his lap. I could see the
surprise in his eyes. “Do you have any
idea just how long I’ve loved you?” I
leaned over and captured his lips before he could answer. We broke apart and I moaned. I could tell that JC was quite excited. “What took us so long?”
“I’m not sure, but from now on
we’re going to tell each other everything,” JC kissed me again.
“Okay, honesty it is. How’s this for honesty, JC I want you to
take me upstairs and make love to me.”
Before I knew what was happening he stood taking me in his arms carrying
me up the stairs to my bedroom.
*~*~*~*~*
“Come on Grace it’s almost
over. Your almost there,” the doctor
encouraged from his place at the foot of the bed. I shock my head unsure if I could continue. The excruciating pain of the contractions
ripping through my body was almost more that I could take. “Grace, you’re half way through this you
can’t stop now!” he ordered.
“’Okay,” I managed to say
between breaths.
“This is it … push Grace …
push!”
I bore down and pushed with all
the strength I could muster. The creams
filled the room as my baby took its first breath welcoming it into the world.
“A boy … it’s a boy!” My husband yelled from his spot above the
doctor’s shoulder video taping the event.
Tears streamed down my face when
they placed the wrinkled pink bundle in my arms. “He’s perfect,” I smiled at JC
“Look how perfect he is.”
JC turned the camera off and
joined his family on the bed. I looked
up at him and realized that I really was the girl who has everything.
The
End
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