by Katie Dowe
“Happy birthday, darling,” she had two glasses of wine in her hands as she made her way towards him. “I have a meal and a huge cake that says, ‘Happy birthday to the man I love’. I know we are not going to finish it but we can try.” She handed him a glass. He felt foolish as he stood there looking at her.
“You did not have to–” his throat was blocked and he had to swallow hard to dislodge the lump there. “What are you wearing?”
“You like?” she turned slowly to give him the full effect.
“I more than like.” He said hoarsely.
“Good, exactly what I was aiming for.” She took the glass from his nerveless fingers and went to put them on the mantel before coming back and putting her hands around his neck. “How are we going to celebrate your birthday?”
“I am sure you already planned how to,” his need for her was crawling through his skin.
“Absolutely.”
Chapter 10
“Where is he?” Gina called his mother two weeks later when she could not get him on his phone. Their relationship was tentative and he still had not told her he loved her no matter the amount of time they spent together! She told herself that she was going to be patient and wait for him to make the move, but she was getting a tad impatient now. They were practically living together for crying out loud and he still had not said anything to her.
“He has not called you?” Pauline asked her.
“I have been trying him for the entire day, Pauline, and I am not getting him. I called his offices and they said he left in the afternoon.” Gina was feeling frustrated.
There was a moment’s hesitation before she responded. “Today is the anniversary of Linda’s death.”
Gina felt her heart stuttered! Every time she felt as if she was making a breakthrough, something else came up. “Where?”
Pauline told her where the cemetery was. “He is getting better at dealing with it, my dear, but it is just that it has become a tradition.”
“And I understand that, but he could have called me–” she topped and took a deep breath. “I am in this for the long haul and I am not giving up on him.”
“That’s the spirit,” his mother told her. “I am rooting for you.”
Gina hung up from her and placed her head into her hands. It was the third day of February and it had snowed heavily the night before giving the place a white glow that looked peaceful and still. She had come home from the rec center with the intention of going to his apartment to cuddle with him in front of the fire.
Her dad was in his room grading papers, so she was left by herself in the living room. She picked up the phone and dialed Leesa’s number.
“Darling, I was just saying to Brad that I have not seen you in a week!” she complained.
“I have been pretty busy.” She said abruptly. “I need some womanly advice.”
“Shoot.”
“Today is the anniversary of his wife’s death and he has gone to the cemetery to pay homage. Should I leave him alone and allow him to call me?”
“Darling, women like you and me don’t just leave things and hope for the best. We take charge. I know you have been thinking about going there and being with him.”
“You know me too well,” Gina muttered. “What if he does not want me there?”
“You know as well as I do that that is not true. That man came here to get you when you came here, so it is safe to say that he is waiting for you.”
******
Paul had turned his phone off. He had been having such a great time being with Gina that the memories of Linda were slowly fading away. He had woken up this morning with the intention of taking Gina out later today and sealing them as a couple when he had looked at the calendar. February fifth, the day she had succumbed to her disease and he had not remembered. He had felt the awful guilt flooding him and had gone to the office and listened in without participating at meetings before he left.
He had stopped at a flower shop and brought her favorite flowers: jasmine and yellow roses. The cemetery was a private one so it meant that he was afforded some measure of privacy. He had already placed the flowers against her headstone and stood there looking at the words: ‘Sorely missed by us.’ Linda Brady and her date of birth and date of death written below. She had been too young! Twenty-five when she died! She had not even begun to live yet!
He was so deep in thought that he did not hear when she came forward. But he felt her presence and he turned and saw her standing behind him in her long black coat and a furry back hat on her head.
“You should have called me,” her voice was soft and not in any way accusing. “You think I would not want to be here with you holding your hand?” she came forward, her eyes moving from the headstone to him. She held out a hand and he grasped it quickly as if it was his lifeline. “I want to be there for every experiences in your life Paul. Do you not get it that I am not going anywhere?”
“I did not remember that it was her death anniversary until I looked at the calendar this morning, and I felt guilty because I had been thinking about taking you to dinner later on, somewhere you could dress up and eat and dance.” He pulled her tight into his arms and laid his cheek on her head. It felt right, this being with her looking at his wife’s grave. He was so absurdly glad she came that he was beside himself! “I am so glad you are here!” he whispered inhaling her scent.
Gina felt the joy and hope mingle inside her. This had not been a mistake! She sent up a thank you that she had spoken to Leesa and the encouragement she had given her. “I am here and we can stay as long as you want,” she told him huskily feeling the warmth of him and knowing that she had nothing to feel insecure about because he was alive and in her arms. “I am not going anywhere.”
He held her to him and after only a few minutes he told her he was ready. He took her hand and they left the silent cemetery. His steps were light and he felt as if he had just gotten a new lease on life!
*****
They went back to his apartment and she insisted on making him some hot chocolate. He sat on one of the stools and watched her prepare the hot beverage. He always noticed how economical her movements were in the kitchen or whenever she was doing anything. She had taken off her jacket and hat and gloves to reveal that she was wearing faded denims and a short black and white sweater.
She handed him the cup and sat beside him.
He placed his hands around the cup and looked down into the liquid before looking at her. “You are the most amazing woman I have ever met.” He told her huskily.
“Go on.” She told him with a teasing smile.
He laughed at that and her breath caught at the flash of his white teeth against his dark skin. “And you are not modest.” He sobered. “Why?”
“Why what?” she asked tilting her head to look at him.
“Why do you bother? Why do you stay?”
“I did tell you several times that I am in love with you right?” he nodded with a slight smile tilting his lips. The lips that she loved to feel on her body. “I held out for the man I wanted to give everything to. In college, when my batch mates were experimenting I never did, even when I was pressured. I always figured that there is someone for everyone and I did not want to just have sex for the sake of having sex. I wanted the best, I wanted above and beyond what I heard, and I was determined to wait.” She pushed away the cup and turned to face him. “You are it Paul, the someone I have been waiting for and no matter what I have to deal with concerning you and your past, then I will deal with it because I love you.”
He stared at her wordlessly, his hands trembling slightly. He had never met a woman who had such a great capacity to love and he was not sure he deserved it! “I want an intimate wedding with a few friends,” he was mimicking Leesa’s words to him without even realizing it. “A spring wedding up at Leesa and Brad’s place at the gazebo and the honeymoon wherever you choose.”
“Paul Brady, are you proposing to me?” her body trembled at the enormity o
f what he just said.
“I am.” He pulled her off the chair and into his lap burying his face in the softness of her neck. He lifted his head and looked down at her, his eyes stormy. “Regina Phillips, will you be my wife?”
“I would love nothing more.” With a groan, he took her lips with his and lifting her into his arms he went to the bedroom!
******
They had dinner with her father that Friday.
“Very nice to meet you Paul,” Richard Phillips told him, gripping his hands firmly. She had also invited Milton over for dinner to kill two birds with one stone. He had not given her an engagement ring yet but she did not ask him and she was not going to.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Phillips,” he said soberly as he shook the man’s hand.
“It’s Richard, and as I understand it we are going to be family very soon.”
“This is Milton, a very dear friend of mine.” Gina told him as they went into the living room. Milton felt the pain of being downgraded to only a dear friend. But he held out a hand without flinching as he felt the larger than life man gripping his hand. He looked more vibrant that his pictures in the papers. He pulled his hand away and saw when the man gave him a quick once over. He had a feeling he knew exactly how he felt about Gina. “Milton, this is Paul Brady.
“Let’s go into the dining room,” Her father suggested. “My daughter insisted on cooking the entire meal by herself.”
Paul forced himself not to tense up as Gina left him to push the chair into the dining room. He saw the quick triumphant look the man sent him and felt himself bristling. Jealousy was new to him. But he had something in his pocket to seal the fact that she was going to be his exclusively.
All throughout the meal, Milton kept referring to things that he and Gina had done over the years they had been friends. He did his best to cut Paul out of the conversation and show him up for the fact that he had been there for a long time and Paul was just now in her life. Paul tried his best to ignore what he was doing until he mentioned that he and Gina had so many great memories together. “You remember the time you tricked me into making that pecan pie for you?” he asked her softly, his eyes for her alone. “You told me that you were the one who would make it and then left to go and take a shower and left me to do all the work.”
Gina glanced at Paul’s face quickly and saw the tenseness there. “Dad, tell Paul about the addition they are doing at the high school.” She said quickly sending Milton a furious glance. “I have a feeling they could use some more donations.”
Richard beamed and started talking about the topic nearest and dearest to his heart. She had gone into the kitchen to get the plates for the dessert and was cutting the slices of pumpkin pie when she looked up and saw her father come into the kitchen.
“Dad, you left them by themselves?” she asked anxiously.
“Why? I am sure they will be fine.” He said with a careless shrug. “I just came in to get some more water.”
“I hope so.” She muttered. “So what do you think?” she asked looking up at him.
“He is a very intense young man,” Richard Phillips commented as he poured the water into a large crystal container. “He looks at you a lot.”
“I love him,” she put a piece of the pie into her mouth. “He is still iffy about what he feels about his wife being dead.”
Her father stared at her for a moment. “You have always been very strong-willed and never allowed anything to stand in your way. I hope he is worthy of you and I hope he is able to move on from that tragedy.”
“I know what I am doing.” She went around to kiss him on the cheek.
Back in the dining room, both men were eyeing each other balefully. “What the hell are you trying to prove?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Milton took up his glass and sipped his water, meeting the man’s steel like gaze.
“I am the one she is in love with, man, so deal with it.”
Paul’s smiled in satisfaction as he saw the remark hit home. His hand tightened on the glass until his knuckles showed white. “Go ahead,” Paul told him softly. “You will only prove to Gina that you are feeding on sour grapes.”
Milton relaxed his hold and smiled at him spitefully. “You don’t deserve her.” He hissed.
“I agree.”
Before Milton could say anything else, Gina hurried into the room with her father coming up behind her. “I hope you have room for dessert,” her eyes scanned the two men for a moment but saw no indication of any fractions and put the tray onto the table.
“Before we start the dessert, I want to say something,” he saw out of the corner of his eye how Milton stiffened. “Gina in front of your dad and your friend,” his tone was scathing as he said the word. “I want to officially give you this ring as a sign of my commitment to you.” He took out the dark blue velvet box and opened it. Gina stared at the square-cut diamond and gasped! The diamond glinted in the light and sent a prism of colors around the room. He took it out and she held out her hand for him to put on the ring. It was a perfect fit! Gina moved from where she was and threw her arms around his neck tightly. Paul saw the pain that passed over Milton’s face and for a moment he felt sympathy for the man who was feeling the loneliness of unrequited love!
*****
“He is in love with you,” Paul told her lightly later that night as they lay in each other’s arms in bed after making love.
“Who?” she looked up at him puzzled. She had been staring at the ring on her finger.
“Milton.” His eyes searched her exquisite face. “I can’t say I blame him. You are so beautiful.”
“He just thinks he is in love with me,” she told him softly. “He lost his wife tragically in an accident that cost him his legs. I kind of feel responsible for him. Before you, he was my best friend.”
“He hates me.”
“He does not!” she protested.
“I am not going to get in the way of your friendship because as he told me he has been here before me.”
“When did he say that?”
“It does not matter,” he brushed back her hair. “I feel sorry for the guy. I have you and that must be killing him.”
“You sound as if you are planning to fight a duel for me,” she said lifting her brows.
“I would,” his grey eyes met hers and she saw the intense look in them. “That’s how much you mean to me.”
*****
His mother had an engagement party for them at the manor. She was so excited that she had called Paul and told him that whether he liked it or not she was having a party. “I already cleared it with Gina, so you have nothing to say.”
“I was not going to say anything.” He said with a smile. “She is very special, Mother.”
“I know, darling, and I am so happy for you!”
Pauline had called Leesa and they had organized it together while consulting with Gina. “I have a few people at the rec center that I want to invite as well. I told the ones at the home that I would bring them back pieces of cake. I wish Greta could come, but she has been very weak lately.”
“I am sorry to hear that, my dear,” Pauline said sympathizing with her.
“I am learning to deal with the fact that when we love we will lose and will only have the memories to sustain us.”
“I learnt that when I lost my parents and my husband.”
“I don’t want to waste another moment away from Paul.”
******
The manor was ablaze with lights when they got there. Gina had spent the night at Paul’s apartment and practically all her clothes were already there. She had moved out without even realizing it. Valentine’s Day had come and gone with them having dinner at an exclusive restaurant and then having the evening curtailed as he told her he had to have her. She loved that he could not keep his hands off her and he had finally told her that all this was new to him because he had not been allowed to touch Linda intimately in public. She had slid ov
er to his side of the table and whispered. “You can fondle anytime and anywhere.” She had taken his hand and slid it up her dress and made him feel that she had no underwear on. He had touched her mound and put two fingers inside her. It was a good thing they were in a privacy alcove because the moans had escaped her and she had put her head onto his shoulders. He had gotten drunk with the ability to make her feel such intense passion and had started thrusting in her rapidly, forgetting where they were. She had come and had to bite into his shoulder to stop the scream from escaping! They had left shortly after that!
The place was already filled with vehicles and there were two valets that Pauline had employed to park the cars keeping busy as they came in. Gina had dug into her closet and found a dress she had not remembered she owned. It was a slinky blush red dress made of lightweight material and from bosom to ankles clung to her curves. It was held up by adhesives and stayed onto her breasts without aid. She was not allowed to wear any underwear and the material moved over her skin like the light touch of a lover’s hands. Paul had given her a lovely platinum necklace with a diamond pendant that nestled in her cleavage. She had flat-ironed her hair and brushed it out ruthlessly, pinning it on top of her head. She was wearing diamond knobs in her lobes. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he had told her huskily as he stood behind her while they were in his bedroom.
“Thank you,” she had slid into her Mahnola Blahnik and faced him adjusting his bow tie. She already felt as if she was married to him, so comfortable and right it felt to be doing things for him. “Okay, let’s go face the music.”
Pauline looking resplendent in ivory which made a striking contrast against her dark skin and her blue black hair hurried over to them with a big smile on her face. “Leesa as well as the other wives are here. Gina, you look absolutely stunning!”
“Thank you, Pauline, so do you.” She returned the woman’s hug and allowed her to lead her into the vast room where the party looked like it had started. Paul let go of her reluctantly to find the other guys while she went towards the cluster of women which included wives of the members of the club. There was a stunning array of colors ranging from deep blue to emerald green! Only Leesa had chosen to wear a champagne-colored dress that fitted her body like a glove.
