I Remember (Remembrance Series)

by Cynthia P. O'Neill

  I gave her a quick hug and whispered, “I’m so sorry about falling asleep. I promise nothing happened and he was every bit the gentleman.”

  She whispered back, “I trust you, Jordan, but it is good to know I can trust Gregory, too.”

  I was greeted by Aunt Melinda and Uncle Tom and apologized for abandoning them, yesterday. Before I could say another word, Gregory reached out his hand to Uncle Tom. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Gregory.

  After greeting my family, he turned to me. “Where would you like your things?”

  “The back room is fine for now, until I can go through them. Thank you.”

  My uncle helped Gregory unload his car. They continued talking the entire time.

  Uncle Tom came up to me after dinner, that night, while I was washing dishes, and whispered, “This one is definitely a keeper. I think your father would approve of him. I know I do.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Tom.” It meant a lot to know that everyone liked my boyfriend.

  The evening seemed to fly by at incredible speed. Before long, it was time for Gregory to head back.

  I walked him to his car, holding his hand, thanking him for his help and continued company throughout the day. “You know, my uncle approves of you.”

  He drew me close and kissed me gently on the lips, growing more passionate as the kiss progressed. “I’ve wanted to lose myself in your kisses all day, but was trying to be respectful of your family.”

  Our lips moved as one until he pulled away. “We’ll spend next weekend at my parent’s house. It’s time for them to meet the love of my life.”

  My body went stiff with anxiety. “I need to ask my mother, first. What if your family doesn’t like me?”

  The hand against the small of my back drew me in tighter, as his lips descended onto my neck placing gentle kissed up toward my ear. “Your mom has already given her consent. She plans on visiting your dad’s brother next weekend. I’ve already told my parents all about you and they can’t wait to formally meet you.”

  He bit down lightly on my ear. “Say yes, my love.”

  My knees weakened as I repeated. “Yes, my love.” He wasn’t playing fair and he knew it.

  Gregory worked his way back over to my lips. “Thank you. I promise to make it will be a weekend you will never forget.”

  He leaned back for a moment, with a sad look on his face. “I don’t want to leave, but it is getting late and you need your sleep.”

  “I’ll let you go, but only if you promise to meet me in my dreams.”

  “Always. You are my life, Jordan. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  I watched as he pulled away, feeling my heart go with him.

  I walked back inside and wished everyone a good night. Within no time, the phone was ringing.

  “Gregory?” I breathed out in a rush.

  “I miss you, already.” His voice sounded as pained as my heart felt.

  “Me, too.”

  “Promise me you will go to sleep, soon.” He begged.

  “I‘m already in bed. I was just waiting for your call.”

  “Wish I could be there to hold you; but I will see you in our dreams. You mean everything to me.”

  I couldn’t help but smile at his words. “You mean the world to me, too. Good night.”

  “Good night.”

  Slumber came quickly and wonderful visions of Gregory holding me in his arms comforted my mind.

  The next few days at the office were uneventful. The only exception was Pamela’s overt friendliness, leaving me to question what she was up to.

  I continued to work through the assignments given to me, pausing only when the appointment lines were flooded and I needed to help out. In the middle of the afternoon on Wednesday, I received a call from the receptionist. “Ms. Carlisle, you have a delivery here at the front desk.”

  “Thank you. I will be right up.”

  I was not expecting anything, since the office supplies were ordered through Terry, now. When I rounded the corner, I saw a huge bouquet of two dozen long stemmed red roses.

  I picked up the bouquet, smiling, and headed back to my office. The receptionist and a couple of the front desk staff became nosy, asking who sent them.

  “They are from my boyfriend.”

  “Since when do you have a boyfriend?” One of Pamela’s followers asked, followed by a few laughs.

  “Read the card,” someone ordered.

  I read aloud. “My Darling, Jordan. I enjoyed our weekend together. I miss holding you in my arms. Loving you with all my heart, always! Gregory. XOXO”

  My face was beaming as the sound of “Aww,” echoed throughout the department.

  I started to walk back to my desk, when one of Pamela’s flunkies remarked, “I don’t buy into it. No man would declare his love like that. I bet she sent the flowers to herself.” I just rolled my eyes.

  I worked until Caroline popped in to let me know she was leaving for the night.

  On the drive home, I called Mom to let her know I was on my way, before calling Gregory.

  His voice was so soothing. “Hello, Beautiful! Did you get my flowers?”

  “That’s why I am calling. They are gorgeous and you’re so thoughtful. You know you didn’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I did; because I love you!”

  “Would you believe a few of Pamela’s clique think I am incapable of having a boyfriend?”

  I could tell the words upset him. “I guess we’ll just have to show them otherwise. I have a meeting coming up downtown, this week; maybe I will stop by to sweep you off to a romantic lunch.”

  “That would be nice, but I don’t want you to go out of your way for me.”

  “Are you on your way home?”

  “Yes. I just left the office about twenty minutes ago. Why?”

  “I wish I could meet up with you and hold you in my arms; but I have a couple of pressing deadlines, one for a meeting tomorrow and another due by the end of the week. Would it be ok if I give you a call later, tonight?”

  “Gregory, you can call anytime you like.”

  “How close are you to home?”

  “I’m about five minutes away.”

  “Just wanting to make sure you get home safely. I’ll call you in a couple hours. Until then, know that I love you.”

  “I love you, too!”

  Mom was already putting dinner on a plate for me when I walked into the kitchen. “I already ate, but kept the food warm for you,” she said. “It’s your favorite: roast chicken, vegetables and fruit salad.”

  I gave her a hug. “Thanks, Mom!”

  That night, my dreams were filled with anguish over Angeline and Daniel. I felt lost to the ominous voices of the forest, until I felt Gregory’s embrace. “I am here, now. We will get through anything, together.” His words brought me comfort, allowing me to relax for the rest of the night.

  The next morning, I rushed around and managed to leave without my lunch. At the office, I dove headfirst into my remaining deadlines and started knocking them out one by one, planning to go through a drive through on my lunch hour

  Just as I was about to place my phone on ‘Out of Office’, it rang. Karen giggled, informing me of a delivery at the front desk.

  “I’ll be right up.”

  There were whispers all around me as I passed through the back office. It made me nervous wondering what was waiting for me.

  I opened the door to the reception area and Karen pointed to a huge balloon in the shape of a red heart with the words ‘I Love You!’ written in giant white letters. The person holding the mini-blimp was somewhat concealed behind it; so I walked over and said, “I’m Miss Carlisle. Is this for me?”

  The sumptuous voice I knew so well replied, “Yes Jordan, both the balloon and my heart are for you.” He moved the balloon to the side and smiled his cute, awkward smile and my heart melted.

  There were serene sighs all around.

  “Gregory!” I
threw my arms around his neck and hugged him, tightly. “What are you doing here?”

  “I had a business meeting in the area and we finished early; so I thought I would drop by and steal you away for lunch, if you haven’t eaten, yet.”

  “You have perfect timing. I was about to go out and grab something.” I took hold of his hand and led him through the door. “Let me show you my office and check with Caroline to see if I can take a long lunch, today.”

  I led Gregory through the entire office, introducing him to key people along the way. He was friendly and polite to everyone.

  I was happy to see several jealous jaws drop to the floor when they saw how incredibly gorgeous Gregory was. Especially Pamela’s naysayers.

  I tied the balloon around the vase of flowers I had received, yesterday and headed over to Caroline’s office.

  Before I could even introduce him, Gregory stepped forward, hand extended. “It is truly an honor to meet you, Caroline. Jordan has told me so many wonderful things about you. With your permission, I would like to take her out for a relaxing lunch.”

  Caroline smiled widely, giving me a slight wink. “You worked late yesterday, go enjoy a long lunch. Just put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ and sneak out the back stairwell.”

  I did as she requested and also hung a sign on my door. I directed Gregory to the stairwell and we snuck out to enjoy our lunch, together.

  As soon as we walked down a couple of flights, he pulled me into a corner of the stairwell and kissed me, tenderly.

  “You know, you didn’t have to drop by; but thank you. I needed this.” I admitted between kisses.

  We continued down. “I have wanted to do this for some time. It just happened to work out well with my schedule, today. I have to admit, I arranged it with your Mom last night to make sure you left the house without lunch.”

  His words caught me by surprise. “I picked up a picnic lunch on the way here. Why don’t I take you to my favorite part of Lake Eola? There is a park bench where we first met in my dream.”

  I could not believe that dream meant so much to him. “That sounds lovely.”

  When we got to the park, I recognized the scene, immediately. The bench was underneath a shady oak tree, not far from the banks of the lake.

  “Did you want to sit on the bench or stretch out on a picnic blanket?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m just happy to be out of the office and spending time with you.”

  I removed my jacket and left it in the car, thankful to have chosen a summer dress combination to wear, today. Gregory followed suit, removing his business coat and tie before rolling up his sleeves.

  He whipped out a blanket underneath the tree. There was a nice breeze blowing across the lake, making it comfortable for May.

  I took a seat on the blanket and he sat down beside me, stretching his legs out and rummaging through his bag of goodies. He removed two take-out containers, each with half of a turkey sandwich, a small green salad and fruit for dessert, along with two bottles of unsweetened tea.

  “Everything looks yummy.”

  He leaned in for a quick kiss on the lips. “I wish I could’ve prepared a better picnic, but I’m not that familiar with all the eateries, downtown.”

  “You did a wonderful job of getting my favorites. You know, you spoil me way too much,” I said, jokingly.

  “I would like to spoil you more, if you would let me.”

  We leaned close to one another as we began to eat, making idle chatter about the weather, how the rest of the week looked for both of us and just enjoying the scenery and the company. My heart was whole for the first time in my life.

  When we were done eating, Gregory asked, “Do you mind if we sit and talk for awhile?”

  I couldn’t imagine what he wanted to talk about, but I definitely wasn’t ready to leave this peaceful and tranquil moment.

  ”Are you ok with meeting my parents this weekend?”

  My emotions were mixed. “I would love to meet your parents, but do we really need the entire weekend?

  “My parents have a nice house on a lake where we can go boating, jet skiing or just relax by the pool. You can come down to my place Saturday morning and we can take my car over. Then, you can either drive back Sunday night or stay with me and head back to your Mom’s on Monday, after work. The choice is entirely yours.”

  I took a deep breath. “I know that you have my best interest at heart, but don’t you think you should include me in some of the planning?”

  “I’m sorry. I just want you to have an enjoyable, relaxing weekend and my family’s place is a perfect retreat. You’ll love it, I promise. And they’ll love you.”

  I was still contemplating the pool, the lake and the fun when all of a sudden his shoulders tensed.

  “Is everything alright?”

  He looked deep into my eyes. “I hope so. I haven’t been entirely honest with you, Jordan, and I need to tell you a few things before you meet my family.”

  “You know you can tell me anything, Gregory. No secrets, remember?”

  He took a deep breath. “I was born Gregory Anthony Worthington. My grandfather and father created Worthington Enterprises. Then, as technology advanced, my father branched off and started Teleco Wireless.

  “Oh my…” I started.

  He stopped me. “Please, let me finish”

  “I had everything I ever wanted or dreamed of, as a child. My brothers both loved all the attention our name got us in school. They were always hanging out with the ‘in-crowd’ and having tons of parties. But, they only kept friends by picking up the tab and buying things, especially for the girlfriends.”

  “But, that isn’t your style.”

  He shook his head in agreement. “I began to see my friends were fake, only there for me as long as I was able to do things for them. My parents noticed I was unhappy, so we discussed some options. My father offered to transfer me to another school, but my last name was recognizable.

  “My mother suggested I use her maiden name, at least temporarily, to give me the opportunity to experience a normal life. So, documents were drawn up to change my name and they put me in public school.”

  He paused for a moment and I squeezed his hand lightly, in encouragement.

  “Life was better, because no one knew me. I was able to blend in with everyone and, while I didn’t have a lot of friends, the one’s I did have were true, who liked me for me.”

  “And?”

  “Remember the girl I talked about briefly dating? She knew my brothers and recognized me. I thought we had something special, but she was only after my money. I didn’t realize it until one day she accidently called me by my real last name. As a result, my trust was shattered when it came to dating.”

  I took a deep breath in before responding. “I think I understand why you did it, but why wait to tell me?”

  “Because I wanted to make sure you fell in love with me and not my name.”

  I kissed him gently on the cheek. “Thank you for sharing this with me. Trust is a hard thing to come by. And once it’s shattered, it is hard to gain it back.”

  “Do I still have your trust, Jordan?”

  “I trust you with my life, Gregory; just no more secrets.”

  “I promise, unless it is meant to surprise or protect you.”

  “So, if you work for your family, why are you keeping up the illusion of a different name?”

  “My grandfather and father built both companies from the ground up. They worked hard to make them what they are, today. Because of that, they have the respect of all the employees.

  “I wouldn’t have the same respect if I just waltzed in and got a Vice Presidency, straight out of college. I would only be the kid lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon in my mouth.

  “It was our family’s decision to have me come on board as an intern during school and then as an employee after graduation. They made sure I would be hired, but the rest was up to me, to get to where I am at now.
I am working my way up the ladder and proving my ability and loyalty to the company.”

  “Does anyone, besides your dad and grandfather, know who you are?”

  He smiled for the first time since our conversation started. “Yes. The head of Human Resources and a couple of Vice Presidents are aware.”

  “So, that’s how you were able to help Jerry find employment?”

  “Yes. Being the boss’s grandson or son does give me a heads-up on what positions are available and how all the departments work.”

  He went on. “My grandfather wants my father to take over Worthington Enterprises in five years, when he retires. That puts me in line for my father’s position at Teleco Wireless. If I show I can do the work and know all the in’s and out’s of the various departments, the company might accept me better than if I just came in out of nowhere as the new CEO.”

  I was dumbstruck by his revelation, but still curious. Do you enjoy your work?”

  His face beamed with delight. “I love it! I have always had a fascination with anything electronic. My parents used to get mad at me for taking apart the television, VCR, and any small appliance I could get my hands on to see how they worked.”

  He pulled me against his chest and held me for what seemed like an eternity before asking, “Are you upset with me?”

  “I probably should be, because I don’t like to be lied to, but no. And now I see how you are able to afford all these gifts. But how am I supposed to keep up, when you have so much?”

  He laughed. “This is what you are worried about?”

  His lifted my chin so our eyes met. “I buy you things because I am deeply in love with you. While I do enjoy perks from my family, everything has been purchased with the money I’ve earned.”

  He went on to explain. “When I was in school, my parents paid for everything. My internship was a paid position, so I banked my earnings to save up for when I graduated. The position I was offered came with a decent salary and I took over my own expenses. Most everything I have is because I have earned or bought it, myself. There have been a few gifts from my parents, but I pay my own bills and day-to-day expenses. I do have a trust fund that I’ll get when I turn 25, but I have to show that I can contribute to society and take care of myself, in order to earn it. Personally, I don’t need money to be happy. All I need is you.”