Falling for Him 5 (Rachel and Peter in Love)

by Gray, Jessica

  “You like to shop?” I asked.

  “Love it, but unfortunately, in my business, I don’t get to do this often enough. People bring their clothing to me. I miss wandering through the stores and sorting through the racks looking for just the right thing. Usually I tell one of the staffers what I need and they grab it from wardrobe or have someone from one of the stores bring it over.”

  “I can’t imagine that,” I told her.

  “It’s fun. I love fashion, and I have so many connections here, I get to see stuff months before it hits the stores.”

  This is such a new world for me and I’m so glad that a few months ago, when I stepped up to save Peters company, I started wearing business suits and feminine dresses, instead of my usual jeans and t-shirts. I looked around me and realized that in my current black dress slacks and mango button-up shirt, I fit in perfectly with those around me. Thankfully I had decided to wear the decorative scarf Karen had given me for my birthday. It looked sophisticated and for once, I felt like I actually fit in, at least dress-wise.

  Sara took me from store to store, and at each one, she was personally greeted by name. It seemed that everyone knew who she was and went out of their way to assist her. They all respect and like her. That amazed me even more. She was definitely the antithesis to Meryl Streep’s version of a fashion guru.

  By the time we entered the third store, I had started to lose some of my uncomfortableness with the situation. When she introduced me as her future daughter-in-law, and told everyone what a wonderful person I was, I was able to smile indulgently and keep my self-conscious blush to a mild shade of pink.

  By 4:30, we were both exhausted and my feet were ready to call it a day. The shopping excursion had been an experience I would never forget and very productive as well. I had acquired several new outfits, courtesy of Sara’s credit card, that were perfect for the warm, humid weather of the Fiji Islands.

  Several bikinis formed part of my purchases as well, and I couldn’t wait to model them for Peter. He would make hungry eyes! Sara had raved over my fit physique, and encouraged me to show it off to its fullest. None of the suits were tacky or slutty looking, but with Sara’s help, they emphasized my assets and the colors matched my hair and skin coloring as if they’ve been made for me.

  When we entered the penthouse, the doorman followed us in, dropping our bags at the front door before leaving and wishing us a good evening. We were both chattering away, and I realized that even though Sara was almost twenty years older than myself, and old enough to be my mother, she was like a new friend.

  “Hey, look who’s back,” Peter called from the living area where he sat with his father.

  “Hi. Did you boys have a nice day?” Sara asked.

  “Yes, did you?” Gordon asked, rising to take the packages from the floor.

  “Wonderful! Peter, Rachel and I had an absolutely lovely time today. Didn’t we?” she asked, turning to look at me.

  “New York is amazing!” I told Peter, wrapping my arms around his arms as he hugged me from behind. “And Sara insisted to buy me some clothing for our honeymoon.”

  “Are you hungry?” Peter asked me, leaning down to kiss me behind my ear.

  I shook my head, “No, we eat a late lunch. I want a bath to be honest. My feet are tired.”

  Peter released me, “Why don’t you go start that bath and I’ll put together a light snack for us?”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” I asked his parents.

  Gordon wrapped his arms around Sara and hugged her close, “That sounds like a fine idea. Hon, why don’t you do the same? Rachel looks like you shopped her out.”

  Sara smiled at me, “I tend to get carried away, but we had fun, didn’t we?”

  “It was awesome! I’m just not used to so much walking.”

  Sara chuckled, “I guess I should have warned you beforehand.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It was worth it.”

  “Go start your bath. I’ll be in soon.” Peter gave me a shove towards the hallway and I picked up a few of the packages and headed that direction.

  “Don’t worry about the rest, I’ll bring them,” he told me when I wanted to pick up more.

  “Thanks,” I told him over my shoulder, the idea of sinking into a bath full of warm water taking hold and bringing a smile to my face.

  When Peter entered the guestroom thirty minutes later, I was almost asleep in the enormous tub. The warm water had done its trick and my body relaxed.

  “You ready to get out?” Peter asked as he stuck his head into the bathroom.

  “Yeah, I’m liable to fall asleep in here if I don’t get out soon.”

  “I made us some grilled cheese. Hop out and come eat with me.”

  I dried myself off and then donned a light robe I’d brought along. I combed my hair out and then left it to dry by itself. Peter was sitting on the small couch, a tray on the table in front of him with two large glasses of iced tea, several sandwiches, and some fruit.

  He handed me a sandwich as I sat down and snuggled against his side, “Thanks.”

  “So, you had fun with Sara today?” he asked, taking another bite of his own sandwich.

  “I did! I hate to say this, but I got along with her better than I do with my own mom.”

  He chuckled and then squeezed me tight, “I told you, that you didn’t have to worry.”

  “I know. Did you and your dad get stuff done as well?”

  “Yeah. We did.”

  We remained silent as we finished eating, and I couldn’t help but think how nice it was to spend time with someone, not talking, just being with them. I’d never had a boyfriend I could do that with before, and treasured the fact that with Peter, I could just be.

  He told me about meeting up with some old friends and as I settled into the crook of his shoulder, I closed my eyes and listened to his voice. It wasn’t long before the ability to open my eyes vanished as sleep overcame me. I woke later that evening to feel Peter carrying me to the large bed and tucking me in before joining me. I snuggled into his warmth and went back to sleep, with a murmured, “Love you.”

  I didn’t hear Peter return my endearment or see the loving look he bestowed upon me before he too succumbed to sleep. I didn’t need to see that to know and feel his love. He had made a point of telling and showing me daily how he felt. I must be the luckiest person in the world!

  Chapter 14 - Peter

  The trip to New York had been perfect. Rachel and my parents had hit it off, and I was happy that I could stop worrying about that aspect of our relationship.

  Rachel and I started tackling the various items on our to-do lists once we got back to Santa Clara and as I sat in my office, I looked at my list and realized I had not taken care of a major item. The best man!

  I wanted to ask Robert to fill that spot, but we hadn’t seen each other in quite a while. I grabbed my phone and dialed Robert’s number, agreeing to meet him for a drink after work to catch up.

  He had been my best friend for a number of years, and while we weren’t in business together, we did have a lot of things in common.

  Robert was already sitting at one of the high-top tables when I arrived, later that afternoon, and after exchanging handshakes, I ordered a beer.

  “Hey, great to see you.”

  “So, how are things going?” he asked.

  “Good. I can’t thank you enough for stepping in like that and helping Rachel save my company. That was a dark time for us, but things are good now.”

  “I’m happy to hear it. And I was happy to help out. I knew things weren’t going well, and I wish I could have done more…”

  “Hey, what you did was great! Don’t give another thought to not having done enough. Anyway, that’s not relevant now. It’s old news!”

  “Yeah, I hear you have other items taking up your time these days.”

  “The wedding’s still a few months away, but it seems like there is so much to do.” I made a pause. “I was hoping
you’d be my best man.”

  Robert looked at me with a raised brow before answering, “Man, I’d be honored. Just tell me when and what you need done.”

  “I will. Once I figure it out,” I told him with a laugh.

  Robert laughed with me and we both took another drink and talked about non-consequential stuff for a few minutes. When Robert didn’t mention Karen, I brought it up, “So, I hear you’re still seeing Karen?”

  “Yeah, we’ve been dating exclusively for a while now.”

  “You’ll be bringing her to the wedding? I mean, you’re both going to be there anyways – she’s Rachel’s best friend.”

  Robert nodded absently minded, but didn’t verbally answer me.

  “So, is this thing between you two serious?” I asked.

  He got very distant and thoughtful. “Don’t know. I mean…we’re pretty serious, and sometimes it almost feels like it’s too much too soon. You know, seeing you and Rachel together makes me a little jealous.”

  “How so?” I asked, not understanding why he was having doubts.

  “Well, you and Rachel seem to love each other so much. I just wish I had that sometimes.”

  I looked at him and asked, “So what’s holding you back? Isn’t Karen the one you could love?”

  Robert’s eyes shined as if he might be about to tell a great secret, but then he closed down, mumbling, “There are some things I’ve got to figure out first.”

  “What things?”

  He gave me a look and then said, “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Well, it must if it’s got you all tied up like this, buddy.”

  “I said, it doesn’t matter. Karen and I are fine for now and I can handle things.”

  I looked at him, surprised by his defensiveness. We had known each other for such a long time, and I’d never seen him like that. But I also knew that when he didn’t want to talk, it was better not insist. He could get really angry and after all, it was none of my business.

  “Who do you think gonna win the pennant this year?” I asked, signaling the waitress for another round of beers.

  I didn’t miss the relief that came over Robert and decided to make more of an effort to keep in touch with him. Something was going on with him, and as a friend, I was determined to make myself available if he ever decided he needed help or wanted to talk.

  I made a mental note to ask Rachel if Karen had said anything about her relationship with Robert when I got home. Something was up between the two of them.

  Chapter 15 - Rachel

  Several days after returning from New York City, I sat on the couch with the phone in my hand. Peter had gone to meet with Robert after work, and I had returned to our apartment, determined to take care of some more wedding items.

  The first one on my list was contacting my mom, Jane. She had moved six months ago, back to where my grandma lived, a small town in the Midwest that didn’t even have its own airport, and I hadn’t been to visit her there since she moved.

  As mother of the bride she had received a wedding invitation like anyone else, as well as my telling her on the phone. While Peter and I had heard back from most of our guests, my mom still hadn’t replied.

  I thought about the difference between my mom and Sara and felt guilty for a moment. Sara and I had gotten along so well, while my mom and I were barely on speaking terms. Usually I made a perfunctory call every couple of weeks, and I’d try to see her once or twice a year, but that was it except for the Christmases spent at my grandmother’s house.

  After my father had abandoned us, I had felt guilty for her sadness for the longest time. She had changed after he left. No longer did she laugh or enjoy doing fun things with me. She worked all the time and in my young mind, I had decided that I was the reason my father had left and my mother didn’t love me anymore.

  As I’d matured, I had realized that wasn’t the case, but our relationship had never fully healed from that time.

  “Hi, mom,” I said as she answered.

  “Hi, Rachel. How have you been?”

  “Good. How about you?”

  “Good, good.”

  “Mom, I was calling about the wedding invitation I sent you. You haven’t answered yet, and I was wondering, will you come to my wedding?“

  There was a short silence on the line.

  “Mom?”

  “Well, I’m not sure… it’s such a long way to travel.”

  “You’re telling me you don’t want to come, because it’s a long way travel?” I tried to keep the anger out of my voice, but old hurts rose to the surface and were fueling it. For as long as I could remember, it had always been this way with her. Whenever I would ask her for something, she would answer with some vague excuses or doubts.

  “My knees are hurting and ….”

  This conversation was spiraling out of control. I was getting really pissed and the stress at work, the situation with Ed, and the wedding preparations already had me on edge. Hearing her prevaricate and make up excuses took what little control I had and flung it out the window.

  “You know what? Don’t bother! You’re only my mother! Nobody will notice your absence.” I heard myself shouting and gulped a few breaths trying to calm myself down.

  “Rachel, please. It’s not that I don’t want to come, I….”

  I started shaking my head, “You don’t love me! You never did! Not since the day my father left.” I was sobbing and shouting at the same time, the grief that my mother didn’t love me overwhelming me.

  She didn’t answer, evidently out of words, but then hastily said, “No…Yes…Maybe.”

  While I continued crying, she started talking, “Rachel, I’m sorry. I wasn’t a good mother. I was so shocked when your father left. And he blamed everything on you. I mean…we were fighting a long time before he left, and it was always about you. It started when you were a baby. Why does this kid cry all the time? Why do you spend all your time with her? Why are you too tired to dedicate time to me? Why do you always put her first….. He wasn’t ready yet for the responsibilities needed to raise a child.

  I was tired of it all and felt I never could do anything right. And sometimes, I believed our whole relationship went down the drain because you were born. I know Ed was stressed and he blamed it on you.

  When he left, I fell into a big hole and also blamed it on you. I’m sorry, I couldn’t love you as much as you deserved.”

  We were both crying by this time, and I whispered, “He was here.”

  “Who? Your father?” she asked.

  I tried to stop my crying, and was mostly successful. I dried my eyes and then answered, “Yes.”

  “Oh my god! What did he want!” She was through crying now and very agitated.

  “Why do you ask that?”

  “It’s just that he visited me a few months ago and wanted money. I was very angry at him and didn’t give him any.”

  “Well, he came here to ask for money as well.”

  “Did you give him some?”

  “No.”

  “Rachel, he’s in trouble. I don’t know what kind, but it’s his problem, not yours. And definitely not mine. Be careful if he comes around again.”

  “I will.” She didn’t say anything I hadn’t already concluded, but I would share what I learned with Peter when he got home.

  I talked to my mom for more than an hour more, sensing the change that our frank conversation had made in our relationship. When I heard Peter put his key in the door, I told her, “Mom, Peter’s home so I need to wrap this up for now.”

  “Rachel, do you still want me to come to your wedding?”

  “Mom, I would love it,” I told her, trying to not let my hopes get up.

  It was silent for several heartbeats before she said, “I’d love to come. I’ll be there.”

  Chapter 16 - Rachel

  The weekend arrived, and I headed over to Karen and Clara’s place to try on the draft version of my wedding dress. As I parked and walked up to the door, it
still felt strange to be ringing the doorbell. Karen and I had lived in this same apartment for several years, and it was sometimes hard to believe that someone else had taken my place.

  “Hey, Rachel. Come on in,” Karen told me. “Clara, Rachel’s here.”

  “Coming,” a voice called from the back bedroom. When Clara entered, she was carrying a garment bag with a plain dress inside.

  “Here’s the draft dress.” She hung it up on the coat tree by the front door and then handed me a department store bag, “Go put these on and let’s try it on for the first fitting.”

  I took the bag and looked inside to see a soft pink satin corset and matching panty set. “Clara, these are gorgeous!”

  “And exactly what this dress needs underneath it. Go change.”

  I used the bathroom to change and exited into the living room, grateful that Karen had tipped the blinds up, giving us some privacy from prying eyes in nearby apartments. Clara and Karen helped me don the dress and then made short work of tying the back.

  Karen had brought her cheval mirror from her bedroom and as they finished tying the dress, she turned me around to see my reflection in the mirror and I gasped. I feel like a queen! It’s exactly what I always wanted in a wedding dress! The dress was exquisite, even being made out of plain white cotton.

  “You’re stunning!” Karen exclaimed.

  While I stood there and admired the dress in the mirror, Clara got busy with needle and thread, making adjustments here and there until the dress fit like a glove around my torso. After about twenty minutes, she stood back and put down her needle and thread, “Now that is a bridal gown!”

  We all admired the dress, and she caught my eye in the mirror, “Rachel…”

  “Yes?”

  “May I use this dress as a sample in my portfolio?”

  “Oh, yes! Absolutely, yes!”

  “Thank you. I’m still hoping that one of these fashion houses will see my portfolio and hire me. I’ve sent several portfolios out, but each one’s been turned down. It seems it’s more important who you know, than what you know and I don’t know anyone! I don’t mind helping the society ladies who come into the department store find the perfect dress, but I don’t want to do that for the rest of my life.”