Forget Me Never (18 page)

              “Is it good?”

              “I believe it is,” he smiled. “Please stop walking away from me, I told you before it causes my physical pain when you are angry at me,” he sighed. I held out my hand to him. “Did I tell you that I love you yet today?”

              “I don’t believe you have,” I smiled as he placed his hand in mine.

              “I love you, Grace.”

              “I love you too, Alec.” I replied.

We flew over the West Rim and circled the most amazing natural wonder I had ever seen. We landed at the bottom and looked around, I took so many pictures with my phone, I just wanted to capture its magnificent beauty as much as I could. Its size is indescribable, no other way to describe it. Layers upon layers of different coloured rock in the cliffs as if they had been hand painted, shown because it looked like the Newbury by-pass, as if someone had cut a slice out of it. It continued on beyond human eyes, red and fiery under a clear, blue sky and white, hot sun.

After getting back inside the helicopter we flew back up to the top and landed near the famous glass Skywalk. Not something I was looking forward to. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to walk on the glass bridge that veered out over the edge of the cliffs with a four thousand feet drop down to the Colorado river. Yes, I am all about plunging to my death.

              As soon as I stepped onto the glass of the Skywalk, I grabbed hold of Alec’s hand tightly. I seemed to suck in more air than my lungs could handle and began to sweat.

              “We don’t have to go on if you’d prefer not to.” Alec said.

              “No, no, it’s okay. I’ll be fine.” I swallowed and took a step forward. I was surprised at how sturdy it was and as long as I didn’t look down, then I was okay. About half way round Warren stepped in front of Elisa and took her hand, getting down on one knee he gazed up to her.

              “Elisa Melanie White, you complete my life, you make me a better man and I can’t bear to think of a day without you. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?” he asked. My eyes filled with tears, this was amazing and I now knew why Alec had to keep this quiet.

              “What?” she frowned, removing her sunglasses.

              He pulled out a ring box and opened it, revealing a huge rock on a gold band, “Will you marry me?” he asked again.

              She smiled and brushed away an escaped tear, “Yes, you great ninny, of course I will.”

              Everyone on the walk began clapping as he slipped the ring onto her finger, he stood and planted a kiss on her lips. A breeze blew in my face, it felt cooler than I expected, I realized I was crying for her, I wiped away my tears and smiled, how romantic?

Kevin’s proposal was nothing like that, not romantic in the slightest, in fact, when a couple of our mutual friends got engaged, we went to their party at the pub and joked saying, maybe we should get engaged and he responded, “All right then.” A few days later he spent fifty pounds on a blue topaz ring and when I got home from work, he was waiting for me, he tossed me the box and said “There you go, one ring.”

              I think I cried for Warren and Elisa because that was the most beautiful proposal I had ever seen and it made me realise that the fairy-tales were real, your Prince Charming could well do something as romantic as this. She raced over to me and I hugged her,

              “Congratulations,” I smiled.

              “I can’t believe it,” she muttered into my hair.

              “At least now we know why they were so insistent on us coming today.” I nodded as we parted, taking her hand to look at her beautiful, diamond rock. Alec hugged her and shook Warren’s hand and I will admit, for a few ridiculous seconds, I was a little bit jealous.

We flew back to the small airport and got back into the car. I felt like Alec and I were intruding. The way Warren and Elisa looked at each other, it seemed we were in the way. When we arrived at the hotel I asked if Alec could go with me to one of the water parks. I don’t particularly like slides and rides, but felt it would give Warren and Elisa some much needed time alone.

              He agreed and after Warren and Elisa got out of the car we told them our plans,

              “We were going to have a celebratory lunch; the champagne is already on ice.” Warren explained. Alec looked at me. I shrugged and nodded,

              “If you are sure about us not intruding,” I said.

              “Of course we don’t think you are intruding, look, have lunch and then head off for the afternoon, okay?” he replied.

              “Okay,” I agreed.

We had a truly splendid lunch of fine food and champagne, not that I needed anymore alcohol in my body, I had one glass to toast the happy couple and felt so much better for it. We left Warren and Elisa sipping champagne. It got a bit awkward when she began to feed him strawberries, so we hurried to our room to change.

              “Why don’t we just go downtown and have a look around?” Alec suggested as we entered our room.

              “I thought you’d have had enough of shopping and looking around with me by now.”

              He smiled bemused by my answer, “If I am perfectly honest, I’d rather spend the afternoon here making love to you, after all, you did leave me high and dry last night. I came back from the bathroom and you were snoring.”

              “I do not snore,” I protested.

              “You did last night and it was cute.”

              “I did not.”

              “Grace, I almost recorded you.”

              “Oh my God, as if I didn’t feel bad enough already,” I cringed and buried my face in my hands.

              “Sweetheart, please don’t do this, its fine, it showed me that you are only human and not the perfect girl that needs to be protected.” He pulled my hands away from my face. “It actually turned me on, a lot.” He added.

              “What, my snoring?”

              “No, your forcefulness, sort of like when you tied me to the bed. I mean, I never knew orgasms could be so incredible, but every time with you, takes me to a new level.”

              “Well I had never really had any before you, so… I suppose I have nothing to compare them to,” I winked.

              “Ha, ha, very funny.” He chuckled sweeping my u into his arms, “So, what do you think?”

              “About?”

              “An afternoon of the steamiest, mind blowing sex we have ever had.”

              “Um… what do you have in mind?” I asked coyly.

              “For starters, let’s give the Jacuzzi a try.”

              “I was looking forward to shopping, but…” I grinned and kissed him, “let’s get naked.”

That evening we joined Warren and Elisa for their last night with us. We had dinner then headed into the city for a variety show. We watched beautifully dressed show girls dance and sing, we laughed at the comedians, we were wowed by the magicians and were star stuck by the various singers.

We said our goodbyes to Warren and Elisa that evening and left them drinking at the bar of the hotel. She promised us an invite to their wedding and I couldn’t wait. I liked them both very much and the thought that even though they had only just met me, they wanted me to share their special day, it made me realise that I had not only come on this holiday and met Alec, I was already a part of his world and I intended to stay there.

Fifteen

The week in Vegas is something I will never forget. After Warren and Elisa left, Alec and I had an amazing five days alone. We spent the days touring the area and being wowed by the sights. We saw another show and ate way too much food. Our nights were filled with incredible love making that continued into the small hours. Some mornings we woke early to watch the sunrise naked on our balcony while wrapped the bed sheets.

              On our last night in Vegas, we went to a huge casino and played a few games. I spent the rest of my holiday money on gifts to take home and though I dreaded facing Saffron, I hoped the presents I had bought for her made up for the fact that I had treated her so terribly. 

There are a few advantages to having a rich boyfriend, they can get your ticket upgraded to first class on your flight home for next to nothing. He had such a good reputation with the airline, they were more than happy to accommodate his wishes.

              We boarded the flight and sat in the huge seats, the air con was cool and though I was excited to be going home, part of me still wished that Alec and I could have this forever. This truly was the holiday of a lifetime and I knew I would never forget it.

During our flight we talked about how things would work best for us once we got home. Obviously, I was expected back to work the following Monday, but fully intended to spend that final weekend with Alec.

              I don’t know why, but I felt that once I said goodbye to him, I might not see him again and I didn’t want that. No matter how many times he told me we were together now, I still thought the dream holiday would come to an abrupt end as soon as we parted. That he would realise that I was not what he wanted after all, just a holiday fling.

              I couldn’t relax during the flight at all and though I tried to watch the movies playing, none of them held my attention. When the pilot announced that we were preparing to land in London after nine hours of flying, my heart hit the floor, the dream holiday was truly over. It was pouring with rain and thunderstorms had been forecast for the rest of the week.
Welcome home, Grace!

We collected our bags and walked through customs with Alec pushing the baggage cart. As we got through the arrivals gate I gazed around, the familiar scent of costa coffee filled my lungs and the hustle and bustle of Gatwick airport sounded a bit muffled from where my ears still hadn’t popped. I felt a bit shaky and put it down to jet lag, I hadn’t slept a wink.

              “David,” Alec announced and greeted a tall man with silver hair and dressed in a suit.

              “Sir, how was your trip?”

              “Excellent, David, I’d like you to meet Grace Matthews,” he smiled. 

              “It is very nice to meet you, Miss Matthews. The car is this way, sir.” He took the baggage cart from Alec and led us out of the airport. I had envisioned making my own way back to the city.

              “David is going to take us back to my house in Kensington and then we will take you home, is that alright?”

              “You have a house in Kensington?” I asked.

              “Yes, it’s a Victorian three story town house.” He replied as the doors to the airport swished open, the damp, fresh air hit us both in the face and caused goose bumps to cover my arms.

              “God, it’s cold,” I shivered.

              “Get into the car then,” he smiled.

We drove into the city via the motorway and the rain hammered against the car’s windscreen. His silver Mercedes was beautiful with black leather seats and in-car DVD player screens in the back of the headrests. Alec put his arm around me and feeling so incredibly tired, I closed my eyes and drifted off listening the news on the radio in the background.

              “Grace, we’re here,” Alec said shaking me lightly. I opened my sleepy eyes and frowned at his huge, cream painted house with black iron balconies and perfectly pruned garden. His front door was huge, painted black with white statues either side of it. “Do you want your case bought in so that you can change?” he asked.

              “Do I need to?” I grumbled looking at my jeans.

              “It depends on how long you’d like to stay.” He answered. “You are welcome to sleep the day away here and I can have David take us to your place later. I am tired and I can see you are too.”

              “Are you sure you want me here?”

              “Of course I am sure,” he smiled and pecked my cheek.

David helped us inside with the bags and then he left, closing the door behind him. I don’t know what I was expecting to find in Alec’s house to be honest. Maids maybe, I stood humbly in the grand looking hall and gazed around. His walls were painted magnolia and his wooden staircase had been stripped back to the natural wood and varnished. Alec began sifting through the huge pile of post on a small mahogany table and tossed his keys in a china dish beside it. Stopping, he turned to me and smiled,

              “Let me make you a hot drink.”  

              “Listen, I am not an invalid, I can make a mean cuppa, just show me the kitchen.”

              “It’s this way,” he said leading me through the hall to a white door at the back. His kitchen was huge, I mean, my whole flat and next door would fit in it. Dark oak cabinets lined the walls with terracotta tiles and black appliances. He opened a cabinet and pulled out two mugs. I saw the kettle on the side, so lifted it and filled it with water before switching it on. “Are you hungry?” he asked opening his fridge.

              “Not really,” I replied. He pulled out the milk and set it beside the cups. I couldn’t believe I was actually at his house and he wanted me to be there. “Tea or coffee?” I asked.

              “Strong tea please, seriously, just a dash of milk and one sugar.” He answered and pushed two black canisters to me. I made us tea and handed him his.

              “Is that all right?”

              “It’s perfect.” He smiled and took the cup. “Shall we go into the lounge?” I nodded and lifted my slightly weaker tea. I followed him to the living room, he pushed open the door to a room with two brown leather couches and book cases lining the back wall. His wall mounted TV was the size of a small cinema screen and in the middle of the room sat a large, oak coffee table.

              One thing I noticed was how clean the house was, everything had a place and was in place. The books that lined the shelves were all in size and colour order. The house smelled of Alec and I loved it. He sat on one of the sofas and I sat beside him. I sipped my tea and glanced at the clock. It was almost ten and as I rested my head back, I couldn’t help yawning.

              “Did you get any sleep last night? You look absolutely shattered.”

              “No,” I frowned, “I was too busy thinking about everything.”

              “Thinking about what?”

              “Us, mostly.” I nodded. “What will happen now, will there be any regrets…?”

              “Not from me,” he insisted.

              “Despite all that has been said between us, I couldn’t stop wondering if you… if you would change your mind once we got back.”

              “What sort of man do you think I am? I gave you my heart, Grace, I am not in the business of making promises and breaking them.” He took hold my hand, “You are freezing, let’s go and lie down, I’ll warm you up in my bed.”

              “Let’s talk first, Alec.” I stated. “I want to thank you first of all. You truly made this a holiday of a lifetime. I will never forget it and all we did while there. I want to carry on as we are, but I have to ask if you are happy just seeing a girl from a mediocre job with a crummy little, rented flat. I literally have nothing to offer you and I see now why he got out when he could, I am a nobody and I will always only ever be a nobody.”

              “I told you in the States that you are everything I have ever wanted in a girlfriend, Grace, not just because you are beautiful, in fact, beautiful doesn’t even cover it, you are stunning.” I blushed and looked at our hands resting in his lap. “You have a light, a radiant light inside of you and it captivates everyone. Warren and Elisa, Jennie and Mike, they all love you and so do I,” I looked up to him. “I want to spend every waking moment with you, I don’t even want to go back to work Monday because I want to be with you. I don’t know how many more times I can tell you this. Nothing about us has changed except for returning to work and deciding where we can have sleepovers.” He smiled. “I can’t wait to see your flat, it sounds enchanting.”

              “Yeah, you won’t say that when you see that I have to have the light on during the day because it is so dark.” I scoffed.

              “Please stop thinking that you chased that moron off. He lost you and now you belong to me. Nothing about you could ever be mediocre and believe me, Grace, you are not and will never be just a nobody. Okay?” I nodded and smiled slightly. “Good, so, are we going to my room or what?” he asked with a smile, “To sleep, of course.”

              “Okay,” I agreed finally and allowed him to lead me up to his room.

At the top of his stair case he pushed open a door. The room was decorated with black wall paper on the wall behind his huge bed with a matching quilt cover and cream paint on the other walls. His carpet felt thick under my feet and above the bed he had a smoked glass chandelier. He pulled off his shirt and stripped to his boxers. He took another mouthful of tea and before climbing into his bed, he pulled his black curtains closed. I removed my jeans and my bra and climbed in beside him. He folded his arms around me and kissed me before closing his eyes.

              I listened to him breathe and smiled. He was mine, he had declared his love and assured that nothing had changed, my fears for a holiday fling were finally eradicated and I hoped for good. We had a future to embrace and to do that, the old, insecure Grace had to cease to exist. I didn’t want to lose him ever and if I wanted to keep him, then I had to stop worrying about losing him, I pushed Kevin away and I would not do that again.

I woke alone, the room was lit dimly and a line of light peeped though the curtains. I sat up and realised that I needed a bathroom and quick. Only Alec hadn’t showed me where that was. I pushed off the quilt and hurried out onto the landing. The first door I pushed opened revealed a gym of some sort, with a running machine and weights. The walls were lined with mirrors and the floor was highly polished, solid wood. Behind the next door I found an airing cupboard, not a towel or sheet was out of place. It took me three more attempts to actually find the bathroom.

              It was white with black tiles dotted around the walls. In the middle there was a freestanding, porcelain bath and in the corner a large shower. I used the loo quickly and splashed water over my face to freshen up. I was certain he wouldn’t mind, so helped myself to a bit of mouth wash to freshen up my mouth.

              When I returned to Alec’s room, he was sat on the bed checking his phone, he needed a shave, but looked amazing in nothing but a t-shirt and boxers.

              “Sorry, I needed the loo,” I explained.

              “Why are you sorry?” he asked and looked up from his screen. “How do you feel?”

              “Still groggy, but I am sure I will be fine are a good night’s sleep.” I replied and pulled on my jeans. “Maybe I should get home.”

              “Do you want to go home?”

              “No, but I need to, I have mail to go through too I expect.”

              “I cooked for you.”

              “What?” I frowned pulling my arms inside of my shirt to put my bra back on.

              “I cooked you something to eat, you must be hungry.”

              “I might be,” I smiled.

              “I am no Jamie Oliver, but I can make a mean omelette.”

              “Sounds delightful,” I beamed. “What is the time?”

              “It’s almost six,” he replied and walked towards me, “You don’t have to go home tonight, you know, you can stay here if you want to.”

              “Or, you could stay at my place,” I suggested.

              “As long as I am with you, I don’t care.” He smiled and planted a kiss on my lips. “I see you found my mouth wash.”

              “Mine is packed,” I muttered.

              “Well, this omelette is getting cold,” he said taking my hand and led me down the stairs once more.    

              We sat side by side at his breakfast bar and ate this amazing cheese omelette that was so light and fluffy, it melted on my tongue. After eating I helped wash the dishes and we got ready to leave. I felt like I needed a shower and was looking forward to going home. Alec took a shower, shaved and changed his clothes and when he was ready to go, he phoned for his car.

David returned with the car and drove us to Chelsea, where I had lived for almost a year. Thankfully, Kevin didn’t even know where I had moved to when he said he wanted a break, I took the first flat I could find and left Lowestoft forever. Luckily my pay was excellent and I could afford to live in London, but I still hated the thought of paying rent money, I saw it as throwing money away.