I Remember (Remembrance Series) (18 page)

“Thanks for the help last night.

“You must have been tired. I cannot believe you slept this late.”

“Well, I have a confession. After you went to bed, I called Gregory and we talked for a couple of hours.”

“Did you decide whether you are going home, today?”

“He helped me make my mind up last night. I am going to stay until tomorrow afternoon.”

A huge smile crept across her face. “You are finally going out with him, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I gave in when I found out he lives right down the road from us.”

Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Where are you going tonight?”

I gave her the details. “I hope you have a fabulous time and hit it off. I want you to spill everything when you get back tonight. Have fun!” And she was out the door.

After a quick breakfast, I surveyed what was left to pack. I had already packed most of the things I needed to take back, but there was still quite a bit left to do.

I decided to look in my closet to see what I could wear tonight, given my limited wardrobe. Thankfully, I had a few dresses left. However, my shoes would be an issue, since most of them were in Deland.

I decided on a burgundy dress. It was lightweight with the hem hitting just below the knee, a sweetheart neckline, zipper back and a sash that tied around the waist. It was simple, yet flattering. With some costume jewelry and a pair of black heels, it would be stunning.

Now that I had my outfit ready for tonight, I returned to the kitchen to start packing some of my pots, pans and cooking utensils. I had just started getting into a good rhythm when the cell phone rang.

“Hi, Gregory,” I answered in a frustrated tone.

“Is something wrong, you don’t sound like yourself?”

“I’m not getting much done today, thanks to oversleeping.”

“I’m sorry, we can postpone tonight if you need to.” His voice was so gentle.

“No. We can still meet. I am just not moving as fast as I would like.”

“Well, you know I only live down the road. I could easily come and help you pack.”

I had to laugh, “You are always looking for an excuse to meet me, aren’t you?”

“I’m guilty as charged. I cannot wait for tonight. I have already been through my closet. I decided on a pair of black, casual dress pants but was wondering what color you are wearing, so I can wear a tie to match.”

“Wow, you would do that for me?”

“Even though we haven’t met yet, I hope you realize that I would do anything for you.” His voice was so sincere and so seductive.

“I will be in a burgundy dress, though I'm not sure whether I will wear my hair up or down.”

“I loved how your hair looked in the picture you sent,” he admitted.

“Then it’s settled, I will wear my hair down. That was one of my dad’s favorite hair styles, too.”

I quickly gave Gregory my address and building number.

“I should probably let you go. We have all evening to talk,” he said reluctantly.

“Yes, we do.”

“See you soon, Jordan.”

“See you tonight.” I teased.

I was feeling a little panicked about tonight. I rationalized that we were just friends going out to talk, but my heart already told me I wanted more. I wanted my dreams.

I heard an ominous voice scream in my mind,
“Stay away from him!”
It was quickly countered with sincere declaration,
“He is your destiny. Believe and all your dreams will come true.”

I shook it off, believing it to be nerves and started to work on my makeup, keeping it somewhat natural looking with only a hint of color.

Mom always commented how my eyes were my best feature, always sparkling, looking like windows to my soul. Normally, I only wore makeup for work and special occasions. I was thankful I had enough foresight to bring it with me.

I let my hair dry naturally, allowing it to slightly curl, turning on the hair dryer only for a moment, to provide some extra fullness and bounce.

I slipped into my dress, shoes and jewelry, with only minutes to spare. Precisely on cue, there was a knock at the door. I darted through the apartment to find my purse and answer the door.

My heart began to race, as I approached the door, wondering if I could really go through with this.
Relax, it will be fine.

I took in a deep breath and unlocked the door.

“Wow! Jordan, you are so beautiful much more stunning than your picture and more captivating than I could have ever dreamed of.” I blushed, looking at the ground.

His hand lifted my face and our eyes met. His brow arched in concern. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, you just always manage to say just the right thing and it catches me off guard.” “By the way, your picture doesn’t do you justice, either. You look quite fetching tonight.”

“I feel I’ve known you, forever. Would you mind if I gave you a hug. After all, how many times have I promised you one over the phone?”

“Okay, as long as it’s a friendly one.”

Gregory stepped forward slowly encircling his arms around me. It caught me by surprise when he pulled me close to him. His proximity made my entire body tingle in delight and he had the most intoxicating scent I had ever smelled. I found my own arms wrapping around him and my head resting on his chest.

“This feels nice, to finally hug you.”

I stepped back, breaking the hug. “Thank you.”

He motioned toward the door. “Ready to go?”

“Yes, let me just set the alarm.”

Gregory stepped outside and I locked the door behind me.

As we began to walk toward the parking lot, his hand came up and rested on the small of my back, guiding me gently toward the stairs and then his car.

A small laugh escaped my lips.

“Everything ok?” He asked, puzzled.

“Yes. I just find it funny that you parked right next to me.”

He smiled. “The white Honda Civic is yours?”

I nodded as he led me to the passenger door of a gray 4-door Lexus Sedan.

He held onto my hand and would not release me until I was sitting in the passenger seat. As I started to reach for the seat belt, he said, “Allow me.”

Gregory leaned across me as he secured the seat belt. His face was only centimeters from mine, hovering for a moment, as if contemplating something, before closing the door and proceeding to climb into the driver’s side.

“Would you like to listen to the radio?” He asked as we proceeded to the restaurant.

“Yes, please.”

He touched a couple buttons on the console and the radio purred to life. I stared at him for a second, in awe.

“Everything okay, Jordan?”

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you picked my favorite radio station.”

He smiled. “We almost seem to be of one mind. Nothing surprises me, anymore.”

He reached over and grabbed hold of my hand, squeezing it lightly. His touch felt comfortable and familiar, with a pulse of electricity transferring between us. “No need to be nervous, Sweetie; we’re friends, remember?”

“Yes. Friends.” I had to keep reminding myself. No expectations tonight.

Gregory found a parking spot and quickly came around to open my door. “Allow me,” he said, leaning in to undo my seat belt, before offering his hand to assist me.

“Thank you.” I felt silly grabbing his hand in order to stand up, but welcomed the warm feeling of his touch.

He laced his fingers through mine as we walked across the parking lot, only releasing me to open the door. As I stepped inside, I was overwhelmed by how charming the place was.

I started toward the hostess desk when Gregory’s arm wrapped around my waist, redirecting me into the dining room. “Our table is already waiting for us, Jordan.”

I let him guide me to a booth that was set up differently from the other tables around us. It had a white table cloth, lit candles, menus already in place and a single red rose, sitting on a plate.

He motioned for me to take a seat on the side with the rose and he sat across from me. “I thought this was not supposed to be a date, only a ‘get to know you’ outing?”

“Jordan, I’m sorry if I am moving a bit fast, but I already know that we are friends. I can’t help that I feel some kind of strange pull toward you. It is hard to describe, but I want to get to know you better.” He sighed as if he said too much.

He looked up as I started to speak. “I feel the connection, too.”

We both managed to say, in unison, “As though we have known each other, forever.”

Gregory was about to say more, when our waiter came over. “Welcome back, Mr. Riley. Shall I start you off with a couple of drinks or an appetizer?”

“Would you like to share an appetizer?” Gregory suggested.

“I think we will share an order of bruschetta and maybe two unsweetened iced teas?” Gregory looked to me to see if that was okay.

I nodded in agreement.

“Did you want to look at the menu and order for yourself or would you like me to try and guess?”

“I think I will take a glance at the menu, but I am curious to see if you can figure me out as much as you think you can,” I said, slyly.

Our waiter returned. The smell of tomatoes, garlic and cheese was amazing. “Are you ready to order?”

Gregory began to order for us. “I think we will both have the teriyaki glazed salmon.” He looked up from the menu to see if he was right. All I could do was stare in astonishment.

“How could you possibly know what I wanted? Even if you had wanted salmon for yourself, there are several different preparations on the menu. How did you know which one I honed in on?”

I remembered how much you enjoyed the salmon I had sent to your mom’s house. I figured you might like to have it, again.”

It never dawned on me that he had ordered the food from here. Gregory quickly admitted, “Yes, I ordered the food from here. I have a friend who is one of the managers. He gives me some great deals on large orders.”

“Wow, then I want the option to figure out what you like for dessert.”

“You have a deal.”

There was no lack of conversation. I felt so comfortable talking with Gregory about everything.

It was no surprise that many of our answers to questions were identical. The only difference was in our travels. He had traveled further than I had, mainly because my dad liked to stick close to home.

Gregory’s comment took me by surprise. “WE are going to have to do something about you traveling more.”

I discovered that his mother was a middle school history teacher and works as a consultant to the local history museum. His father is an engineer for both Teleco Wireless and its parent company, Worthington Enterprises.

He went on to tell me how he was the youngest and had two brothers, both married. His eldest brother, Phillip was 30 and works as a fire investigator in Cincinnati, Ohio. Gregory grimaced when he talked about his sister in-law, Gwen. I didn’t understand the reaction, but figured he would elaborate at another time.

His other brother, Jonathan, was 28 and works as an analyst for a financial firm in San Diego, California. He went on about the things he and Jonathan did as kids and their future plans. He was obviously close to his family.

After our plates were cleared, it was my turn to see if I knew Gregory as well as he knew me. “Did you want to split dessert or do you want your own?”

“Let’s split a slice of the New York cheesecake with strawberry topping.”

Gregory leaned against the back of the booth, laughing and shaking his head.

“What’s so funny?”

“You picked out the dessert I always go for.”

Before I knew it, he was holding my hand, stroking the back of my knuckles with his adept fingers. “Where have you been all my life? I just can’t believe that we’ve been this close and our paths have never crossed.”

“I guess I’ve been waiting for you to find me.”

I put my hands over my face, trying to hide my embarrassment. ”I can’t believe that I just said that.”

To my surprise, I felt the weight of the booth’s seat shift underneath me and he was right beside me. His right hand gently pulled mine away from my face, as his left hand pulled my face closer to his. My heart rate was through the roof when the warmth of his cheek pressed against mine, as his lips whispered in my ear, “You do not know how happy you have just made me, Jordan.”

I pulled back slightly, not anticipating that kind of response.

He began stroking the side of my face. “Scary isn’t it? Letting your heart speak, rather than your mind? I find it so easy to say what is in my heart when I am talking with you on the phone, and even more so here, in person. Don’t ever be afraid to tell me what your thoughts are.”

As I stared intensely into his eyes, I suddenly realized that this was the beginning of us. I held his hand tight to my face, smiling, still unable to utter a single word.

Our waiter arrived with our slice of cheesecake and Gregory started to get up and head back to his seat. “Sit with me?” I pleaded.

“I would love that.” He slid a couple of inches closer.

His hand slipped over mine and I soon found his fingers intertwined with mine. The feel of his skin sent shock waves through my soul.