Chapter 21

Luke was nervous. He paced in his office. It was silly to be nervous. At least that's what he told his stomach trying to convince it to unbind. He asked Peter for a favour. Peter did it without hesitation. It was almost 11 am.

Jessie called.

"What are you doing? You've been pacing for the last 2 hours. It's driving me crazy. I look over and there you are walking back and forth. Are you guarding the tomb of the Unknown Soldier over there? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Uh, I've got this dilemma that we're trying to work through. A roadblock to a project. It's right there on the back of my mind, on the tip of my tongue, ready to come into focus. Whatever else corny phrase that means that I'm real close. And I think better when I'm moving. I should keep a pair of running shoes and shorts here. I should just go running," Luke replied.

"Without shower facilities I would hate to have to work with you after your 'brainstorming session'. You could always shower over here."

"You have a shower? What else do you have?" Luke questioned.

"We lease a floor to a health club. Our employees get steep discounts. Does that interest you in working for me?" Jessie teased.

"As what? I know nothing about your product. You already have a personal assistant. If you have so many employees isn't it cost effective to just provide your own health club?" Luke asked.

"It's a business thing. Even though Grafix owns this building, we need to lease out more than half of the space to non-Grafix companies. This allows us to lease the space we do use, and write off the rent that we pay ourselves as a tax deduction. It's something the accountants convinced us to do."

"That makes absolutely no sense. Therefore it must be entirely legal with our government," Luke quipped.

"Okay love, I've got a meeting. Someone is interested in leasing the space. We'll talk later. I want to make sure that you are one hundred percent not interested in it before I make any decisions," Jessie told him.

"Okay. I better go. I have an 11 am meeting as well," Luke replied.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too," he replied.

Lucas walked out the door of his office. He gave a smile to Tammy and said, "We're on." He waved at Randy and got onto the elevator. He walked across the street and hit the up button.

He saw a rather plain looking brunette waiting for him as he got off the elevator.

"Terry?" Luke asked.

"Lucas Bennett, I presume," she said with a smile.

"It's Luke. And let me say again, thank you very much for your help," he replied with a grin.

"It's my pleasure," Terry said. "Let's go."

He was led through the elegantly appointed office past tasteful artwork and high end furniture. He was smiling to everyone around him. He wondered if they knew. He was led to the office door.

He dialed his cell phone and whispered, "Okay Tammy, exactly one minute from now."

He knocked on the door and heard a soft "Come in."

She looked up as he entered.

"Luke what are you doing here? What's wrong?"

"It's a complete mess." Luke started in hysterics.

"They hate the idea. I stormed off. Oh my god. I think they may have fired me. I think they are packing up my office. Look," he gasped pointing.

"That's Tammy," Jessie said. "I am so sorry. Don't worry. We'll get through this. I can't believe they would do that."

They watched Tammy shuffle the papers on his desk. They watched her stack things and shake her head sadly. She walked over to the large window facing them. She had a small cardboard banker box in her hand shaking her head in sorrow.

"Oh that's horrible. I can't believe that they would treat you like this," Jessie said morosely.

"The inhumanity of it all," Luke couldn't resist choking out.

Jessie was turning to comfort him.

"Look at that. Now what? " Luke said gesturing wildly with his hand.

Tammy lowered the vertical blinds on the large window of his office. They could still see Tammy until she turned the stem on the adjustor for the blinds. The back sides of the slats of the blinds were discoloured. They had odd jet black spots or blotches on them. Then the blinds were completely closed. And the black spots seemed to meld together.

Luke watched as Jessie's face scrunched in confusion. Trying to decipher the dots as they progressed in the turn. When the shapes finally formed he could see her sounding out the words to herself.

"J. H. willu" "marry me?" she whispered.

"J.H. willu marry me?" she said.

"J.H. will you marry me?" she shouted.

She turned around seeing Luke looking up at her from his kneeling position on the floor.

"Well? J.H. will you marry me?" Luke asked.

She sunk to her knees facing him. Her eyes wet, her lips trembling.

"Yes," she said shakily. "Yes," she repeated with a little more composure.

She leaned across and kissed him. She kissed him as hard as she could. He could taste the sweetness of her lips and the saltiness of her tears. He could feel the wet against his face and the tremble in her body.

She broke the kiss and then came back with a dozen quick kisses all over his face.

"You are crazy. You know that," she finally said.

"What? Who me?" Luke replied innocently. His cell phone rang.

"Hey Tammy. Thank you very much. She said yes," Luke laughed into the phone and hung up.

He stood and helped Jessie up. They looked as the blinds came back up. And Tammy and Peter and Randy and some other folks were grinning at them from Luke's office.

Luke and Jessie waved across and they all waved back and laughed.

Jessie opened the door to her office finding Terry and several other folks staring back at her.

"You were all in on this?" she asked. "Well it worked."

"Hold on a second," Luke said. "Let's makes this official." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the red velvet box. He opened it and slid the ring onto her finger.

She looked at the one carat center diamond and the smaller half carat sapphires on each side of the main stone and "ooooooh'ed".

Her hands shook as she looked at it. The ladies looked at it as well. "It's beautiful." "That is gorgeous." "Look at the diamond shine, and those sapphires, it's beautiful." "It looks like you could swim in it. It is so pure."

Terry looked at him. "You made a great choice. This is beautiful."

Luke replied, "Got it at Sam's Club. But you know how Sam's Club is; you can't buy a single serving of anything so I have like 400 velvet boxes with 400 engagement rings. I don't know where I am going to find 399 other women. And I need like a 22 foot long hot dog for the 6 gallon bottle of mustard that I had to buy."

"Shut up you idiot," Jessie said laughing. "It's beautiful. It's perfect. What made you choose it?"

"I'll tell you later. But if you don't like it we can go get something else."

"No, it's perfect. This is not coming off my hand," she replied fervently.

"Oh my god I have an 11 am meeting. Philip somebody, no, Peter somebody. Oh jeez," she jolted.

"Peter sends his regrets that he will not be able to lease the space from you," Luke smiled.

"What? You really are a tricky bastard."

"I am. Care for an early lunch? I know a good place."

"I'm sure you do," Jessie responded wryly.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Everyone excuse us. I'm heading to lunch," Jessie said to the group. "Terry, you and I will chat later," she finished with a chuckle.

They ended up at the park.

"So tell me, why this ring?" Jessie asked.

"Well, to be honest. I looked at it and the sapphires were the only thing that came close to matching the blue of your eyes. So I started there and found the setting that I liked. They are not the biggest stones, definitely not the biggest diamond, but I liked them. And I could afford it. If you want something else or something bigger we can head back to the jeweler."

"Never, it's perfect. I love it. I love the thought behind it. It's mine. And it's not going anywhere. The sapphires are beautiful, like my eyes, huh," she said with a dreamy smile.

"Almost like your eyes," Luke corrected her.

"I love you so much. But I can't talk to you anymore," she said pulling out her cell phone.

"Mom, you never guess..."

Then followed later by. "Mel, you know who is getting married?"

Then finally by "Jake, you will be the only single one."

Half an hour later, she turned back to him and said, "Oh you're still here."

She laughed at the wounded expression he flashed her.

"How did you plan that?" Jessie asked.

"It wasn't easy. Every time I tried to sneak into work early you'd come in with me. And I couldn't alter the blinds without you seeing me."

"So how did you do it?"

"Well I actually owe Peter a couple favours. I did the changes in his office to his blinds. And then yesterday I switched the blinds during one of your meetings. It's funny what kind of handy work you can accomplish with a ruler and a letter opener."

"I think I am the luckiest woman in the world," she said in all the sincerity.

"That will only make you the second luckiest person in the world," Luke replied.

"Oh you think you are luckier than me?"

"No, I was talking about the owner of the jewelry store. Lucky S.O.B. Just kidding, don't hit me. I am of course talking about me. Jessie, I can't imagine living without you. I want you to be my wife and the mother of my children. I need you in my life."

"Ditto," she replied.

Luke got into the office. He sat at his desk and spun in his chair a couple times. It was insane to think that he would be able to concentrate on work today. Tammy came into the office, broke decorum, and gave him a hug.

"Congratulations," she said.

"Thank you."

Peter came by.

"Ahh, Cupid thank you very much. I owe you big Peter," Luke said.

"It was nothing. I'm glad it worked out."

Luke received a dozen more calls and numerous emails.

Ellen dropped by.

"I hear congratulations are in order," she said.

"Thank you," Luke said with an uneasy smile.

"She is very lucky."

"I'm the lucky one."

"I know you asked if we could be friends. I don't know. Especially now," Ellen stated.

"What's so special about now?" Luke asked, confused.

"Now it's official. You are really off-limits. You really are going to be with someone else. I'm torn. Torn between just letting it go and trying to find a way to change your mind."

"Ellen, you can't change my mind on this. All we could have is friendship. You are remembering something that was never there. All the things you liked about me basically boil down to the theory that I'm safe. I'm going to be there for you and be good to your daughter. You don't love me; you just need to love someone even if he's a security blanket."

"That's not true."

"Really? Think about it. Think about what you said. I'm the anti-Patrick."

"But we had something special. I think we could have that again," Ellen responded.

""We had nothing. And we have nothing now. I'm offering you friendship. That's it," Luke said firmly.

"But what if I want more?" she responded stubbornly.

"Then you'll learn that I am not really all that safe. And I don't think you want to go there," Luke said with a snarl.

She was surprised. Her lips forming a silent "o".

"Did I make myself clear?" he finished with a mild shout.

"Yes," she said meekly. She backed out of the office. Maybe truly seeing him for the first time.

Luke and Jessie arrived home laughing and giggling like children. It seemed that she had trouble concentrating the rest of the day as well.

Luke went up to the bedroom to change out of his suit into jeans and a shirt. Jessie went to show Louise her ring.

Luke was just hanging up his tie when Jessie came into the room. She closed the bedroom door. He was sitting on the bed opening his shirt. She walked over to where he sat, leaned down, and kissed him hard on his lips. Her tongue was laying siege to his mouth. Her mouth hard and insistent. She grabbed the halves of his shirt and yanked hard, sending button flying, pinging off the walls. She reached down to undue his belt and opened his pants. He gasped as he felt her hand deliberately brush his hardening cock.

She pushed him onto his back on the bed and climbed right on top of him straddling his waist. She curved her back kissing his neck. She slid down till she was laying on him. Lithe and writhing rubbing her whole body against his. She pressed her lips to his nipples. Swirling at them with her tongue; trying to suck on them. He felt the scrape of her teeth against them each in turn. He tried to grab her and spin her onto her back but she dodged his hand. And as soon as he could get hold of her shoulder she turned and actually sank her teeth into his forearm until he let go.