Chapter 5

Conclusion

"Gooood morning, Emily," I sang as I walked into the office proudly wearing my stunning engagement ring. I loved the bright sparkle and reflection of many colors coming from the stone. As Jack, I could care less except the rings I'd given Lia and Helen excited them so much. Being a woman now, I knew how they felt when Jack slid the rings on their fingers. It was oh so exciting.

"Good morning, Ms. Brooks," Emily chirped as she followed me into the office. As I hung my hung her coat up in the closet, Emily noted the ring. "Close the door, won't you, Honey. We've things to discuss that are very important."

She closed the door and I signaled for her to sit down. "David proposed to me on Friday night. I told him everything. About my love for him and my love for you. I was surprised he had taken it so well. I love him but told him that I couldn't give you up."

"What about us?" Emily asked distantly. She didn't know how to take this. Could she have prevented this by confessing her love to me earlier? She felt her lover slipping through her fingers like quick silver. I had no intention of allowing that to happen.

"Nothing changes," I smiled. "David said he'd let us meet and have our affair until it runs its course." Emily looked especially lovely in a sky blue silk dress with cute little pearl button cuffs on her sleeves. Her fashionable shining blonde hair was in its usual ponytail to keep the hair from her face while working. I had seen her in all kinds of styles through the years and this was the one that I liked the most. It showed her pretty earlobes with little diamond studs in them.

"I don't think it will run its course," Emily said, still looking serious.

"Look Honey, I know that, you know that. He doesn't. He gave his okay and that's all that counts. Unlike you, I feel like I need a man in my life but since he know about us, and he has given his consent that we can still be lovers, what does it matter?"

"I don't think I'll see you as much, that's all."

"You'll see plenty of me. He's going to be spending a lot of time out of town because he has plenty of clients that will take him years to take care of. By then the computer business will have completely changed and he'll be called out to write new programs and install them. I can buy an apartment in my building and you can pay me a nominal rent. That way you can afford staying near me. And when he goes out of town, you can come up by me or I'll go down to you. I spent a lot of time this weekend figuring all of this out."

"What if he suddenly wants you to call it off between us?"

"He won't. He's a man of his word. You don't know how many hours it took him to make up his mind before saying it was all right for us to see each other on ocassion. That way I can have him, then I can have you too." I smiled.

"I think this may some getting used to," Emily stood up. I walked around my desk and stood with my back to the door to prevent her from exiting. "Honey, I think we'll see more of each other than now. When David goes out of town, we'll have week nights where we can see each other instead of just some weekends."

"I love you so much, I don't want to lose you," she whispered with a tear running down her lovely face. Strange, I didn't know she wore so little makeup. Her face had a natural glow to it. It was all natural beauty.

"When can you move in downstairs from me? There's an apartment available on the fifieth floor. I can buy it today."

"You would that for me?"

I nodded. "How can I not? I'm doing this for the woman I love."

She smiled as she cheered up. She wiped the tear away from her face.

I opened the door to let her out. "What's on the agenda today?"

"Oh!" Emily crossed her eyes. "Duh!"

I laughed at her comical gesture.

"Directors meeting at ten. Five contracts to look at. No appointments today. Do you want me to call the deli for your lunch?"

"Yes, the usual for me. And get yourself something. It's on B&D."

"Thank you, Ms. Brooks." she smiled. Then mouthed "I love you."

I mouthed the same back to her.

I looked at my watch, fifteen minutes until the meeting. I quickly checked my emails.

A few needed my attention so I saved those then sent the rest to Jim downstairs to take care of it. That's why I paid him well.

The board of directors were pleased with the accounting firms report. We made a huge profit. They offered me another big raise. I took half and told the others to make sure the other half went back into the profits account. I was making seventy million a year now. Just how much more did I need? I had everything I wanted or desired. A man I loved and a woman I adored. Plus all the money one person could ever need. I never imagined having so much. I didn't do as well as Jack Holiday, but I was happy then and I was happy now. Then we discussed bonuses. Each in his department would put down a figure and explain why. The only one I never vetoed were ones in my department.

"Gentlemen and lady," I stated. "I am engaged to be married." I showed them my ring.

"We won't marry until June but all of you will be getting invitations."

"We've got to meet the lucky man," one suggested.

"You will. He's has his own business that is doing quite well and he is a self made man."

"A pull yourself up by the bootstraps sort of guy, eh?" Jim Pepper shook my hand.

"By all means," I smiled. I shook every hand of congratulations from the Board. They all wished me luck in my quest for wedded bliss. I thanked them all.

Upon returning to my office I told Emily to expect a nice bonus at Christmas. Not because of us, but being so efficient in her job. She smiled and said thank you. I went into my office to call the building management to buy the vacancy.

I had to hire a wedding planner. I told Ruth Timmons that I needed everything from soup to nuts. The church, the banquet hall, the band for dancing and everything inbetween.

She had eight months to set it up. I asked for June 11th or 18th depending upon the schedule of the church. She asked if I wanted Catholic or Protestant. I chose Baptist since that was the denomination that Jack Holiday had married Lia Lee. I recalled the wedding between us so long ago. How beautiful she looked that day and me in my navy dress whites. We made a wonderful couple.

I called the travel agency I used before to book a honeymoon suite for two weeks in Tahiti.

It was that or Hawaii. But being so close to the graves of my loved ones in my previous life, I nixed Hawaii. This was going to be a time of happiness for me. Not to drum up old memories of Jack.

I spent the rest of the day working on contracts. I had almost forgotten the time when Emily waved good night. I looked at the clock and it was past six. I packed up to leave myself taking these contracts home with me.

Thanksgiving and Christmas came and went. The year 2004 was upon us. It wasn't as cold as in other winters but I still wore my furs. To hell with those PETA creeps. These people had nothing better to do than stir up trouble. Especially people who wore furs.

I arrived home to find David was gone for a two week stay in Los Angeles. At least he would be warm out there. I rang Emily from downstairs to come up. We spent lots of time together. Not always did we make love. Several nights we slept together in each others arms just cuddling and a little light kissing. Other times we'd just sit and talk, telling our life stories. Of course I left out Jack Holiday because it was beyond belief. I was very shocked when David believed me as I poured my soul out to him.

I tossed two sets of leftovers into the microwave for dinner. I was too tired to go out or even to the new restaurant that opened upstairs last October. Emily let herself in and we kissed then she set the table. We ate in silence. She noticed how tired I was. She was in her February funk too and I could tell. After dinner, we cleaned up and got ready for bed. I wore my nicest piece of lingerie. A long black silk nightie. Emily undressed to her panties. My nightie told her I wasn't in the mood for lovemaking that night. We kissed deeply then I fell asleep right after we parted. As I was drifting away, I could feel her body spoon with mine. She placed her arm around my waist and that's all I could remember until we woke up to a dull looking day. No sun or anything to pull us out of our depressed moods. I hated Februarys.

Emily got up, dressed, and went downstairs to get ready for work. I went into the bathroom, did my business, slipped off my gown, hung it up on the door and got into the shower. I felt a little better than yesterday. I was dressed and met Emily in the elevator. We wished each other a good morning as if we just met by chance. She got into her new Camry and I followed her to work in my brand new Jaguar. I had secured a spot for Emily in the executives parking area so we rode the elevator up together. We were alone so we exchanged a light kiss on the lips just before the doors opened on our offices. We were greeted by Cindy our receptionist as we walked back to our work stations.

"How was your night, Precious?" I asked as we arrived.

"Restful," she smiled.

"Did you do something I wouldn't do?"

"Uh-uh," she replied.

"What's on the agenda for today?"

"You have no appointments and no meetings," she followed me into my room.

"I think I'll work the morning and go home unless something comes up," I said loudly so the others could hear us. "Do you have anything to do that can't be done tomorrow?"

Emily shook her head.

"Why not leave early too and we'll have the afternoon and evening together?" I whispered.

She nodded.

Emily left work at ten, I stayed another hour later. I called Jim Pepper to tell him that I was leaving early so take care of things unless my attention was needed. I told him in that event, call me on my cellphone. Getting home was much quicker since it was not rush hour. We now had the weekend together. And we made the most of it.

On June 11th, David and me were married. If you count the two when I was Jack Holiday this was my third. Hopefully my last. We honeymooned in Tahiti as planned. The first three days we didn't leave our room. David had been working so hard he released into me every pent up tension over the months we were apart. I gladly received everything he had. I didn't have Emily in my wedding party. She stayed away from the nuptials for obvious reasons. But she did send a gift. We had discussed this beforehand and it was agreed that David should not meet her yet. If ever. Although he gave us his okay for us to continue in our girl-girl affair, I still felt uncomfortable. When I became pregnant, I would need Emily to help me with me being in the family way.