Billionaire
No matter how old you both get, never stop holding hands, never stop dancing, and never stop saying… I love you."
Last night had been a bad night, it had rained all day and most of the evening, which meant they hadn't been able to do some of the routine things they were used to doing. Today, Thursday, he was swapping for a Wednesday so as hopefully not to mess her clock up, she needed routine nowadays and last night proved to him how important that was.
"I thought we could take a walk, maybe visit that old park we used to walk in" he thought they might as well use the fact that she'd managed to get dressed before 3pm today to their advantage
"It's been a hot minute" she smiled "We'd have to drive there"
"Course" he laughed, they'd both stopped driving some years back, they'd had a chauffeur for many years "I don't think I've got seven miles in me"
"I'm hoping I've got at least another seven years left in me"
"We've got years left" he smiled hugging her
Sam and Mercy had been married for just over 60 years, now at the ripe age of 82 they were feeling the wind change, Mercy had been diagnosed with early onset dementia just four months ago and they'd gone into a funk that had left them both in a bad place. They'd been semi-retired as much as they could be in the music industry, and she'd been a bit forgetful for a while, but as usual they'd put it down to normal brain matter shrinkage, until she got into a flap for losing the car, which took her nearly an hour to find and ended up with a phone call to Sam, who had to fetch her.
She'd started the alarm bells ringing after that, it scared her that much, but whether he was scared himself or just in denial Sam wouldn't take it serious for a while, it took her blacking out for a few minutes for him to get the emergency services involved. Since then, they'd read up on things, changed their diets, started attending classes and Mercy was in therapy, while Sam had joined a support group and they were in a good place, so today they were going for a walk.
"I've got your jacket" he held it up for her to see "We're good to go"
"Where are we going?"
"The park" he smiled knowing he'd have to say that a few more times during the journey
"Oh" she smiled "I love the park, remember we used to go to that park near…" she couldn't remember it and he wasn't about to tell her and remind her that she'd forgotten something else about their lives "Where was it again?" she looked up at him giving him permission to answer her puzzle
"Johnny Appleseed Met" he smiled at her knowing face
"I knew that" she smiled at him "I need my coat"
"I've got it love" he held it up for her again "Let's get in the car" he moved her towards the front door
She loved the fresh air and walked in the middle of the night if her mind took her to, so the doors were kept open during the day, there was someone in the house most of the time, if it wasn't the live in maid walking around, it was security outside the house. They weren't prisoners, that wasn't the look Sam was going for, he just needed to know that Mercy was free enough to walk around their house and grounds safely, without him following her and causing irritation, and for all the attention she needed when he was awake, he needed his sleep at night.
After double checks on the doors, several times and looking for her coat several times they were finally ready to start the journey over to the park, they got to the park within twenty minutes, Mercy leapt out of the car as if she were a child seeing the place for the first time "Can we go fishing?"
"Fishing?" he laughed following her "I don't think we can manage anything much past a stroll"
"Okay" she stopped the fuss as quickly as she'd started it grabbing hold of his arm to start their stroll "Ice cream then?"
"That I can do" he laughed, they walked off towards the play area to find the ice cream vendor "Remember our first ice cream?" he smiled at the memory
Flashback
He was stood in the park with some friends having just found a group of girls that seemed fun, they'd been talking flirtatiously with them for about an hour before they got to the ice cream stand, he wasn't particularly interested in any of the girls, so Mike and he stood in the back listening. Finn and Artie were getting acquainted with two of them and to be honest they felt like spare parts, they stood talking about leaving them to it, watching them all buying ice cream "Want one?" Mike asked him
"No, I'm good" he stood back watching Mike get in the queue, but then the ice cream turned into donuts and threatened to turn into something else so being fed up he decided to grab an ice cream and head for a bench "Sorry" he bumped into one of the girls smiling
"Can I help you?" the ice cream vendor asked looking from one to the other
"Vanilla" he called out
"Neapolitan" she called out at the same time
"Sorry" they looked at each other smiling
"Ladies first"
"You're good" she smiled "I'll wait" she pulled back
"One…" the vendor smiled handing them the cone
"Sorry" they both smiled looking at it when they both grabbed for it
"Neapolitan" the vendor smiled at them
"Oh, that's you" he smiled at her "Mines vanilla" he handed it to her, the electricity that passed through their hands at that second was both exciting and frightening, he winced "Did you feel that?" he asked before realising the cone was laying on the floor, because she had "Could I have another one of those please?" he asked the vendor
They ended up sitting on the bench not far from the rest of the crowd having the most intimate conversation which led to their first date. There had been many ups and downs since that first date, but most of them they'd come through with a walk in this park, generating a memory or talking out a problem.
End of Flashback
"Neapolitan" she looked up at him smiling
"I know"
"How do you know?"
"You ordered once, and I heard you" he smiled looking at the vendor "Could I have a Neapolitan please?" he smiled, watching the ice cream cone being filled up
"Oh" Mercy stopped the woman putting sprinkles on "Could I have a vanilla for him and dip them at the same time please?" she smiled
"Of course," the vendor smiled, she knew them by name but since Mercy's memory had started fading Sam had asked everyone around them to not jog her memory as she had episodes where she'd get violently frustrated or even enraged with jealousy and anything could trigger them. "Neapolitan Mam" she handed Mercy hers first "And vanilla for you Sir" she smiled taking the money
"Keep the change" Mercy told her
"That was a twenty" Sam laughed
"Well spent for a memory" Mercy laughed "Should we find our bench; we need to talk"
"We do?" he asked shocked "About?"
"Let's find our bench" she grabbed his arm, it was clear she didn't know which direction to move in, so he took charge and led them to it, physically she was as fit as she'd ever been "Okay" she sat down "Sam Evans" she smiled tapping the seat, telling him with those words she was in the here and now again "I need to tell you something" she watched him sit down "Nothing scary" she giggled
"What's up?"
"I can feel myself slipping in and out of reality, I'm getting a lot of time with you right now, but I understand that our time will get less as this disease takes over my body, there are a few things I want you to remember about me, about us" she grabbed his hand "And I don't want to get to the point where I can't remember, and you're left wondering"
"We know we…"
"Babe" she covered his lips to stop him talking "I will miss the hell out of you when I'm gone, but be sure of this one thing, inside I'm fighting like hell to get back to you" she stroked his face "I will always love you I guess I sang the hell out of that one a while ago, still goes" she pointed at him smiling "I feel so lucky and so blessed to have had you in my life, and like you I wish for as much time as we can squeeze out of this brain of mine" she rolled her eyes "But I will have to go, and you'll need to prepare yourself for that"
"I told you I'm prepared" he squeezed her hand
"Laying down and dying with me is not preparation babe" she chuckled
"Feel that" he smiled "The electricity still runs through us; we were meant to live and die together"
"I want you to promise me you'll live after me; I don't mean find a new wife or anything like that" she laughed "But at least let someone buy you a dinner"
"We're billionaires we can buy a dinner anywhere we want" he kissed her hand "And after you I can only eat alone" he kissed her hand again "Because you'll be there on the other end of that table, telling me to wipe gravy off my chin, or stop talking with my mouth full…"
"That's a trademark move, keep that one" she laughed
"I love it when my baby comes back to me" he laughed
"Remember our first date?" she looked at him
"Like it was yesterday"
"Come on let's dance" she got up pulling his hand
"There's no music" he laughed at her pulling him up
"That's fine you've never danced to a beat anyway"
Flashback
"So, is this it?" she sat at the table in the noisy bar asking him, they'd gone on their first date at a bar, which just happened to have the loudest music in town playing that night, they spent the evening shouting into each other's ears or listening to their friends stupid jokes.
"I wasn't planning on anyone else being here, or this damn music" he shouted back "Listen, do you want to get out of here, find somewhere quiet to talk?"
"Sure" she nodded grabbing her coat as he stood up
"Guys" he announced, "We're out, speak tomorrow" he grabbed her hand and they left "So, you want to sing?"
"I don't want to sing, I'm a singer" she laughed
"So am I" he smiled "I mainly do my own stuff, but I go commercial sometimes"
"What is your own stuff?"
"All different genre's I mean I love Country, I was brought up on it, but I tend to do a lot of free tone stuff so one minute I'm in a melancholy mood and the next I just want to jump around to some summer sun stuff, or I might want to talk love, hate depends on what I'm feeling"
"I write about life so I guess we do the same thing but I'm all R&B" she smiled "Big ballads that everyone will remember till the end of time, that's what I'm all about"
"That's pressure"
"I'd call it push" she turned to look at him "So let's hear one of your songs"
"Only if I can hear one of yours at some point"
"Sure" she laughed "We might turn out to be each other's muse"
"In the park I don't fancy singing in the streets" they crossed the road and walked into the almost empty park "I usually sing with my guitar" he waved his hands around
"Oh" Mercy smiled "I didn't know guitars sang"
"No" he laughed "I mean…"
"I know what you mean Sam" she rolled her cute eyes giggling at his humour
"I'll just.." he sat her down and stood in front of her "No notes till I'm done" he watched her zip her lips in agreement "Okay here goes" he hummed his intro before singing
I've been staring at the coastline, thinking of every choice I've made, to lead me here right now, standing on solid ground
And I've been hiding in the shadows, wondering if I'm on the right road, some place I've never been, is this how it all begins?
He held his hand out for her to grab, she smiled grabbed his hand and they had their first dance, little did she know then that was the only in tune dance she was ever going to get out off him
Oh-oh
Cause I've got my best suit on and I'm ready, I've got my sleeves rolled up and I'll be on my way
While my heart's thumping, boom-boom, boom-boom, you're going to see me rise, oh, and rise, rise, rise, rise
They were dancing, she was smiling, he was singing, but fireworks were going off big time, they might as well have been standing in front of the biggest display you can imagine
End Of Flashback
"Sing our song" she looked up at him and grabbed his arm to wrap it around her, he'd already got the song going on in his head, his imagined version was being sung by a much younger man of course, he just carried it on, sad she hadn't mentioned all the other songs they'd had since then
For every valley, there's a mountain, for every answer, there's a new question is it worth all this?. I'm pushing myself to the edge
Cause we're all looking for a reason, find a shelter from the storm within, just keep your eyes ahead, and dust yourself off again
Oh-oh, oh
Cause I've got my best suit on and I'm ready I've got my sleeves rolled up and I'll be on my way
While my heart's thumping, boom-boom, boom-boom, you're going to see me rise, oh, and rise, rise, rise, rise
Oh, cause I've got my best suit on and I'm ready, I've got my sleeves rolled up and I'll be on my way
While my heart's thumping, boom-boom, boom-boom, you're going to see me rise 'Rise' by Calum Scott
"What are we doing?" she looked up at him puzzled when "It's freezing" it wasn't, but she'd gone again, and his few minutes were already sealed in as memories she'd forgotten but he was happy for. "Can you take me home mom will be worried"
"Course" he smiled grabbing her hand to make their way back to the car
"What are we going to tell her tonight?" she giggled, it was clear she was back over 50 years ago when they were courting and they needed a reason almost nightly for why they were late back, they'd give some stupid excuse and go off to her bedroom or his to carry on what they'd generally started in the park.
"The truth I guess, we were in the park, talking" he laughed at her naughty look
"We were in the park?" she looked at him oddly
"We were, but we're going home now" he grabbed her hand "I still love when you hold my hand" he changed the subject seeing her mind working overtime to remember something that wasn't relevant right now
"Can we get a burger on the way home I'll take the blame?"
"Sure" he nodded at the driver, he knew what he had to do, alert the staff to get the shop open and operating by the time they got there, so his wife could get what she wanted, he made the call and took a longer route home to give them some time to sort everything out
"Can we walk home as well?"
"Sure" he smiled; they would already be in the grounds so if he needed any help someone would be able to help them. They stopped at the makeshift shop, grabbed their burgers, and sat at the alfresco tables looking down the brightly lit lane towards their large home.
"Mom's going to be so mad at you" she giggled eating away at her burger
"For you, I can handle that" he sat watching her eating, smiling about whatever was going on in her head right now, wondering when his wife was going to make another appearance, he could see her every minute of every day, touch her when he wanted to, but the core of them was missing sometimes and that left him lonely at times. "Ready?" he asked when he saw she was just pushing food around the plate
"Yeah" she moaned
"What's the matter?" he sat closer to her concerned
"I don't want this date to end"
"It doesn't have to, you could stay at mine, I can call your mom and let her know your safe"
"Would you do that?" she jumped up like a happy schoolgirl, he preferred her to be indoors when he told her yet again that her mother was no longer with them, she tended to flip for a hot minute on that news, somehow she still thinks her mother has the answer to every problem she's ever going to face. "Hey?" she grabbed his attention "I love you Sam Evans"
"I love you right back Mercy Evans" he smiled kissing her forehead, she'd come back quicker than usual today
"Remember the first time we said that to each other?" she looked up at him
"I do"
Flashback
"Just" she'd pushed him off yet again, they'd been dating for nearly five months and hadn't got past the goodnight kiss, she'd become shy all of a sudden when the relationship threatened to get serious
"What are we doing here Mercy?" he sat up on the couch in his den asking
"Your parents…"
"Are out as you well know, is this relationship not what you want, don't you trust me?"
"Of course, I trust you, I've just never…" she rolled her eyes at him "I've never done anything like this before with anyone"
"You're a virgin?"
"You don't have to be so offended by it" she snapped at him
"I'm not offended, I'm surprised"
"Why?" she snapped again "Because I'm not like my friends?"
"No" he rolled his eyes "Because you don't trust me enough to tell me this before now"
"I trust you, I just…. I don't know, I guess I'm embarrassed"
"I wouldn't be trying to do any of this if I didn't care about you, I don't sleep around Mercy, I want you to know that"
"You're one of those one woman men I hear your Artie always talking about?" she laughed
"I am that one woman man he's always teasing" he laughed "I'd never hurt you, so we won't do anything you don't want to do, it's up to you how far we go, and whether that's fast or slow"
"Thank you" she looked at him before reaching in to kiss his lips again, she kissed him once then again and each kiss got longer until they were making out, he went along with what she was asking of him, he'd just told her it was up to her, and she'd acted on it.
They moved from a sitting position to laying on the couch, their kisses passionate, while his hands started touching her breasts above the clothes, aware this was her first time. She was the one who lifted her top to give him access, she seemed to move into him her body begging to be touched he pulled her top up and sucked at her nipple hard and gentle at the same time "Are you sure?" his head popped up asking
"Yes"
"Tell me when you want me to stop" he gasped, he knew he was hoping to never hear those words, he was almost at the point of no return already
"I don't want you to stop" she gasped at his lips touching her wet cold breast again
He seemed to be moving his lips between her breasts and lips for some time, she lay wondering what he was doing, but at some point she started hoping he'd suck her nipple one more time or kiss her lips quicker, maybe poke his tongue in her mouth or feel her dampening pubic hair for just a little bit longer. Her body started involuntarily moving to find his hands or his mouth her hands guiding his head to where she wanted it to be "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just want you to go a bit faster" she gasped his hand was already deep inside her panties, she felt embarrassed for them being so wet "Sorry" she gasped
"What for?"
"I'm so wet" she covered her eyes
"That's how we want this, it will hurt otherwise, it's fine" his fingers playing around her swelling clitoris, making her body move to his tune "You're nearly ready" she just moaned at that she didn't know what he meant but it felt good.
He suddenly stopped to look at her "What?" she asked using her hands to cover her naked breasts
"I need you to take your clothes off"
"What all of them?"
"All of them" he smiled standing up to take his off while she sat stripping off and still trying to hide her body "You're beautiful Mercy" he smiled kneeling in front of her
"So are you" she smiled watching him lower her hands to expose her nakedness
"I love you" he told her before his head went down between her legs, there was a conversation they both knew they were having one, and they both understood it, but there were no audible words used, his entry was quiet, rhythmic, and gentle, as he took her virginity and she gave it to him, her noise made him smile as she exploded for the first time on him
"God I love you too" she gasped, exhausted, after that first five minute thing he'd kept her going for nearly an hour
"Sam" they heard his mother enter the house, she was making her way to his bedroom
"Get up" he whispered, "Use the bathroom" he told her running around picking her clothes up "Sorry" he kissed her before closing the bathroom door "Mom" he raked his hand through his hair as he stood in the doorway "I was asleep is it important?"
"No sweetheart, just checking you're alright" she brushed his hair back "Goodnight"
"Goodnight" he smiled and closed the door
End of Flashback
"Don't worry" she laughed "I just need the part where you drag me out the bathroom and hold me in your arms for the rest of the night" she looked up at him
"That part was the best, our first full night together"
"I liked the part when you walked me home that morning and waited down the street while I changed off before you walked me to work" she grabbed hold of his hand "We're old worn out billionaires now" she looked up at him "And all I want to do is walk down this street holding your hand"
"Dance to our own tune" he smiled
"And tell you I love you, when I remember who you are" she smiled at him letting her hand go and grabbing her around the waist from the back, kissing her neck "I'll always remember who that is" she giggled
"I love you babe" he whispered in her ear
She closed her eyes and took that in, she was that 19 year old again, wondering through the park with that boy that was slowly growing on her "I love you too babe" she hugged his face "What are we going to tell my mom?"
"I'll call her and let her know your safe"
"Thanks" she looked at him with those loving but distant eyes, he knew she was seeing Sam at 19 stood in front of her, but he was grateful she was seeing him in any capacity