2 weeks after Jessie's phone call
(1 week until the wedding)
"What about this one?" Carol asked, holding up the newspaper for Grace to see.
She scrunched her nose up, "you do realize that 'renovators dream' means it's a total dump that needs a complete makeover?" she asked, and spun back around to her closet.
Carol sighed, "Maybe that'd be fun……….doing a total makeover on an apartment…..……make it scream 'Grace Manning'………"
Grace turned back to Carol, who was lying on her stomach on Grace's bed, circling different apartment ads in the newspaper with a red marker.
The girls would be finishing Uni in 6 weeks, Grace had a job secured in the city of Charlotte. She would be starting work in a big publishing house at the beginning of next year; she hoped to be transferred to the publishing house's office in New York by next year, if she really put in.
But Carol would be moving back to Ohio, because her boyfriend (Samuel's) father had a job waiting for her at the Ohio Times- not being a full-pledged journalist or anything- she'd be starting from the bottom and hopefully working her way up.
The girls would be separating- after depending on one another for four years, they would be parting ways and venturing out into the big wide world.
"I don't think so Carol!" Grace said hoarsely "remember it's me that'd be blowing my money on a crummy apartment of you're choice!" she added, without turning to her friend.
Carol rolled her eyes and put the newspaper down, she studied Grace- hands on hips, scanning the rows of clothes hanging in her closet.
"I have absolutely nothing to wear to this stupid wedding!" Grace finally declared, spinning around to face Carol.
Carol sighed, "could you be more transparent?" she asked.
"Excuse me?" Grace narrowed her eyes.
Carol chucked the newspaper with red circles all over it, to the other side of the bed, and sat up, patting the space beside her; "it's obvious that the dilemma of having nothing to wear isn't the only thing on you're mind!" she said, matter of factly, in a calming voice that patronised Grace's bad temper.
Grace raised an eyebrow, "oh really?"
"Really!" Carol challenged.
"Then please………enlighten me!" Grace spat, crossing her arms over her chest.
Carol opened her mouth, but before she could air her thoughts, Grace cut in like a knife "and if the name 'Eli' comes out of that mouth I'm going to smack you two weeks from Sunday!"
Carol shut her mouth again and narrowed her eyes, her look said everything.
"Don't give me that!" Grace sighed, unfolding her arms.
Carol remained silent, her eyes piercing Grace's temper.
"Don't bring this back to the subject of Eli, again!"
"I only bring it up because you refuse to………and bottling up you're feelings is never good for you!" Carol finally spoke.
Grace closed her eyes, squeezed her hands into fists and groaned; "why is everything suddenly about Eli Sammler?" she opened her eyes again and looked at Carol with a small frown, "he hasn't even physically stepped back into my life yet and already he has turned my world upside down by the mere mention of his name!"
Carol gave a small laugh; "true love's do that to you!"
Grace shook her head slightly, "no……….true love he is not…………." She said, and took a seat beside Carol, resting her head on her shoulder and reaching over, clasping her hand.
"We had our chance………he threw it away………….it's just a major pain that we have to be related and I cant completely toss him out of my life forever!"
"You did for 5 years!"
"Hmmm………..it's a shame I couldn't keep up my disappearing act for the rest of my life……….."
Carol nudged her with an elbow, "hey!"
Grace sat up and turned to her friend; "maybe this is like a second chance………..like fate?" Carol said, enthused.
Grace gave a half smile, "this isn't fate………this is a nightmare!" she sighed.
Carol reached over, tucking a piece of hair behind Grace's ear, "Oh I don't know Miss Manning……….maybe love is giving you a second chance………….?"
Grace rolled her eyes and gave a snorted laugh, "you got that line off a cheesy Sandra Bullock chick flick!"
Carol shrugged her shoulders, "so?"
"So!" Grace repeated, "So………….this isn't me rekindling a teenage romance! This is me having to face an ex boyfriend who broke my heart! Nothing romantic about it!"
There was a long, drawn out silence as Carol studied Grace's frowning face; "Was it really that bad?" Carol asked coyly after a while.
Grace looked away for a moment, down at her hands as she slowly traced the etched lines on the inside of her palm; "No………it wasn't all so bad………we had some really amazing moments………..although I doubt he'd remember them…………..they were really………..nice"
She looked back up at Carol, feeling herself tear up slightly, she rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh; "I mean, god! I was in love with him once!………..there was a time when he made everything perfect! Of course it wasn't all bad! The beginning was a little rough………the middle was the best part……….but………..our ending wasn't the way I pictured it would be!"
Carol gave a small nod, "ok………so maybe this wedding next week isn't all about fate and romance……….." she grabbed Grace's hand and squeezed it, "but maybe you two can write yourselves a better ending this time?"
GRACE there are some times when a friend really knocks you off you're feet……….those times when they say something and really mean it, and you thank god that they are there for you………….this is one of those times.
Grace felt a small tear escape down her cheek, she swiped it away quickly and let out a broken laugh; "I bet that was a line from a Sandra film aswell!" she laughed.
Carol half smiled, "yeah well………her one-liners seem to do the trick!" she replied, and held Grace in a close hug.
When the girls pulled apart, Carol wore a broad smile; "lets go shopping, hmmm?"
Eli scanned the bursting restaurant. There was a loud murmur of simultaneous conversations, glasses clinking together and the shuffling sound of feet as waiters scurried from table to table.
"Mr Sammler!" a stout balding man in his 40's said when Eli entered the swish restaurant.
He smiled, one of his charming, broad smiles that made his whole face seem so inviting; "is she here yet?" Eli asked, as he peeled off his black trench coat and handed it to the man.
The man nodded, "got here early Mr Sammler…….…..has been waiting for fifteen minutes!" he replied, stopping one of the bus boys and handing him Eli's coat, mumbling orders to hang it in the cloak room.
Eli straightened his white collar. He was wearing a stylish dark grey suit- and black tie- looking very handsome and sophisticated. He winced when he heard how long his date had been waiting, "not good?" he asked.
The stout man shook his head, "not this evening I'm afraid Mr Sammler………she's already gone through two glasses of wine!"
Eli gave a small nod as he looked past the man and scanned the restaurant again, spotting a dark haired beauty in a red skirt-suit, her long wavy hair hanging loosely around her shoulders, she lifted her wine glass to her lips and took a long sip.
Eli focussed back on the man, "change her drink to water, ok Tony?" he said, and the man nodded.
"Good luck Mr Sammler!" he murmured as Eli strode towards his table.
He stood beside her for a moment, "I have been waiting for………." She started, without looking up at him.
"15 minutes……….I know! I know! And I am truly apologetic!" Eli cut in, not allowing her to finish.
She looked up; red lipstick smudged across her lips, eyes dark and brooding, her olive skin set aglow by the dull light coming from the candle that sat in the middle of the table.
She closed her eyes slightly and turned a cheek to him; Eli bent down and kissed her cheek that she offered him, and then he stood and walked to his side of the table, pulling out his seat and sitting down.
"What are you drinking?" he asked, immediately waving his hand in the air to get a waiters attention.
"Red" she replied bitterly.
"I'll have a whisky," Eli said to a young waiter, who quickly hurried off to mix his drink.
"So," the woman said huskily, leaning forward slightly, "what's this I hear about you taking next week off? You heading down to the New York office to talk business?" she asked, pursing her luscious, red lips together as she awaited Eli's answer.
He sat back in his seat, comfortably, superior as he scanned the busy restaurant scene before answering her; "because you know……….if you are heading to the big apple, I should really be going with you!" she added quickly, leaning back in her own chair, trying to mimic his relaxed confidence.
He turned to her slowly, and cracked a half smile. A smile, which made the woman in red blush.
"And why's that?" he asked smoothly, his voice deep and pulsating.
She tossed her hair to one side, "Because Eli, I am you're competition for the New York job! Not very fair if you get a head start up there!" she replied, and quickly reached for her wine glass, finishing off the last mouthful of red liquid.
Eli gave a small, gruff laugh; "You're keen………I'll give you that!" he said, and thanked the waiter with a nod when he delivered his drink.
"Keen?" she repeated, lowering her glass, and nodding to the waiter to bring her another; "more like desperate………" she huffed.
Eli brought his drink to his lips, took a small sip and lowered it; "now, now Monica! Don't go putting a guilt trip on me!"
"Guilt trip?" she said, through gritted teeth, "I have worked my ass off in this pissy Philadelphia office since it first opened! Just like you! Only difference is……….while you've been climbing up and up the corporate ladder, I have been stuck at the bottom of the heap, waiting for my turn in the spotlight!" she said, bitterly.
Eli sighed, and ran a hand through his gelled hair, "judging by you're paycheck, I wouldn't say you're at the bottom of the heap" he murmured.
She scoffed at his remark, "with my qualifications……….." she said, narrowing her eyes, "I should be giving you orders!"
There was a drawn out silence at their table for the longest time. Glasses clinked around them, people laughed and joked with friends at other tables- but Eli and Monica remained silent, exchanging icy glares.
"You are going to New York! Aren't you? To bad mouth me to the bosses up there!" she finally spat.
Eli sipped some more of his whisky, his ice clanking together as he lowered it; "you're paranoid and power hungry………two lethal combinations!………." He said, looking her in the eye, "no! I am not going up to the New York office to 'bad mouth' you……….I'm a little above that, thankyou very much!"
She scoffed at his response, but he wouldn't let her cut in.
"I am actually heading down to my home town for my little sister's wedding……….if you must know……….." he ended.
She scowled at him, "Mr big shot, Eli Sammler going back to his little home town for a good ol' wedding, hey?" she said and leaned forward, "for a whole week?" she asked, and Eli nodded slowly, "I could weasel my way into you're position by then………." She said, smirking.
Eli frowned, and just as he opened his mouth to say something, the waiter came over with a glass of water, placing it infront of Monica who looked down at it with distaste.
"Drink up" Eli said, the frown wiped from his brow.
She looked up, "I'm perfectly capable of watching my alcohol consumption, thankyou, Mr Sammler!" she said, coldly, pushing the water away from her.
Eli gave a hoarse, mocking laugh; "you didn't watch it too well at last years Christmas Party!" he said, calmly.
A dark shadow crossed her face for a moment, and then a sly smirk; "If I remember correctly, Eli………neither did you………." She sat back, and continued to smirk, "or was that someone else on you're office desk with me?"
Eli straightened in his seat, "if you're done giving me the third degree on my whereabouts next week……….I will excuse myself and wish you a pleasant evening," he said, standing.
"Oh come on, Eli………order another drink with me………..we might just have a repeat of that night in you're office?" she smiled.
Eli ignored her, walking briskly towards the front door, Tony already had his coat ready, and handed it to him.
"How did it go Mr Sammler?" Tony asked.
"Just as expected!" Eli said, handing him a twenty-dollar bill, "keep the change," he said, over his shoulder as he hurried out the front door.
"Dad?" Jessie called out, "Lily?" she tried, without a response.
"Anybody?"
When there was still no answer, she ventured out to the living room, where she found Zoe sprawled out on the couch, phone stuck to her ear.
"Zo!" Jessie said.
Zoe didn't flinch.
"Zoe! Didn't you hear me calling out?" Jessie asked again.
Zoe pulled the phone away from her ear for a millisecond, a scowl on her face, "can't you see I am talking on the phone?" she whispered gruffly, and pulled it back to her ear.
Jessie rolled her eyes and headed back into the kitchen.
Zoe was in year ten now- and as if she wasn't bad enough when she was seven! Zoe as a teenager was a million times worse! She had lopped off her long brown locks when she was 14, and now had a choppy, punky short hair do that she liked to spike on special occasions. She had grown tall and lanky………her attitude had grown aswell!
Punk/rock music could be heard from the other side of her door 24/7, the only quiet in the house came when she chatted on the phone at all hours of the night for hours on end. She was a handful, but Lily was sure she was just going through a phase at the moment, and it was nothing serous………or……….god forbid, permanent!
Jessie picked up the cordless phone and pushed in Lily's mobile phone number, she held it to her ear and listened to the ringing.
"Hello?"
"Lily? It's Jessie here………..when will you be home tonight?"
"Oh! Jessie! Are you at my place?"
"Yes………I stopped by to show you a picture of the cake Katie and I chose yesterday"
"Was it the one with the little blue swirls at the bottom?"
Jessie let out a small laugh, "Yes it was the one that you suggested we pick!"
"Well good! I did like that!" Lily said, enthusiastically; "well look, I have to work late tonight, and won't be home for an hour or so- it's best that you come back in the morning, ok sweety?"
"Ok, Lil- bye"
Jessie hung the phone up and sighed, running a hand through her long gold locks. She couldn't wait until Grace got down here to help out with last minute things. Katie hadn't been much help, what with the sudden burst of media attention her label had been receiving. Lily could only help out with small things, because Karen absolutely insisted upon doing the bulk of the arrangements (seeming as Lily did everything for Jessie's sweet sixteen!) but Karen was far too fussy for Jessie's liking, and spending a day working on the wedding with Karen would turn into an absolute obsessive, perfectionist nightmare by lunchtime! She really could not wait to have Grace's helping hand………..hmm……….speaking of Grace……….
Jessie walked back out into the lounge room, "Zoe" she called.
"Still on the phone!" came the bitter reply.
Jessie looked down at her stepsister, "I just want to ask you one little question!" Jessie growled, putting her hands firmly on her hips- letting Zoe know she wasn't going anywhere until she detached the phone from her ear.
"Fine!" Zoe sighed; "I'll call you back in 5!" she spoke into the phone, and hung up.
"Did Grace and Eli call the house at all today?"
"Jessie, why do you think there is a notepad by the phone?" Zoe spat, "go check it……….Grace and Eli both left messages!" and with that she quickly dialled a number and held the phone to her ear again.
"Sorry little miss 'I have a serious attitude problem'………" Jessie mumbled as she walked back to the kitchen, picking up the notepad.
'Grace says 'hey all'- flight leaves at 7:00 pm, arrive here at approx 9:30 pm'
'Eli says hello- flight leaves at 10:30 pm, be here at approx midnight- try hard not to wake whole house up'
JESSIE there is just such anticipation in the air! Or is that love?
