Chapter 159: Windows To The Past
Eddie looks mighty impressed as she and Jamie walk into the Jazz Club they shared their first dance in all those years ago "You may just be getting lucky tonight afterall." Eddie admits.
Jamie smiles at his wife. "Just say the word…" Jamie eagerly prompts "…and we can be in a room upstairs in the boutique hotel just like that!" he adds with a snap of his fingers.
For a moment Eddie's mouth drops open but then she sucks in a breath of air as her mouth forms an "O"…
"This was your plan all along wasn't it?" She challenges "That's why you were hell bent on first not even going to that wedding and then when that didn't work you pushed to leave early!"
Jamie giddily smiles at her.
"You know you could have just told me." Eddie points out but Jamie shakes his head in rejection "Then it would not have been a surprise."
Eddie scrunches her nose up at the lengths her husband was going to to give them this night together "Well I think you need to nonalcoholic wine and dine me first." She airily decides so Jamie flashes an even bigger smile as he picks up her hand.
"Don't forget the dancing." He quips as he leads her out to the dance floor.
"Oh straight to the dancing." Eddie impressively notes as Jamie pulls her into his arms "Very good start." She commends.
"I know what my wife likes." Jamie reasons.
"After all this time…" Eddie counters "…you better."
Silence as they dance and Eddie looks around the room "This place hasn't changed a bit." she notes.
"Neither has the woman in my arms." Jamie sincerely admits – his eyes focused solely on his wife as he pulls his and Eddie's hand into his chest to rest it over his heart "Still as beautiful as ever."
Eddie shifts her gaze to look lovingly at her husband and she smiles "Yeah you're getting lucky."
"I already am Mrs. Reagan." Jamie promises his wife as he pulls her in even closer and they sway in unison to the music "Luckiest guy in the world."
…
"Oh my god." Eddie moans out in awe as she chews "This steak is delicious!" She adds as she jabs her fork into another cut up piece on her plate and holds it out across the table to her husband "Here try some." so Jamie leans forward to take the piece of meat into his mouth.
"Oh that is good." He admits as he chews.
"I had no idea the food in this place was as fantastic as the atmosphere!" Eddie states as she picks up her glass to take a sip of her drink "How's the fish?"
In reply, Jamie jabs a piece with his fork and offers it out to his wife so like Jamie did, Eddie leans forward to take it in her mouth.
"Even the fish is good!" Eddie states in awe as she picks up her phone on the table and opens the tracker app "Why did we never eat here before?"
"Does seem weird doesn't it?" Jamie admits with a slight laugh "Eating out was our thing for the longest time."
"Hey gotta eat three meals a day." Eddie points out as she puts her phone back down "It was the perfect excuse to spend time together – she's still home." She then adds as an FYI to her husband.
"Thank you." Jamie simply accepts before taking another bite of food.
Suddenly a waiter walks up "How's everything here?"
"Fantastic!" Eddie gushes.
"Excellent, excellent." The waiter returns "Is there anything else I can get you?"
"Yes the dessert menu!" Eddie decides "If the main course is this good, your desserts must be spectacular!"
…..
Jamie sits across from his wife mesmerized as he watches her absolutely savor the dessert she is eating.
"Mmmmmmmmm." She deliciously moans out as her tongue comes out of her mouth to lick up the whip cream around the edges.
Jamie gulps, then clears his throat and raises his hand "Check please!" He calls.
….
It's quiet in a rental room above the Jazz Club when the door opens and Eddie walks in followed by Jamie and the second they are across the threshold, Jamie shuts the door with one hand while reaching to grab his wife's elbow with the other. He spins her around to face him and crashes his lips into hers before he begins backing her up towards the bed…
…..
Jamie and Eddie lay wrapped up in each other's arms in the hotel room bed just enjoying being together.
Suddenly Eddie reaches her hand across her husband's body to his night stand to grab his phone off the table. She opens the tracker app on his phone "Still home." She announces to her husband.
"Excellent." Jamie accepts as he gently takes his phone from Eddie and puts it back on the night stand "Now we can continue to enjoy our evening." He adds before rolling over towards his wife and moving to kiss her.
….
Jamie walks out of the bathroom in their hotel room to see his wife trying to zip up her dress.
"Hey! Hey!" He chides as he rushes over "That's my job!" he reminds her as his hands move to replace hers on the zipper causing Eddie to smile.
"Oh sorry." She apologizes as Jamie slowly begins zipping her dress up.
"Forgot how much you love doing that." Eddie admits as her eyes flutter shut at the feel of his fingers ever so lightly caressing a path up her spine as he goes.
"I remember the first time I did this." Jamie adds "The night of our rehearsal dinner."
"Hmmmm." Eddie breathes out "And here you thought I was getting cold feet…"
Looking back, Jamie can't help but smile a little "Well you did say you didn't want to be a Reagan."
"Oh how wrong I was…." Eddie admits.
FLASHBACK – May 2019
Jamie walks out of 1PP after visiting with his father and takes a deep breath. He and Eddie were getting married in 2 days – they had to get back on the same page…
….
Eddie walks into hers and Jamie's apartment after clearing the air with Erin and takes a deep breath as she looks at his pillow and blanket still on the couch from the night before. Making a decision, Eddie walks over and snatches the items up. She walks to their bedroom puts his pillow back on the bed then folds the blanket up and drapes it over a chair. Satisfied, she turns and heads back into the living room. She is just about to head to the kitchen when she hears a key in the lock so she stops short, faces the door and waits.
A moment later she sees Jamie open the door and stop short at the sight of her standing there before him.
There is a moment of silence as the couple stare at one another before Jamie begins "Look Eddie, I…"
But Eddie makes a beeline for Jamie, cups his face and pulls his lips down to hers to kiss him deeply.
It takes a second for a startled Jamie to collect his wits but when he does, he circles his arms around her waist and pulls her close as he leans in returning the kiss.
"I'm sorry." Eddie apologizes the second they break apart "I never should have gotten mad at you."
"So does this mean we're still getting married?" Jamie tentatively but very hopefully inquires.
Eddie breaks away from Jamie and looks at him in complete shock "Of course we're still getting married! Why would you think we weren't?"
Jamie sighs "Because you said you didn't want to be a Reagan…"
Eddie squeezes her eyes shut "Jamie..." She sighs in defeat.
"And before you say anything…" Jamie pleads "Hear me out?" he hopefully prompts.
Eddie opens her eyes and looks at her fiancé in concern but then silently nods for him to continue.
"Look I don't care if you change your name to Reagan or keep Janko." Jamie begins "And if at any time you feel like you are losing yourself, I need you to please, please tell me because that's the last thing I want. I fell in love with Eddie Janko. This Eddie Janko. The one standing in front of me right now and she doesn't have to change for me or my family."
Eddie's face turns into a true emotional pout and she steps forward and circles her arms around her fiancé's neck "You Reagans. You really do have a way with words. First Erin, now you. A girl could get used to this."
A look of hopeful anticipation appears on Jamie's face "You worked it out with Erin?"
Eddie nods "Uh huh. We did. I decided she wasn't picking on me, she was treating me as an equal so again, I'm sorry I whined to you and then got mad at you when you tried to defend me to her which to be honest, is what I wanted you to do."
Jamie raises an eyebrow "Yeah?"
"Now don't get carried away with it in the future or anything." Eddie warns "But sometimes - SOMETIMES…" She emphasizes "…a girl does like a knight in shining armor."
A great big grin breaks out onto Jamie's face.
"I said sometimes." Eddie reiterates.
"Understood, understood." Jamie quickly accepts before arrogantly adding "My girl."
"Yes." Eddie laughs "Your girl." She confirms.
"Whew!" Jamie breathes out "Because that venue deposit for the reception is non refundable."
"Neither is the dress." Eddie counters.
"All the guests we'd have to contact." Jamie adds.
"And all that food going to waste." Eddie pouts in true despair causing Jamie to heartily laugh "Ah yes the food." He agrees "That would be the biggest crime of them all wouldn't it be?"
"It would. It really, really would!" Eddie agrees before a silence befalls the pair.
"Seriously though Jamie." Eddie begins "I need you to know that calling off the wedding never even entered my mind – I meant what I said before I want to marry you more than anything. You're stuck with me."
"Good." Jamie accepts "Because I really like being stuck with you."
"So its settled then." Eddie definitively decides.
"I guess it is." Jamie agrees.
"You guess?" Eddie challenges.
"It is! It is!" Jamie laughs as his eyes drift over to the couch.
"Better." Eddie accepts.
"So I see my pillow is no longer on the couch."
"Nope!" Eddie sings "It's back where it belongs next to my pillow." She explains before absently playing with a button on Jamie's shirt "By the way, have I mentioned how mighty fine you look in this suit?"
Again a grin breaks out on Jamie's face "You have not."
"So hot." Eddie confirms "Where were you looking all spiffy like this?"
"1PP." Jamie replies.
"1PP?" Eddie repeats in surprise.
"More a father / son thing." Jamie quickly explains "Then a Commissioner / Sergeant thing."
"I was gonna say because you aren't in your dress blues."
"Yeah totally different vibe today compared to the last time I was up there!" Jamie laughs out before sighing in reflection.
"You okay?" Eddie prompts in concern.
But Jamie smiles at her "Yeah, I'm marrying the love of my life in 2 days – couldn't be better – okay well actually…" He corrects "It could be better - it could be 2 days from now where we're already married and off on our honeymoon."
"Wellllllll…" Eddie drawls out "I was thinking you know how we have our rehearsal dinner tomorrow after we rehearse for the ceremony?"
"Yeah."
"Well maybe we should be rehearsing for the honeymoon too." Eddie nonchalantly offers.
A wide grin breaks out on Jamie's face "Oh I like the way you think Eddie whatever your last name will be."
Eddie bursts out laughing "Could just hyphenate it." She ponders.
"Could." Jamie agrees.
"I'll think about it." Eddie promises as she picks up Jamie's hand and begins tugging him with her towards the bedroom "Now about that rehearsing…"
…..
"Eddie!" Jamie calls as he paces the living room of his old apartment "We have to go or we're going to be late to our own rehearsal dinner!"
Standing in the bedroom, Eddie struggles to zip up the back of her dress "Oh it's not like they can start without us!" She calls back before looking up in realization "Oh why am I trying to do this myself." She mutters before turning to head out of the bedroom into the living room "Here." She instructs her soon to be husband as she walks up to him and turns her back to him "Can you do up my dress please?"
Turning to face his fiancée Jamie becomes a little tongue tied at the sight before him and he mentally decides that helping his soon to be wife zip up – and hopefully later unzip – her dresses might just be his new favorite thing.
"Helllooooo!" Eddie calls bringing Jamie out of his thoughts.
"Sorry." He apologizes as he moves to stand right behind his fiancée leaving only enough space between their bodies for his hand to fit and the second his hand grazes Eddie's bare skin on her back as he reaches to pull the zipper up a shiver of excitement runs through Eddie as electricity sparks between the couple
"Um thank you." Eddie mutters out with a gulp as she steps away and turns to face Jamie.
If Jamie thought he liked the view from the back, the view from the front of his fiancée in her white lacy dress just blew him away.
She was a vision…
"Oh um wow..." He breathes out "I thought you weren't supposed to let me see your wedding dress before you walk down the aisle?"
Eddie looks at Jamie confused "This isn't my wedding dress."
"It's not?"
"No."
"Oh."
Eddie's confusion turns to one of worry "Why what's wrong with it?" She nervously questions in growing alarm "Do I need to change?"
"No, nothing is wrong." Jamie quickly promises "It's beautiful. You're beautiful. Stunningly beautiful." He rambles causing a smile and a blush to creep up on Eddie's face.
"Oh. Okay." She accepts before a look of disapproval appears on her face "Don't scare me like that Jamie!" She chides "I'm nervous enough as it is!"
"Of what?" Jamie laughs "Me leaving you at the alter? So not gonna happen. If anything I'm still panicking that your gonna get cold feet."
Eddie looks at Jamie floored "Didn't we already go over this? Would I be standing here in this dress if I was getting cold feet?" She challenges "You're stuck with me."
Jamie smiles "Best news I've heard all day."
"Me too." Eddie agrees.
Silence.
"If you go get the rings we could just slip them on each others fingers and skip the pageantry." Eddie offers.
"I thought you wanted the pageantry?" Jamie points out.
"I did… I do. I do." Eddie quickly corrects.
"Great." Jamie accepts "Then let's go or I'm blaming you as to why we are late."
"You would wouldn't you?" Eddie realizes.
"But you're also the bride so it wouldn't matter - you can do whatever you want." Jamie points out "It's your show."
"It's your show too." Eddie counters.
"Great." Jamie again accepts "Glad you realize that so let's go because I don't like being late to my own show."
"That was sneaky." Eddie admits.
"But did it work?" Jamie presses as he watches Eddie turn
"No." She admits as she heads towards the bathroom leaving Jamie to once again stand there waiting for her.
"Didn't think so." He sighs in defeat.
END OF FLASHBACK
With her eyes closed, Eddie revels at her husband's touch and sighs out a "Thank you." When his hand and her dress zipper reach the top.
"No, no." Jamie counters as he nuzzles his mouth against her neck and places a soft kiss there "Thank you."
Giggling at his words, Eddie turns around and loops her arms around her husband's neck "It feels a bit naughty doesn't it? Renting a room just so we can use it a couple of hours to have sex…"
"Make love." Jamie quickly corrects.
Eddie smiles at him then continues "What I mean is it's not like we are spending the night – we're going home. That just makes it seems so… so affair like."
Jamie gets a playful look in his eyes "Mrs. Reagan would you like to have an affair with me?"
An amused look appears on Eddie's face as she moves her hands to her husband's chest to do up the last of his shirt buttons "It's not really an affair if call me Mrs. Reagan." She points out.
"True." Jamie agrees as his mind starts to ponder that.
"I think I might still have Jimmy Riordan's ID somewhere." He states a moment later "You still got Edit Jankovic's?"
A great big grin breaks out onto Eddie's face "Can we do that?" She seriously asks in excitement.
"No." Jamie laughs as he pulls away from his wife just in time to avoid her hand that he knows will be coming for him so Eddie tosses "Jerk!" at him instead.
"Oh come on you walked right into that one." Jamie laughs as he moves to pick up his suit jacket and put it on "But yes, I know what you mean." He admits before looking directly at his wife "Only you Eddie Janko could get me to have an affair."
"Janko?" Eddie challenges.
"Well it's like you said." Jamie replies "It's not really an affair if I call you Mrs. Reagan."
"Oh so when we do this again we're checking in under Janko are we?" Eddie notes.
"Again?" Jamie repeats in amusement.
"You don't want to?" Eddie pouts with a slightly fallen face.
Jamie moves towards his wife and circles his arms around her waist "Sign me up." He quietly returns before leaning forward to kiss her.
…..