BRYN MAWR GIRL

by yousillybeggar

Wow! This story is now 21 Chapters! This story focuses on the relationship between Oliver Warbucks and Grace Farrell. Some of the characters named in this work are not mine, from the 1982 movie. Other characters are mine and are added to enhance the story. If you can and have the time, I am grateful for all reviews! Thank you! Thank you!

11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11 ANEW

She walked through to the great hall and up the stairs to her quarters. Her luggage had been deposited outside of her door. She picked it up and headed into

her rooms, leaving a trail of clothing in her dressing room. She quickly showered the train ride off her. Picking up her clothing from that day, she found the

white handkerchief he had handed her and noticed that his scent was still on it, she inhaled it like oxygen to a person deprived. She would always keep it, putting it

on her vanity table. She got dressed, choosing a flowy, lavender dress that was new. She kept her hair down, brushing it out and letting the natural waves show. It

was a look he would have rarely seen on her. After a few minutes of unpacking and getting dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror. She liked what she saw, she

was aglow. Breathless. She looked high. She was high. She was very surprised, very much in awe by the turn of events from the short span of the train station to the

estate, her head still reeling. She wanted to talk to him about their being discreet – for now. She was not at all sure how to act in the context of the estate? In the

office? Her own work? She suddenly thought of her own work, and her previous plan to give her notice and leave her job at the estate to be a math professor at New

York University. After the intensity of the evening, just the thought of kissing him, his touch – just the memory of that made her stop in her place, literally forget

herself for moments, she felt almost drugged with love. The relief and pure joy in their love was vibrating throughout her. Kissing him and hearing his words, telling

him her heart had made her forget logic temporarily. She had a sudden moment of clarity. "Oh my God. The College." She thought. "I have to deal with this." She

remembered she had to give them an answer – that week. "I will talk to Oliver. I will tell him about it." She made the decision then and there, in keeping with her

ethics, she would always be honest with him. She would always talk to him. She left her own quarters quietly and walked down to his office, which was where she

assumed he would be. She would certainly not be seeing him in his quarters.

His door was closed, and she could hear the soft sound of his phonograph. She knocked on his office door – the first couple of taps were very soft, then she tapped

three more times a bit more insistently. He opened the door almost immediately, beaming at her when he saw her standing there. Punjab and the Asp – who were

normally right outside of his office door were further down the hall, seemingly engrossed in a game of chess – were obviously aware of the situation between them

and were giving them privacy. He had changed his clothes, too. He was in a starched white, button-down shirt, no tie, no collar with his vest only. His top button was

undone. His diamond stud was elsewhere. She had never, ever seen him like this. His jacket was hanging on the back of his desk chair. Oliver took her by the hand,

and gently pulled her into the office. "Come in here, love." And he shoved the heavy door shut behind them as he took her in his arms. "You are a vision." He said to

her. They melted into each other's arms, their greeting marked by a kiss that became several, that lasted several minutes and had them leaning into the back of the

heavy door. Oliver, finally aware of where they were, looked at her and said: "We could be more comfortable anywhere but standing here. Although . . . " he paused to

look at her, their eyes locked: "I would stand here all day for you." He kissed her once more, taking her hand: "Let's sit down, okay?" and he led her to the hearth. He

had lit a small fire and had set the room for them. The furniture was different, she noticed. Her usual work chair was changed, and he had changed out the wingbacks

for a small sofa and a couple of matching seats. She sat down next to him on the sofa, and he reached out for her hand. She responded by squeezing his hand, and

then she turned to face him. "I have never seen you without a tie on." She smiled at him, letting her eyes wander to his neckline and his throat. She touched his vest

and his shirt at the neck. She looked at his face as he studied her. She said: "I like you like this…" she held onto his wrist, leaned toward him and kissed his lips. He

kissed her back, taking her hand in his, their fingers laced. "Thank you, love.." She said: "Oliver, I need to talk to you about something. It is important, and it is

because of. ..this" she gestured with her hand at the space between them meaning their newly acknowledged love.

"Oh?" he said. He looked at her, and said: "Nothing bad, I hope?" and smiled. She said: "I think 'this' the most wonderful thing in the world, but, how are we going to

handle it? We cannot just show up to meetings holding hands…the staff…we need a plan to proceed. I don't want your reputation tarnished." He looked at her,

incredulously and said: "My reputation? Grace, I am not sure what you mean…" She said: "Oliver, people will talk. They will think you - that you and I – there will be

gossip, it will most likely be unsavory, and will paint a picture of you in a negative light." He couldn't believe that she was more concerned with him than she was with

herself. He knew how the press could be, he knew how things got blown out of proportion. He wanted her spared from that trauma. He looked at her, holding her hand

and said: "People can think what they will. We fell in love. We have done nothing – inappropriate. We are both adults. " He smiled at her broadly and said "We have

only just this evening kissed for the first time. . . .like this.." He leaned over to her and kissed her lips slowly. He squeezed her hand and looked at her lovingly. He

gently said: "Grace, we can take our time in revealing to all. For now, we can live in this bubble, enjoy getting to know each other, we can take our time. There are no

deadlines for love, Grace. I want to do things right, not race through." he smiled at her and kissed her hand. She looked at him, and said: "A scant few hours ago, I

was in another state of mind. When I saw you standing on the platform, I thought maybe something was wrong? But, inside my heart, I think I knew why you were

there. When you put your finger on my wrist in the limo, I held my breath - hoping…" She paused here to look at him. He was listening to her intently. "When you

kissed my hand, I knew….and when you kissed me, I was sure….I was sure that you loved me, too...there was a piece of me missing until that moment, because a

part of me was always with you.." He sat listening, his face conveying his attention to her words and feelings. When she was finished, he said to her: "Thank you for

telling me that...I think we both had some painful times before tonight. Each time I panicked or brooded was because I was unsure, I was so in love and so

frustratingly and irrationally hurt by not being able to tell you. I hope I am making sense." She looked at him and said: "Oliver, you make perfect sense." She could

not believe what he was telling her because she thought his words could have been interchanged for hers. They had both been hurting. They had both been in love

and in the agony of not being able to pursue it. At least, that is what they thought at that time. They also knew that they had better not go down the "why didn't we

do this sooner?" fruitless thinking. "Budda says 'Everything is as it should be.'" Punjab had said to him once. She had agonized so much so that she had thought that

leaving the estate – running away – was the answer. She knew now that she had to stop running away from things that scared her, and that she needed to tell him

about what she had previously planned to do. She took his hand in hers, looked at him and said: "Oliver, I hope that you can hear what I am about to tell you with an

open mind. I do not want to upset you." He looked at her, concerned: He said: "Good heavens, Grace...what is it?" She took both of his hands in hers now, took a

breath and told him: "I was going to leave here. . . .if you didn't happen to love me." She stopped for a moment. "I was going to take another job. I was afraid that

my feelings were one-sided, and the agony of loving you without having you…was painful….enough to make me …look for work…elsewhere." She stopped talking long

enough to let him speak: "Oh, Grace...I'm sorry you felt that much in pain here..." He let her hold both of his hands, he did not pull them away. He was not angry at

all, surprised and curious, but not angry. He could not blame her. He asked her: "Grace, where did you look for work? You said elsewhere? Where, Grace?" He was

searching her face for a flicker of clarity. His face betrayed slight distress at the thought of her leaving. For good. The very thought caused him to feel slightly ill. She

looked at him and said: "I applied to New York University. I applied to be a math professor…statistics, to be exact." She knew that she had to tell him, but still felt

anxiety, she did not want to hurt him or sully their new love. Part of her was relieved to have let this out.

His brow was raised in a question: "And, what happened?"

"I was offered the job."

"And..?" he asked.

"I have to give them an answer. Oliver, I wanted to talk to you about us. I did not know how to broach the subject. You had more courage before I was able to even

figure out what I was going to say. My mother said I should give you - us – a chance."

He looked at her and smiled, kissing her hand, he said "Your mother knew that you …had feelings?.." she cut him off: "My mother knows I am in love with you. She

asked me and I told her the truth." She studied his face, looking at every detail. He asked her: "Can you say the last part again? I want to make sure I heard you

correctly." She laughed at this, put her arms around his neck and kissed him. She said "I am in love with you."

He smiled at this and held her tighter. He said: "I am most certainly in love with you, Grace. I never knew what love was or that it actually existed...until I fell in love

with you. He touched her face with both hands, looking into her eyes, he said: "So, if I hadn't come to the train station, you were going to talk to me…about…us?"

She looked at him and nodded, adding: "Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to say, or do. I panicked when I applied for the job. Before and after. I felt so guilty

and so disloyal. I want you to know, I acted not out of disloyalty or trying to hurt you. It was just the opposite. I wanted to stay on here, but not if it meant not

having you or suffering. I mean, we work together Oliver. I had no plan, but I was aware that my love for you…." She stopped and softly said, breaking down a bit:

"…..my love for you was unstoppable, and if you had no love for me, I was going to give notice if . . I . . never found out if you loved me. I wasn't sure. I thought so,

and I hoped,….. I always doubted my own judgement." He looked at her, seeing all the agony this was causing her. He said to her: "Come here, love..." He gently

pulled her over to him and hugged her. He said "You have had a rough go of it. I do so happen to love you. So much." He gently held her. She put her head on his

shoulder... He understood exactly how she was feeling, and he was shocked at how well she had kept it to herself. He guessed he had, too. Sort of. Well, as best as

they could. In regard to what she told him about her fear and uncertainty in how to talk to him about how she felt, he could only empathize and marvel at how similar

their feelings had been, at the same time. She was going to go to another job, he was always flying off to some other city or country. Both of them, though at

different places in their timeline, had the very same ideas of surviving love: running away. Without even speaking of it, they decided to run toward love this time.

They were talking in his office sitting area, less then two hours after her train arrived in New York, holding each other and talking openly about how they felt. For the

first time. For both of them, it felt both surreal, and yet it was as if they had always been like this. They both blurred the 'before time' – the time when they couldn't

kiss and talk openly about loving each other. That was an eternity ago. Two hours ago. Their time now, and their love was what mattered, and to them both, it

represented a voice that had been trying for years to be heard. As silly humans who thought they were in control, they tried in vain to overpower love. Instead, they

now knew that they were powerless, love was not something to fear or run away from. Love was what mattered more than anything. Oliver knew that all of his money

could never 'buy' him the happiness that just one kiss with Grace Farrell had given him. The way he saw her: a multi-talented, powerhouse. He thought she was

incredible as a human being and he had marveled at her since the day Mr. Gayle introduced them and had told him all about her. He was very deeply in love with

Grace, and to him, everyone – and he meant everyone, could take a spot in line behind Grace. Now that he knew she loved him back, he allowed himself to fall even

more. Loving her was so easy. She was his only love. She was his focus. He loved well and he loved hard. Grace was in for a love with him that she never dreamed of,

nor did he. They were a force that neither of them ever knew possible.

He said: "I too always doubted myself." He spoke. "Grace. . . we are all paralyzed by and at the same time, motivated by fear. I understand that fear, because I too

was moved to acknowledge my own feelings for you, but I was unsure if you….loved… me." He stopped for a moment and gazed at her. "Grace….it has been a long

time for me, since I have. . had a . . .woman in my life. My last relationship was . . .disasterous...hurtful.… one-sided and loveless. It was a rude awakening for me,

and it left me cynical. I have remained cynical and solitary ever since. That is, until you…you were the first person I wanted to let in." He looked at her, his eyes

moving to her hair, and her dress. "My God, you are lovely, Grace. You are so . . ." He kissed her again. He kissed her cheeks, she held both of his forearms lightly,

feeling his musculature under his shirt sleeves. He leaned back to look at her, and he cocked his head to the side in a way that showed curiosity. Smiling at her, now,

he said: "I am very relieved that we are here. I cannot tell how much. If I allow myself to think of you leaving here, well…." He paused, remembering just how terribly

upset he had been when he imagined that she would get married suddenly and leave. Aside from feeling terrible about that prospect, at that same time he had also

thought to himself: "Whomever he is, he had better treat her right. She has had enough with men who act like idiots." He was so utterly in love.

He said: "Tell me more about the job. I am impressed that you went for it and got it…..not surprised at your competence, but impressed with you – as I always am.."

He meant it and was interested in her offer. She looked at him, a little surprised, and said: "Really? You aren't upset?" he answered her: "Grace, I would have been

upset if I had suddenly come into the office to find that you were giving me notice and that I would have to live without you. THAT would be upsetting, but, we are

here….talking about things between us for the first time. I have always respected you, and I have always marveled at your intelligence. I am interested in your job

offer." He smiled at her and he exuded pure adoration. Grace smiled back at him, her joy was radiant. She kissed him again. He beamed at her. He asked her to tell

him about the job. Statistics! He was so amazed at this brilliant woman who just kissed him.

Grace looked at him and told him: "Well, it was – at first – to be a part-time math department job, I would be teaching statistics. Next fall, I would have been full-

time. New York University Department of Mathematics."

"Grace, that is an historic university! I am glad to know they are smart enough to want you." He turned to look at her. He smiled lovingly and said, "As it turns out, I

want you and I love you." And he leaned over and kissed her. She kissed him back, holding his hand in hers, she whispered:

"I guess I have to give them a polite decline." And she kissed him again. He asked her:

"Grace, is teaching statistics something you would enjoy?" He truly wanted to know.

She looked at him, tilting her head at the question, and said: "I guess I might have. I have never taught adults before, I have about three months experience

teaching eighth graders math in Bryn Mawr as a substitute teacher, but that was during college, but it is nice to know that I got hired. I don't know if I would enjoy it

or not." He looked at her. He asked: "Did you enjoy it? Teaching?" She smiled a little wistfully and said: "There were times that I loved the job, but I only taught kids.

Very limited experience, three months is nothing." He smiled at her and said: "Three months is a lot. A lot of things can be done in three months. Have you ever tried

to give up chocolate for three months? Or better, sailed on a ship for three months? I couldn't be away from you for three months..." He was smiling broadly at her.

He kissed her hand again, he said: "…..I have a thought.. . . . You may think it is madness.. . . .. Do you want to hear it?" he looked at her. She was smiling back at

him, not quite knowing what to expect. She was loving this with him - this talking, the touching, it was dream like to her. She said back to him: "If you have thoughts,

I want to hear them." He continued: "Grace, as I said, it might sound very mad - what I'm going to say... please, hear me out…..okay?" He stopped when he asked

this. She said: "I'm listening." Oliver looked at her with a grin and said: "Why don't you take the part-time offer – for now –and find out? We can delegate some of

your work here, and perhaps you could try it out. Maybe you could do both and see what you like. I can hire the necessary three people to do the work you do

normally..." He was smiling at her as he said this, and inside his mind, it made sense. He probably would have to hire three people to accomplish what she did.

"You wouldn't want me here?" she asked.

"On the contrary, I want you here – always. But, I also want you to know the 'what ifs?' in life. Grace, you have a love of math, you are talented. You applied for that

job in particular because, just maybe, it held some interest for you? Aren't you curious?" he watched her closely, saying: "I want you to know and achieve all of your

capabilities. It may also give us a chance to explore our love in a more private and subtle way – for now – away from the prying eyes and listening ears here… I want

us to take our time, too, and I want you happy. No matter where you work, I want you to be happy. I am not going anywhere, Grace. I love you." She looked at him

and smiled; she said: "Oliver, I have done nothing BUT love you. I have fallen a little more each day since being here."

He quickly added: "Me too., my love.. this seems like a dream.." And smiled at her. "Grace, its none of my business, really, but that awful time when I asked you

about your brother and your mother, thinking you were about to up and marry someone…" He hesitated, looking at her a little shyly, and continued: "you said then…

that you weren't seeing anyone…" He paused again…looked her in the eyes and asked: "….was that true?"

She continued to look him in the eyes, not dropping her gaze, and she said: "Yes. . . . .it is true…I never wanted to 'see' anyone else…it has always been you…." She

said: "Oliver, you mentioned that this, um, job might give us a chance to explore our love..", she smiled at these words being spoken aloud again, "in a more private,

subtle way. What did you mean?" He said: "When I asked you before, was there anyone else, and you said that you hadn't anyone, that made me wonder: had you

ever had a – pardon me for using the silliest word on earth for a man my age – a boyfriend?" He stopped to look at her. She shook her head 'no.' Oliver continued

gently: "Not just a wealthy boy whose parents were at the Country Club and wanted you to date their son…but, a man who ..treated you like the…" he stopped and

stared intently at her, and said "Like that goddess you are. I want to be that for you. I want to be. . . . your boyfriend…." As he said this, his face lowered slightly, he

wasn't sure he should have said that at all. He felt a bit silly. She was looking at him with wonder. She thought to herself: "Who was this adorable man?" She fell for

him a little more with each passing moment, with every word he revealed his heart to her.

He wanted to give her an exciting romance, complete with her being courted, and dated and flowered and taken to theater and concerts and walks and parties. He

wanted her to have the experiences of having a good man in her life. He was sure he could and would be that for her. He wanted to kiss her on the street as they

parted ways, he wanted to kiss her everywhere and anywhere, he wanted to run to her arms, he wanted them both aching for more. He wanted her to know just how

incredible he thought she was, how beautiful, how sexy, and how smart. He wanted her fulfilled with no stone unturned. He also wanted her to explore what she

needed to explore, no matter what. It was only fair – he had explored the entire planet, he had seen every country, had literally been a captain of his own ship. He

wanted her to be in charge of her own destiny. He also knew that their destiny was each other, and he trusted the situation to play out in a wonderfully exciting and

loving way. He wanted them to have a thrill ride of an adventure in their affair. He also wanted more than an affair. He wanted her to be his wife.. Eventually. He

trusted in his own intuition that this was something they both needed: love and fun and trust. She deserved all of that from a man. He was that man. He knew that

now.

She looked at him, her own eyebrows now arched in surprise, a smile crossing her face, she asked him:

"You want to be my….boyfriend?" she asked. She continued: "I don't think it is a silly word. I think it is very sweet and….um…very exciting. You really want to be my

boyfriend?" She was smiling at him, slightly unsure of where this was going to lead.

"Yes. Very much so." He said, looking at her, his eyes searching her. She lowered her head, speaking to him, in a tone so soft, he had to lean in closer to her to hear

her words.

She said: "Oliver, I have never had a true 'boyfriend' in the sense of the word that you describe. I was always on a single or perhaps a once-repeated date with

someone I did not know, nor did I want to know. The longest 'dance partner' I had was Andrew, whom you met the first time we met." She was serious now: "He was

an embarrassment, a mistake and never anyone I ever wanted. He was an unfortunate match via my well-meaning mother." She sighed at this.

Oliver said: "Someday, I shall have to thank him for messing up so badly with you." And he leaned over to her and kissed her. "No man in his right mind would ever

mess up with a brilliant, kind, and beautiful woman like you. He was an idiot and I am so glad he was." She was smiling at him again, very touched by his words. He

kissed her again, passionately, leaning his entire body against hers, letting her know he was there and for her. When they stopped, she had her hands against his

chest, one finger inside the opening of the front of his shirt, just below the second button. It was a very natural thing to have happened. She could feel his undershirt

over his chest and heat from where her finger had slid inside his shirt. His scent intoxicated her and his kiss made her wet and aching with desire. She had to try very

hard to not think about. . . . sex. That was a difficult task. She had no experience, but she knew she wanted him. Like that. Unapologetically. She blushed at the

thought of them making love. He kissed her again and said: "Grace….what does it mean to you…the idea of a 'boyfriend'?" She took her time, collecting the ideas from

her long-secret thoughts about what she wanted in a lover. When she thought about Oliver and his being her lover, she felt a lightning bolt shoot through her body

that awakened every cell only for him. She was aglow with love and the intimacy of what they were sharing. This was a shiny new thing for them both.

Finally, she answered: "To me, a boyfriend is a best friend and a lover. A boyfriend is honorable and loving…everything that is you. I don't want the idea of a what a

'boyfriend' might be, I want what you are." Her words made him blush a little; she knew what she wanted. He was relieved at what he heard, he felt like the only man

on the planet.

He took this all in, having watched her speak, looking at her expressions change as she talked. He said very softly to her now: "Grace, I think we have a good place to

start. We have love. Curiosity. Trust. Respect…." he paused here, looking into her eyes and resting his hands firmly on her knee closest to him, and continued, saying:

"We have desire. At least, I do." Her eyes shined, the realization that not only did they love each other, but he wanted to fulfill a role in her life that had always been

missing. He wanted her to have that experience and have it in a pure, and fun, and loving way with him. He wanted to make her fall a little more in love with him

each day, the way he fell for her. There was no power play, or expectation of wealth or property exchanges or joinery. He wanted to make up for everything she had

missed. He was already thinking of ways to be that man for her, thrilled to be able to take off the mask and just love her.

She said, coming up to his ear to speak very softly, her voice almost a whisper: "We both have desires. I do, too."

He said "I want nobody but you, Grace, and I love you. We can take our time and have fun, figure out this new love of ours…you have made me whole again, too." He

smiled at how easy it was to tell her what had caused him so many sleepless nights, and his thoughts wandering off in meetings.

She said: "I love you, Oliver."

He asked: "Can I be your boyfriend?" smiling at her, holding her hand.

She said with her voice cracking slightly: "Yes..I want that so much...and do you want . . . me?"

He looked at her with a grin, and said: "Oh my God, Grace, yes! I want you so much. I love you. You are everything to me." With those words, she leapt into his

arms, kissing his cheeks, his nose, his lips. He held her waist as she leaned into him, kissing her back gently and deeply. She breathed in his love, he sighed in his

adoration of this woman – long on his mind, and forever in his heart.