"Donald Zwerling?!" Grace couldn't help herself, she started laughing. "My condolences." She remembered his huge crush on Ellen.
"Just my luck." Ellen laughs. She chuckled. "I'll give him credit, he changed."
"At least you can deal with him for only one semester, you can say adios in a few months."
"Yeah." They chatted for a few more minutes till Ellen excused herself to do her homework.
"Yeah gotta go myself, Ben and I are going to dinner." Grace and her said their goodbyes before they hung up. She goes to her closet to pick up something to wear, Ben said he had news.
Grace was nervous while eating dinner. Ben and her, they were usually relaxed, but tonight their date felt off. She was picking at her food, she was too nervous to eat.
"Ben? Is everything OK?" She asked. His mind was so far away.
"Huh? Yeah." He paused. He opened up his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it.
Grace sighed.
"If you want to break things off, just get it over it." Grace went through this dozens of times.
"WHAT!" Quickly Ben mouthed sorry to the room. "No, no. I don't want to break up." He says in a quieter voice.
"Then what is it? You been so quiet these last few hours." They had a long distance relationship, Ben flew back and forth from here and Chicago. "Is something wrong?" Ben's mind seemed so far away.
"Not really. It's good news. I just got a new job offer."
"That's great!" Grace knew how hard he worked at his career. "Is it in Sweet Valley?" She knew he was trying to move out of Chicago and away from his ex-wife.
"That's what I want to talk to you about." His eyes, Grace could see the sorrow. "The new job is in Montreal."
"Montreal?! That's in another country! Do you speak French at all?" Grace never been to Canada, but knew both Lila and Rachel went there with their families.
"Grace." Ben was holding her hand. "I really like you."
"But." Grace was determined not to cry.
"I want you to come with me." THAT was NOT what she was expecting.
"Wha-?" Grace started coughing. She silently thanked Ben when he handed her a glass of water. Gulp, gulp. "Move? Me?" She squeaked.
Ben nodded.
"I know it's a little fast. We only been dating a few months. Long distance especially." He smiled at Grace. "I been divorced for a few years, and never met anyone like you." He smiled nervously at Grace. "I want you to come with me. At least for a few months." He kissed her hand.
Grace was frozen in shock. Move? She never left Sweet Valley in her life. Not counting family vacations. Unlike many of her former classmates, she never left town for college.
"I don't know what to say." She heard it was cold and snowy in Canada. It was so far away from home.
"If you need time to think about it, I understand." He waved to the waiter for the check. "I didn't accept the job offer yet, I wanted to talk to you first." Once the check came, Ben paid with a generous tip. "I don't want to put any pressure on you. But if you decide to come, I want you to come with me to look for a place to live." Before he helped her out of the booth he had to get this off his chest. "I love you Grace Oliver."
Grace's mind was too jumbled to think. She was so distracted, she didn't hear Ben's words.
Ben was disappointed at Grace's silence. But he didn't push. Instead he drives her home. Once they got to her place, he gets out of the car with Grace, helpfully opening the car door for her. Once they got to her apartment door, Ben waited for her to say something.
Grace's mind was so far away. He wanted her to come with him. He waited for her opinion on his new job offer. When she saw Ben staring nervously at her, she smiled softly and kissed him on the cheek.
"I have a headache. Raincheck?" She saw his disappointed expression.
"I understand." He kisses her goodnight. "I'll call." Ben was in Sweet Valley for business till the next day.
"Okay. Night." Grace silently goes inside.
'I love you Grace.' Ben's words came to her at that moment.
"Oh god." Grace wanted to hit herself. She had to make a call, hopefully Mary or Ellen didn't mind a late night call. She needed advice.