by Cee, DW
“I’ll wait till Jake comes down. Oh…speaking of, there he is.” My mouth grinned from ear to ear.
I heard Barbara turn to Sandy and whisper, “Look at how her face lights up at the sight of him.”
Sandy in turn said, “You think that’s bad; my son’s a hundred times worse!”
Jake ambled into the kitchen and our eyes locked immediately. With his back to the family, he grabbed me and devoured my lips. A bit friskier than I would’ve liked with an audience, I turned crimson, but didn’t pull away. I was learning to cherish every touch without being so self-conscious about what others might think. Brazen? Bold? Audacious? Whatever it was, I was enjoying it too much to stop.
“Hi, Beautiful. Did you sleep well?” Jake asked with an adoring look.
“I slept very well, all four hours of it.”
“You got up at four this morning?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t go back to sleep.”
“You could’ve come into bed with me.” He looked vexed I didn’t.
“The thought did cross my mind,” I mused.
As we tried to continue our conversation, Aunt Barbara and the chief began clearing their throats.
“Ahem! Hello, nephew. Don’t I get a good morning kiss?” the chief asked facetiously.
Startled, Jake turned his body around. “What are you doing here, Chief? Hi, Aunt Babs. Good to see you.” He tried to hold me with both arms while leaning over the island to give his aunt a kiss on the cheek.
“I need a ride to the hospital with you this morning. Your aunt and I have a dinner to attend, and she’s going to come pick me up later,” the chief explained.
I told Jake that Aunt Barbara was here to help us with wedding decorations. Whether or not he was interested, we three gave him a rundown of all the vendors coming to the house and what would be accomplished today. While I gave more wedding details, Jake jerked his head up and startled me.
“Emi!”
I jumped and answered, “Yes?”
“I forgot to tell you, you need to stop by the bank today. The manager is expecting you.”
“Why?”
“I sent in the paperwork yesterday to add your name to all my accounts. I was supposed to tell you to stop by the bank yesterday, but I forgot.
“OK,” I answered.
He reached in his pocket and took out a card for me. “Here’s your ATM card. You need to activate it.”
I sheepishly smiled reading the ATM card. Below the sixteen-digit punched card, I saw in bold print, EMILY REID. I whispered the name aloud. It sounded even better than I imagined. I saw Jake grinning from the corner of my eyes.
“Also can you deposit my paychecks into our checking account while you’re at the bank?”
The words our account sounded so wonderful they gave me goose bumps. I knew it was silly to be so animated over the obvious joining of names and official documents, but those chosen words made everything sound so much more real.
Without thinking, I opened up Jake’s paychecks, shocked to find how many digits were in the dollar box. I turned to Jake with eyes wide open and said a little too loudly, “Do you really get paid this much? Is this a monthly or every other monthly paycheck?”
I could hear all the chuckles coming from the left side of the island.
“Emi, this is a two-week paycheck,” Jake answered back in a somewhat offensive tone. “You do know that I save lives by operating on hearts, daily. Sometimes it’s multiple hearts.”
“Well, you do know that I save lives by teaching children their fundamentals before they can get to their higher medical learning, but my paycheck looks nothing like yours. I probably need six paychecks to equal one of yours,” I responded back.
He chuckled and added, “We need my paychecks if we’re going to enjoy trips like Paris. We probably spent at least one paycheck in Paris.”
“Are you kidding me? We spent that much money there? We cannot vacation like that anymore. What a ludicrous amount of money we spent.”
“Well, it shouldn’t be as bad next time since we won’t have to get two rooms,” he answered, reaching over to kiss me again.
The words two rooms seem to be of interest to everyone else at the island. Aunt Barbara was the first to ask, “Why did you have two rooms at the Ritz?”
Jake rolled his eyes and answered, “Don’t ask. I got into big trouble for telling Gram that Emily’s a virgin.”
My head automatically dropped into my hands and Jake realized his big mistake, again. My cheeks turned bright red and once again, I was hoping to be swallowed up by the floor. My lips were shut tight, my eyes squinted and my head came up just long enough to give Jake a you are in big trouble look.
The conversation that ensued troubled me even more than the topic of my virginity.
“You mean you’re not pregnant? That’s not why we’re having this shotgun wedding?” the chief bellowed.
My head jerked up at the word pregnant. I stared and processed in my head what he just said, and what the rest of the family members might have thought about us. It never occurred to me everyone would think that we were rushing into marriage because I might be pregnant.
Mortified. Horrified. Aghast.
I felt all of the above.
Jake almost fell off his barstool howling in laughter. The rest of the family looked at me apologetically for jumping to this conclusion, and embarrassed for putting me in such an awkward situation.
If I wanted the ground to swallow me up earlier, now I wanted to stay there till after the wedding. How would I face every guest who would be thinking what my immediate family members thought?
Jake finally calmed down enough to pull me to his lap and comfort me. He knew the scenario I had conjured up in my head.
“Don’t worry. When everyone sees us at Christmas minus a big belly, they will realize that you and I did not have a shotgun wedding. That is…unless you want to be pregnant right away. Then we can start trying even today.” Jake somehow turned this situation even worse.
I turned to Bobby and Sandy, hoping someone would be on my side. “Mom, Dad, did you also think I was pregnant?
“Sweetheart, we’re sorry! We did think it was odd you and Jake wanted to get married so quickly. Most couples don’t have three-week engagements. The thought did cross our minds.” They looked as mortified as I felt.
“Let’s go up to our room,” Jake said trying to break my flabbergasted glower. “Let me give you all the bank account numbers,” he added, pulling me off the stool, and pulling my hand toward his room.
We got away from the family and Jake stopped and looked concerned.
“You OK?”
After thinking about it, I let it go. I had overreacted. It would only be natural for people to assume we wanted to get married right away before my stomach popped.
“I’m fine.” I looked into his sparkling blue eyes and felt protected. Once again, I couldn’t imagine being in a better place with a better man.
“I’m guessing you won’t let me finish where we left off last night?” he suggested, pushing me against the wall, mouth nibbling on my ear.
“You’re guessing correctly!” I said, attempting to pull away. “Jake?”
“Hmm?” His lips traveled to the neck while the hands rummaged under my shirt.
“Can I come visit you at the hospital and have lunch with you today?”
Delighted, Jake’s head popped up.
“I’d love that, Emi. My colleagues keep asking when you’re going to stop by. When do you want to come?”
“Maybe around 1:00 p.m.? Will you be done with your morning surgery? I’ll make you something yummy for lunch.”
“I should be. If I’m not done, wait for me in my office and I’ll meet you there.”
Uncle Henry’s loud voice bellowed up the stairs. “Dr. Reid, we’ve got a patient in OR waiting for us. You can work on that baby later.”
We both shook our heads and
laughed.
“See you later. I’m excited you’re coming by. I love you.”
“I love you too,” were my last words, as I let Jake go save more lives.
Once Jake left, it was back to wedding preparations. Sandy and Barbara simultaneously agreed on linen colors as well the China pattern for the tables. They leaned toward a classic look for the wedding and I agreed with their every suggestion. The only area of interest for me was the dinner menu. I would voice my opinion when the caterer stopped by with her suggestions for the meal.
Midmorning, I made the sushi rice, filleted the fish, and cut them up into sushi and sashimi slices. I also put the rest of the frozen croissants in the oven for the nurses at the hospital. Aunt Barbara, Sandy, and Bobby sat down to lunch while I began working on a bento box for Jake, the chief, and myself.
While in Japan, I found these beautiful round bento boxes during my visit to Kappabashi, the restaurant supply district. I placed a large green leaf in each of the five boxes and began assembling the sushi pieces. The bottom layer contained sliced-up pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, and oranges with whipped cream in a separated container. A nigiri sushi sat on the second tier. There was toro, hamachi, kinmedai, hirame, sake, uni, and amaebi. In the third box, I arranged sashimi pieces on top of shredded daikon radishes, just like they did at sushi bars. In the fourth, partitioned box, I placed a salad and little pickled side dishes I purchased at the fish market. The top box had all the shrimp and veggie tempura. I wrapped the bento box in a large silk scarf, put the miso soup with amaebi heads in a thermos, and the necessary utensils in another carrying case, and I left for the hospital.
Walking into the hospital, I looked no different than a pizza delivery boy. Bearing an armful of food, I asked the receptionist for directions to Dr. Jake Reid’s office. Her answer made me laugh.
“You take the elevator up to the third floor, turn left, and follow the yellow line into the Reid Wing. His office will be a few doors down on the right.”
Of course, his office was located in the Reid Wing. Jake’s late grandfather spent his money generously. If I were ever to get ill, I would be well taken care of at this hospital. Jake’s office resembled an office cubicle. It was also as messy as the closet in his bedroom. This room needed my housekeeping services right away. Bookmarkers were placed in opened books and stacked on his desk and neat piles of patient files were made from the folders strewn about the desk and sofa. I made a mental note to myself to bring some flowers to brighten up his dreary office next time.
Once I finished straightening up, the couch looked inviting as sleep overpowered me. I curled up on the sofa and dozed off, only happy to find Jake’s soft lips awaken me. He was kneeling on the ground, staring at my sleeping face. I grabbed his face and pulled it harder on my lips, not wanting to stop the embrace. Jake responded as he usually does with more passion than I was ready for. I pulled away and sat up.
“I hate it when you pull away,” he complained.
“Believe it or not, I hate it even more,” I confessed. “Can you call Uncle Henry? I have lunch for all of us.”
Jake introduced me to his nursing staff at the front station, and many welcomed me, while a few evil eyes didn’t. I dropped off a box of croissants for the staff, which seemed to win over the opposition.
Many of Jake’s colleagues also stopped and congratulated us on our way to the Reid cafeteria. Most of the doctors I met in this department were men, but there were a few women, who also weren’t pleased to meet me. We walked into the cafeteria and sat with the chief.
I looked at both men and commented a bit sarcastically, “Don’t you find it weird to work in the Reid Wing and have lunch in the Reid Cafeteria?”
“No,” they both answered matter-of-factly.
What could I say to that? I opened the bento boxes, passed out plates, utensils, and soups. Then we started eating.
The chief looked impressed.
“Emily, did you make all this?” he asked. “If your meals look like this, I’m coming over every day for a meal.” He sounded completely serious.
“No you’re not,” Jake retorted. “My bride is not your personal chef. I don’t want her working any harder than she wants to. Although, I must say, you outdid yourself with this meal. Thank you, Sweetheart.”
Jake smacked his lips on mine, and suddenly his blue eyes sparkled even brighter.
“Emi, have you thought of what you want to do after the wedding?”
“What do you mean? I’ll enjoy married life till school begins, mid-August.”
“Would you consider quitting work and going to culinary school? We have a top-notch culinary academy five minutes from our home. Why don’t you enroll there in the fall?”
That idea made me pause for a moment. Would I want to stop teaching and go to culinary school? This wouldn’t be any ordinary school with books I’d memorize just for exams and forget the next day. This would be all hands-on training. A dream I thought I would live later in life presented itself today as a reality.
“I don’t know if I’m cut out for the Culinary Institute. I’m not that good and it’s expensive. Plus, I don’t want to work in a restaurant, and I don’t want to become a professional chef. I just want to be a home chef.”
“Love, first of all, you said yourself you’ve always wanted to go to cooking school. Here’s your chance before we have kids. As for expenses, did you not take a good look at my paycheck? I can afford to send you to cooking school. In fact, we will have a plethora of extra money living at my parents’ home. Both our mortgages are covered by rent, and we can mooch off my parents as long as we like. Lastly, you don’t have to become a professional chef. Just go to school for the fun of it. Our livelihood won’t depend on your success at school. You have some time so think about it. I’d love to do this for you.”
We all continued to eat as I thought about how much fun it would be to go and learn to cook. This was definitely a viable and exciting option. The two doctors began talking about their afternoon rounds and I looked at Uncle Henry, hoping this lunch put me in his good graces and could get some time off for my fiancé.
“Uncle Henry,” I asked in the most polite voice.
“Yes, soon-to-be niece?”
“Any chance Jake could get off at a decent hour so we can spend some time together tonight? As you know, we don’t spend any time together deep into the night so our evenings are cut real short if he comes home at midnight.”
The chief snickered at Jake, Jake grinned at me, and I stared hopefully at the chief.
“Sorry, Emily. He’s been on vacation for a week and he’ll be off for two more soon. The other doctors will accuse me of nepotism if I don’t work your fiancé. I promise you, though, I’ll lighten his schedule after you get married. We’re in the process of hiring another surgeon.”
I sighed, “Ok,” for the first half of his explanation, but mouthed a “thank you,” with a sigh of relief, for the latter part of his explanation. Chief Reid hugged and kissed me as he left to go back to his office.
“I tried,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
“I know. I’ll try to leave the hospital as early as possible,” Jake promised. “You want to come back at dinnertime?” Jake was the hopeful one this time.
“No. The ladies here aren’t too friendly. I don’t think they want to see me and my massive engagement ring twice in one day. You have quite a fan club here,” I said bitingly.
“You can be so silly at times,” he answered with a guffaw. “See you at home.”
I packed up all my belongings and left the hospital.
When I got back home, nothing had changed. It was if the two ladies hadn’t moved all afternoon. They were sitting in the same position from hours ago. They sat on the couch deciding which floral arrangement would look best on the table with the linen they chose earlier. They looked to me to be the tie breaker and realized that my only desire was to say, “I do,” and be Mrs. Jake Rei
d. Fortunately, they were more than happy to fill in for my mental absence and continued on without me.
I walked into my / Jake’s room and called my soon-to-be-sister.
“Hello, Sis. What are you up to right now?”
“Emily. Hi. How are you? I’m swamped with work. All the senior partners are dumping their busy work on me. I get in by six in the morning and don’t leave till close to midnight. I eat all three meals at the firm.”
She sounded terribly unhappy.
“Your work schedule sounds like your brother’s. I can’t see him unless I go to the hospital.”
I, too, wasn’t happy with his schedule.
“How are the wedding preparations going? What’s been done?”
“Honestly, I’m not quite sure. Mom and Aunt Barbara are downstairs making all the decisions. I’m happy to just show up on the day of and say, ‘I do.’”
“I talked to Mom briefly today, and she and Aunt Babs were really happy being your wedding planners. They’re living their vicarious wedding dreams through you. Are you OK with all of their decisions?”
“Yeah, they both have exquisite taste. I do hold veto power so if something isn’t to my liking, I’ll let them know. Anyhow, when can you come home? I miss you.”
“I know, I miss you and the whole family. I hear you’ve been quite the Martha Stewart every morning.”
“My eyes open at 4:00 a.m., and I have nothing else to do but cook. So, can you make it home this weekend?”
“I begged my boss so we’ll see. I won’t know till the last minute. I’ll call as soon as I know. Emily, my boss is calling. I have to go. Bye.”
“Bye, take care.”
I missed Jane and was hoping to catch up with her, but her new job kept her extremely busy. I milled around the room contemplating a nap when Sandy called me down.
“Emily, Sarah’s here.”
Excellent. It would give us a chance to catch up.
I gave Sarah a tour of the house and showed her where the wedding and reception would take place. Sandy and Barbara were more than happy to show her all that they accomplished today, and Sarah in turn was more than happy to give opinions of what she liked and didn’t like about their choices. I took Sarah up to my room when the two ladies were done with her.