by D. W. Cee
I won’t be done till really late but I’m off as of tomorrow. I’ll stop by after checking on my patients. We’ll have tomorrow till Thursday together. I can’t wait.
Me neither. I have to go. My friends are upset again. They’re so sensitive, huh? By the way, the answer to the question you’re dying to ask but haven’t is ‘no’. Max is with his family tonight. Bye.
I love you!
My vacation officially began Sunday. Since the Chief wasn’t around, I still stopped by the hospital and checked on all the patients before stopping by Emily’s home. No surprise, she opened her door dressed in pajamas looking groggy.
“How do you function on so little sleep?” Emily asked while getting ready for our day.
“I’ve never needed much sleep. I can do fine on three to four hours a day.” I comfortably sprawled on her bed and watched TV. “What shall we do today?”
Emily pondered what to do.
“Emi? What are some things you’ve always wanted to do?”
“What do you mean?” she sounded confused.
“You know like if money were no object or in your wildest dreams you’d like to…”
“Like a bucket list? Aren’t I a little too young for a bucket list?”
I gave her a stern look. “Emily Logan, your list.”
After a few minutes she answered.
“#1 – I want to hear Andrea Bocelli sing in some outdoor stadium in the hills of Tuscany.
#2 – I want to take a series of cooking class in Italy, Paris or Japan.
#3 – I want to climb all the steps of Machu Picchu.
#4 – I want to eat a formal Kaiseki meal in Japan.
#5 – I also want to go on a dining spree in Spain.
#6 – I want to live in New York City for a while.
#7 – I want to spend a few nights in a hut in the middle of some island – like the ones you see in travel magazines.
#8 – I want to learn to ballroom dance.
#9 – I want to go on one of those trips with that chef from the No Reservation TV show.
#10 – I want to be a judge on Iron Chef.”
None of those seemed too difficult for me to do for her except for #9 and 10.
“I have one more. #11, I want to picnic at the Tuileries Garden with someone I’m madly in love with.”
Another wish that could easily be granted. Okay, so now that I know all the things she wants to accomplish, I will start going down her list. First, I’ll take her to Europe and we could cross off numbers 1,2,5 and 11. That’s half the list. After Hawaii, I’ll beg the Chief to let me off for a couple of weeks in late spring and surprise my love with a European trip. Maybe I could propose to her there.
“Jake… Jake!”
“Huh?”
“What are you thinking about? I was asking you if we can go shopping today. I still haven’t bought your mom a gift. You have to help me buy something for her.”
I told Emily about Mom’s obsession with clocks. No matter where we traveled, Mom always came back with a clock. It was a good thing her house was big or else it would look like a clock museum.
We walked through a flea market and Emily was on a mission to find the perfect clock for Mom. Mom would be touched Emily cared enough to buy her a present. Jane’s glowing report of Emily compounded with my confessions of love, Mom and Dad already loved this girl as their own daughter. I couldn’t wait to introduce them.
“I just realized, the two months we’ve been dating, you’ve never met my parents or Nick.”
“Nope, I haven’t.”
“How did that happen? Why didn’t I take you over to meet my parents? You live minutes from their house.”
“I don’t know? I thought perhaps you were embarrassed to introduce me to them.” She tried to keep her face still but couldn’t help a mischievous grin. “You’ve never taken me out for sushi either and that’s my favorite meal. I had to go with Sarah the other night because I craved it.”
“Let’s go have sushi and meet my parents.”
At dinner I asked Emily to tell me more about her years with her family. Though I knew it was a sad topic for her I was curious about the family I would never meet. Coming from such a large family, I couldn’t imagine being completely alone. I figured Emily would have some aunts and uncles or at least cousins her age. Sadly, she told me her parents were only children and since her grandparents’ death four and five years ago, she’d been alone every holiday.
“So after your mom and grandparents died, who did you spend your holidays with?”
She stared at me, not with tears, but with a wondrous look of love and appreciation. She understood why I was asking these questions and she tried her best to placate my hurt for her.
“I spent a few holidays with Max’s family and a few with Sarah’s family. One Christmas, both Max and Sarah were out of town visiting relatives so I spent it alone. That was a sad Christmas.”
My heart broke. Loneliness marked her big brown eyes, yet her concern was still for me. She smiled and made light of her situation. “I sound so pathetic, huh?”
She fed me a bite of her dessert – a feeble attempt to gloss over both our sadness. I couldn’t believe she had gone through so many painful days before we met. I reached over and held her hand.
“Oh, my sweet Emily… my love… I hate thinking about you being alone. I wish we could’ve met earlier. I would’ve filled your void.” I vowed to her and myself, “I won’t ever let you be alone again.”
After dinner, we called my parents but they weren’t around so I dropped off Emily at home and we separated knowing we would be back together for four straight days.
Chapter 10 Is This Heaven on Earth?
“I’m around the corner…” I said on the phone to Emily.
“Okay.” She sounded extra cheerful.
Right as I got to her house, she was waiting on the sidewalk with one compact suitcase.
“Hi Beautiful.” Greeting her with my usual enthusiasm, she reached up and kissed me hello in return. “You’re in a good mood.”
“Why wouldn’t I be? I get to spend four days with you and your family. After Christmas who knows when I’ll see you again? It may be months before we get another chance like this.”
She wasn’t completely incorrect.
At the airport, without any prompting, Emily went and hugged Mom, Dad and Nick, introduced herself during the embrace, and thanked them for inviting her on our trip. By my family’s huge grins I could tell they welcomed her immediately.
Nick came over to me while grabbing our bags and whispered, “You weren’t kidding when you said she was hot. She’s gorgeous.”
“I know, isn’t she? She’s just as beautiful on the inside too. I think Mom and Dad like her already.”
We looked over to see the three of them talking and laughing about something. Emily glanced over at me and winked.
We landed in Maui and met Jane at the hotel. Jane and Emily went to get settled in their rooms and I stopped by Emily’s room after Nick and I had unpacked.
“Are you ready for our first excursion?”
Emily nodded her head. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” I grinned. “Let’s go.”
Emily’s eyes popped at the sight of the helicopter waiting to take us on a tour of Maui.
“I’ve never been on a helicopter before. I’ve actually never been to Hawaii. This is so exciting,” she whispered into my ears.
On the helicopter, no different from the opera, I enjoyed watching Emily’s wide-eyed expression more than the view itself. She seemed most in awe with all the waterfalls we passed over. We’d have to go swim near a waterfall if that was what she enjoyed the most. I held her close to me the whole ride and I could sense Mom watching us with a smile. Knowing my abundant love for this girl, Mom couldn’t help but love her as well.
Emily took off her headset and pushed mine back to whisper another message into my ears. “Watch the view… you see me all the time.
”
I kissed her and confessed, “I’d rather watch you.”
She smiled.
At lunch, Emily sat next to Mom and Jane and they talked feverishly about taking a girls’ ski trip up to Mammoth before Emily’s and Jane’s vacations were done. I thought about protesting a girls’ only trip but let it alone as I’m sure Mom and Jane both wanted to get closer to my love.
“Emily, Jake tells me you’re a foodie. Do you want to pick out some restaurants with me to try out during our stay here? We can’t eat hotel food the whole time.” Nick brought up Emily’s favorite conversation.
“I’d love to! Did you bring any guides or should we look it up online?”
“Let’s stop by a bookstore and do some research.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to the hotel concierge as well. That sounds like fun. What’s next on the agenda?” Emily asked Mom.
“We have a tour guide waiting for us to take us on a hike. Did you bring walking shoes?”
“Yes. I’ll go change into them right now.”
We walked to Emily’s room and she couldn’t stop smiling.
“Why are you so happy today? Is there something other than what you told me this morning?”
She shook her head no. “I’m happy to be a part of a family, especially your family.” That statement should have made me happy but instead it grieved my heart thinking about Emily’s not having had a family for so long.
“What’s the matter?” she asked seeing the change of change of expression on my face.
“Nothing. You should hurry. Everyone’s waiting for us.”
We went on a long hike that led to a dormant volcano then went snorkeling for half of us and scuba diving for the other half. I got scuba lessons for Emily so she could eventually dive with me on our next water vacation. By the end of her lesson, she looked exhausted.
“I need a nap,” she lamented in the ocean.
“We can go back and take one - your bed, my bed or the cabana?”
“At this point, I’ll take anything. I never exercise so today was too strenuous for me. Can we rest before dinner?”
I was thrilled to take a nap with her – assuming it was her plan to sleep with me. We ran into Mom and Jane at the hotel and they talked Emily into going to yoga with them. There was regret in her eyes when we parted. I ended up surfing with Nick and Dad.
“Your mom and I really like Emily. You weren’t exaggerating one bit about her.” Dad was always on the encouraging side. He tried to find the positive in every situation and the good in every person.
“Thanks, Dad. I can’t explain how much I love this girl. I could spend every day, all day with her and it still wouldn’t be enough. Would you and Mom be okay with having Emily as a daughter in law?”
“Son, if you love her, we love her too. We would welcome her as a daughter.”
“Me too, I’d take Emily as a sister any day. She’s so cool not to mention drop dead gorgeous.”
“I’m going to go meet Emily. She should be done with yoga. What time is the luau?
“8:00,” Dad answered.
“See you there.”
I chuckled to see Emily walking out of the yoga room completely drained. She fell into my arms and I took her back to her room.
“I’m so tired,” she complained falling onto the sofa. “What time is dinner?”
“You have an hour. Do you want to take a nap?”
“No, it’s not long enough. I need to get ready for dinner. My body is salty from the ocean and gross from all the sweat. Will you come back for me in thirty minutes? I’m going to try and take a shower if I don’t fall asleep right here.”
“Okay. I’ll shower and get dressed as well.”
Jane opened the door for me when I got back and Emily was lying on the sofa watching TV.
“I think she’s asleep,” Jane whispered.
“I’m not,” Emily whispered back. “I haven’t moved since you left me, Jake.”
I sat and placed her head on my lap. “Do you want to skip the luau? I’ll let everyone know you’re too tired.”
“No, I want to be there. I’ll get up and change. Just give me a few more minutes. Jane, aren’t you tired?”
“A little sore from yoga but I feel okay.”
“You must be in great shape. My body will not function properly tomorrow at the rate I’m going.”
Always the trooper, Emily smiled through dinner, answered everyone’s questions and participated happily.
“Hey, Emily, do you like the food here?” Nick started his food conversation again.
She shook her head no. “There are lots of choices but nothing to really choose. Everything tastes mediocre.”
“I agree. What should we eat for lunch tomorrow?”
“Do you think we can go out of the hotel and eat?” Emily addressed the both of us.
“Let’s do that. Hotel food is so boring. I’ll see what my parents have planned for tomorrow and I’ll let you know at breakfast.”
“Okay.” Then she turned to me and spoke softly, “I think I need to go sleep. Is it alright if I leave now? The show is over, right?”
“I’ll go with you, Love.”
“I can go by myself. Why don’t you stay with your family a bit longer?” She tried to encourage me.
“Are you kidding? I’m just as wiped out as you are. Nick made me go surfing while you were at yoga.”
Emily went over to Mom and Dad and thanked them for today’s activities and hugged them goodnight. I hastily told Jane to go grab her stuff out of her room and sleep with Nick.
“Does Emily know about this? I don’t think she’s planning on being your roommate tonight.”
“Just do as I tell you. She’s going to be too tired to fight me tonight,” I grinned.
“You’re pathetic!” She answered and left to do as I asked.
I had an elaborate plan of all the reasons why we should spend the night together and rehearsed my argument while Emily was in the shower. Next thing I knew, I woke up to light kisses on my lips. This was my chance. I abandoned my speech and pulled her into bed with me.
“Jake. Please get up and go to bed.”
“I am in bed.”
“No, your own bed!”
I held her tighter and knew she was accepting the inevitable. Her body didn’t put up any resistance.
“Love, let’s just sleep like this.” I started kissing her lips so she couldn’t argue.
“My hair is still wet and your sister will be here any minute now.” She answered when my lips traveled down.
I sent Jane a text signaling a thumb’s up and told Emily, “It’s done. Now sleep here with me just the way you are and let’s talk tomorrow morning. I am very tired.” Her verbal fight ended and we spent a wonderful night together – though all we did was sleep.
My eyes rudely opened when I felt Emily pull herself away from my body so I complained. “Emi… come back to bed. It was amazing being in bed with you the whole night. Let’s stay a little longer.”
She wouldn’t fall for the complaint or the begging that came after. She forced me to go get ready and within minutes, we went downstairs to breakfast. I saw my family’s smiling faces and Emily’s embarrassed one. I smiled right along with my family to Emily’s annoyance. I’d have to try spending the next two nights with her as well.
Breakfast, a basketball game – one where Emily couldn’t let herself root for our team – lunch, scuba and surfing, I had to take my girlfriend away or she would collapse. I rented a cabana and took her in to take a nap.
“I thought you were going to let me take a nap?” Emily complained when I scooted her to the edge of her lounge chair to lay down with her.
“I’m helping you take a nap,” I grinned mischievously letting her use my arm as a pillow.
Before she could answer, I showered her face with a barrage of kisses. Her weak complaints only encouraged me to take our intimacy further. I slid my hand under the cover up and untied her bikini top. My hand
s flew to touch parts of her body that had never been explored.
Aroused by her soft moaning I pulled her body on top of mine and attempted to pull down her bikini bottom. I couldn’t believe Emily was allowing me to get his far. Her complaints completely stopped and her lips dared not part from mine. Just when I was thinking I didn’t want Emily’s first time to be in a cabana on a lounge chair, we fell off the narrow chair. Emily laughed, turned around and swiftly covered herself. Great! I thought. Though I got to touch briefly, I still hadn’t seen enough of Emily.
“Let’s go out and enjoy the rest of the day,” she said smiling apologetically.
“Okay…” I mumbled. Having gotten that far, I had to try again tonight. With a little encouragement, Emily looked ready to show and tell her love.
Dinner took longer than anyone thought it would so we canceled our night excursions around town. Emily and Nick talked about all the restaurants they would visit tomorrow and I told Jane to move her stuff out of her room and to bring my suitcase into her room.
“Did you get very far last night?” Jane asked. “Emily told me she had no plans to have sex with you.”
“We got nowhere but sleep last night. But, plans are meant to be changed. Stop asking personal questions. I don’t ask you who you’re sleeping with,” I admonished her playfully.
“I won’t ask either since I know you won’t be ‘sleeping’ with anyone either. Good luck. You’ll need it.” Thankfully she did as she was told.
I took Emily back to her room and she picked out a video but fell asleep on my lap five minutes into the movie. I attempted to carry her to her bed but Emily woke up and asked about Jane.
“Where’s Jane?”
“She’s with Nick. They’re at the movies.”
“Why didn’t we go with them or why didn’t they come here with us?”
“Sweetheart, they’re trying to give us some privacy.” The moment these words parted from my lips Emily looked around the room and realized what was going on.